An energy-biochar chain involving biomass gasification and rice cultivation in Northern Italy

The competing demand for food and bioenergy requires new solutions for the agricultural sector, which cannot be spoiled out of its fundamental role of feeding a world population continuously growing. In this context, the production of bioenergy from crop residues and residual biomass may be an interesting solution, since do not affect food production while creating energy. In particular, the gasification technology produces both energy and biochar, which seems to have positive agronomic effects in many experimental fields worldwide, also sequestering carbon in soil. However a full assessment of the energetic performances of gasification plants, as well as their impact in term of greenhouse gases (GHG), needs to be done. In this paper we complete a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of an advanced gasification plant located in northwestern Italy, in particular focusing on the GHG balance of the supply chain, including the field distribution of the resulting biochar in a typical paddy rice field. The results indicate that biochar has marginal, but positive effect on rice yield, not affecting soil aggregation in the short-term. Moreover, LCA suggested net emissions ranging between -0.54 and -2.1 t CO2e t-1 biochar depending on the allocation scenario adopted.

LUGATO Emanuele;  VACCARI Francesco Primo;  GENESIO Lorenzo;  BARONTI Silvia;  POZZI Alessandro;  RACK Mireille;  WOODS Jeremy;  SIMONETTI Gianluca;  MONTANARELLA Luca;  MIGLIETTA Franco; 

2013-06-27

WILEY-BLACKWELL

JRC73060

1757-1693,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC73060,   

10.1111/gcbb.12028,