biochar an economic challenge · biochar production costs and values biochar costs • feedstock...
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Biochar – An Economic Challenge
Christoph Steiner, Gerald Marinitsch BIOCHAR.org, www.stirling.dk
Biochar production costs and values
Biochar costs • feedstock availability and costs • technology • labor requirement • byproducts such as heat and power • opportunity costs
Biochar values • agronomic benefits • climate change mitigation • others?? animal health, odor reduction • •
Biochar quality
Each year, the USA population uses three times more fossil energy than the total solar energy captured by all the plants in the USA per year (Pimentel et al. 2009)
In the USA, only 1% to 2% home heating is achieved with wood (USCB 1990).
FAO, The State of Food and Agriculture 2007
Biomass availability
http://www.biochar.org/ http://www.biochar.org/
Biomass availability Galveston, Tx
Biomass availability Denmark/Germany
Biomass availability Northern Nigeria
Biomass availability Northern Nigeria
Biomass availability Northern Nigeria
Biomass availability humid tropics e.g. oil palm
A Mill with a capacity of 60 Mg FFB h-1
Generates 83 000 EFB Mg yr-1
Is the carbon value of biochar more than that of charcoal used to substitute fossil fuel? Additionality? Is biochar additional as it will always compete with charcoal? Would highly priced biochar products pass the additionality test?
Emissions Trading biochar carbon sequestration
Emissions Trading biochar vs. ash
These lost profits need to be compensated by agronomic benefits and/or carbon credits
Aggregated transaction costs are currently averaging about $200,000 per project. (UNDP, CDM User’s Guide)
Emissions Trading transaction costs
Emissions Trading acknowledgement
Biochar biomass feedstock
High value biomass “European waste biomass”
Energy production Ideal • Some energy in the char
Not ideal: • High moisture content • High ash content • low bulk density • Some energy in the char
Biochar production costs
Low due to energy production
Relatively high
Biochar opportunity costs
Fuel value (high quality charcoal) Fuel value of the biomass
• low fuel value (ash content)
Technical difficulties
Easier
Challenging: • chlorine corrosion • deposition of ash layers • heat transfer
BlackCarbon Denmark
The BC300 CHP pyrolysis unit
CHP Burner
Heat Exchanger
Stirling Engine
Pyrolysis
Heat & Power
Biochar
Hot exhaust gases
Pyrolysis gas
Biomass
The BC300 CHP pyrolysis unit
Stirling DK fills a significant gap in biomass CHP
C
APA
CIT
Y
SUITABILITY FOR BASE LOAD
High Fuel Cost Low Fuel Cost
Low (< 500 kW)
High (> 500 kW)
Coal fired boilers + steam turbine.
Combined
Cycle Gas
Turbines
Diesel gen sets
Gas
engine
Gas/oil fired
boilers + steam turbine
Biomass
Gasification
+engine
Biomass
+steam
turbine Biomass
+ORC
Stirling
Stirling engine
Gerald Marinitsch
Technology combustion chamber and Stirling engine
Gerald Marinitsch
Stirling single engine containerized plant
Gerald Marinitsch
Stirling 4 engine installation Tabarz, Germany
Sonnenerde Austria
Renewable Energy/Biochar System
Fossil Energy/Peat Reference System
Increasing atmos. C
Pyrolysis
Avoided Emissions
Biomass energy
Sequestered Carbon
Emissions Fossil Fuel
Avoided Emissions
peat substitution
Emissions Peat Decay
Mining of fossil carbon
Reducing atmos. C
Peat substitute: Adding value and GHG emissions reductions
Peat substitute: Adding value and GHG emissions reductions
Renewable Energy/Biochar System
Fossil Energy/Peat Reference System
Increasing atmos. C
Pyrolysis
Biomass Energy 0 Mg CO2e
Sequestered Carbon
- 456 Mg CO2e
Emissions Fossil Fuel 176 Mg CO2e
Biochar as peat substitute
- 456 Mg CO2e
Emissions Peat Decay 283 Mg CO2e
Mining of fossil carbon 459 Mg CO2e
Reducing atmos. C
915 Mg CO2e per year per BC-300
Biochar based growing media 100% peat based growing media
Biochar based growing media 100% peat based growing media
Renewable Energy/Biochar System
Fossil Energy/Peat Reference System
Increasing atmos. C
Pyrolysis
Avoided Emissions
Biomass energy
Sequestered Carbon
Emissions Fossil Fuel
Avoided Emissions
Compost, landfill
Emissions CH4, N2O, CO2, ?
Mining of fossil carbon
Reducing atmos. C
Compost: Adding value and GHG emissions reductions
Experiment II biochar as bulking agent in composting
Compost with and without biochar
0% Kohle 20% Kohle 20% Kohle
Renewable Energy/Biochar System
Fossil Energy/Peat Reference System
Increasing atmos. C
Pyrolysis
Avoided Emissions
Biomass energy
Sequestered Carbon
Emissions Fossil Fuel
Avoided Emissions, added Value ?????????
Emissions CH4, N2O, CO2, ?
Mining of fossil carbon
Reducing atmos. C
Other applications: Adding value GHG emissions reductions
? ?
