Technical, Economical, and Climate-Related Aspects of Biochar Production Technologies: A Literature Review
Top Cited Papers
- 30 September 2011
- journal article
- review article
- Published by American Chemical Society (ACS) in Environmental Science & Technology
- Vol. 45 (22), 9473-9483
- https://doi.org/10.1021/es201792c
Abstract
For the development of commercial biochar projects, reliable data on biochar production technologies is needed. For this purpose, peer-reviewed scientific articles on carbonization technologies (pyrolysis, gasification, hydrothermal carbonization, and flash carbonization) have been analyzed. Valuable information is provided by papers on pyrolysis processes, less information is available on gasification processes, and few papers about hydrothermal and flash carbonization technologies were identified. A wide range of data on the costs of char production (between 51 US$ per tonne pyrolysis biochar from yard waste and 386 US$ per tonne retort charcoal) and on the GHG balance of biochar systems (between −1054 kg CO2e and +123 kg CO2e per t dry biomass feedstock) have been published. More data from pilot projects are needed to improve the evaluation of biochar production technologies. Additional research on the influence of biochar application on surface albedo, atmospheric soot concentration, and yield responses is necessary to assess the entire climate impact of biochar systems. Above all, further field trials on the ability of different technologies to produce chars for agricultural soils and carbon sequestration are essential for future technology evaluation.Keywords
This publication has 50 references indexed in Scilit:
- Reducing abrupt climate change risk using the Montreal Protocol and other regulatory actions to complement cuts in CO 2 emissionsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2009
- Microbial Enrichment of a Novel Growing Substrate and its Effect on Plant GrowthMicrobial Ecology, 2009
- Effect of biochar amendment on soil carbon balance and soil microbial activitySoil Biology and Biochemistry, 2009
- Reversibility of Soil Productivity Decline with Organic Matter of Differing Quality Along a Degradation GradientEcosystems, 2008
- Long term effects of manure, charcoal and mineral fertilization on crop production and fertility on a highly weathered Central Amazonian upland soilPlant and Soil, 2007
- Effects of the application of charred bark ofAcacia mangiumon the yield of maize, cowpea and peanut, and soil chemical properties in South Sumatra, IndonesiaSoil Science and Plant Nutrition, 2006
- Nutrient availability and leaching in an archaeological Anthrosol and a Ferralsol of the Central Amazon basin: fertilizer, manure and charcoal amendmentsPlant and Soil, 2003
- The 'Terra Preta' phenomenon: a model for sustainable agriculture in the humid tropicsThe Science of Nature, 2001
- Sugarcane leaf-bagasse gasifiers for industrial heating applicationsBiomass and Bioenergy, 1997
- Effect of charcoal, coal and peat on the yield of moong, soybean and peaSoil Biology and Biochemistry, 1980