Mapping N2O cultivation emissions to assess the carbon footprint of bio-based energy with GNOCpy

Bioenergy, an alternative to fossil fuels, is not climate impact-free, with about a third of its carbon footprint coming as nitrous oxide emissions from feedstock cultivation. That is why, an accurate knowledge of those emissions is needed to ensure sufficient greenhouse gas savings. This study introduces GNOCpy, a Global Nitrous Oxide Calculator implemented in Python and designed to assess N2O emissions from feedstock cultivation for bioenergy. GNOCpy relies on the implementation of updated IPCC formulas and input data, including maps for location-dependent parameters such as climate, soil type, and agricultural data. The tool allows spatial visualisation and analysis of the nitrous oxide emissions caused by the production of various bioenergy feedstocks. A sensitivity analysis was performed and highlights the determining factors affecting the overall performance. Finally, averaged values corresponding to the European consumption were calculated and compared with the previous ones. The observed changes are mainly driven by the variation of the fertiliser use per unit of feedstock produced. Such outcomes are important to inform decision-making supporting the development of a more sustainable bioenergy sector. The GNOCpy tool is open-source and documented, allowing for transparency, reproducibility, and potential reuse beyond the scope of this study.

BESSEAU Romain;  HURTIG Oliver;  SCARLAT Nicolae; 

2025-04-04

ELSEVIER LTD.

JRC142005

1873-2909 (online),   

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0961953425006452,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC142005,   

10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108234 (online),