A comparative analysis of the efficiency, timing, and permanence of CO<sub>2</sub> removal pathways

Chiquier, Solene; Patrizio, Piera; Bui, Mai; Sunny, Nixon; MacDowell, Niall

doi:10.1039/d2ee01021f

Cited by 33 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Biochar C is generally assumed to be highly stable in soils, with a mean residence time ranging from centuries to millennia (Chiquier et al., 2022; Petersen et al., 2023; Schmidt et al., 2022). Similarly, the effect of biochar on lime upstream emissions and N 2 O emissions from soils is considered permanent since its application directly avoids the emissions of GHGs in the atmosphere, and hence, has no risks of reversal.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental factors controlling biochar climate change mitigation potential in British Columbia's agricultural soils

Lefebvre,

Cornelis,

Meersmans

et al. 2023

GCB Bioenergy

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To combat climate change, carbon dioxide must be prevented from entering the atmosphere or even removed from it. Biochar is one potential practice to sequester carbon, but its climate change mitigation potential depends on a multitude of parameters. Differentiating areas of low and high climate change mitigation through biochar addition is key to maximize its potential and effectively use the available feedstock for its production. This study models the realistic application of 1 metric tonne (t) per hectare (ha) of forest harvest residue derived biochar over the climatically and pedologically diverse agricultural area of British Columbia, Canada, and provides a framework and assumptions for reproducibility in other parts of the world. The model accounts for the direct (input of organic carbon) and indirect (enhanced plant biomass) effects of biochar on soil organic carbon stock, its impact on nitrous oxide emissions from soils, and the avoided emissions from the reduced lime requirement due to biochar's alkalinization potential. Impacts are modelled over 20‐year time horizon to account for the duration and magnitude variation over time of biochar effect on plant biomass and nitrous oxide emissions from soil and conform to the IPCC GWP 20‐year time horizon reporting. The results show that a single application of 1 t of biochar per ha−1 can mitigate between 3 and 5 t CO2e ha−1 over a 20‐year time frame. Applied to the 746,000 ha of agricultural land of British Columbia this translate to the mitigation of a total of 2.5 million metric tonnes (Mt) CO2e over a 20‐year time frame. Further, the results identify agricultural areas in the Lower Mainland region (the southwestern corner of British Columbia) as the area maximizing climate change mitigation potential through biochar addition due to a combination of relative high temperature, high precipitation, and crops with high nitrogen requirement.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental factors controlling biochar climate change mitigation potential in British Columbia's agricultural soils

Lefebvre,

Cornelis,

Meersmans

et al. 2023

GCB Bioenergy

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“…BECCS), soil carbon sequestration, and biochar), ocean fertilization, and enhanced rock weathering [142,143]. BECCS and enhanced rock weathering are of particular interest as they can be developed over agricultural lands to achieve net-zero emissions agriculture through permanent carbon sequestration [144]. While biochar and soil carbon sequestration can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over agricultural lands, the permanence of carbon sequestration is still to be verified [144,145].…”

Section: Cdr Technologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…BECCS and enhanced rock weathering are of particular interest as they can be developed over agricultural lands to achieve net-zero emissions agriculture through permanent carbon sequestration [144]. While biochar and soil carbon sequestration can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over agricultural lands, the permanence of carbon sequestration is still to be verified [144,145]. Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced through pyrolysis-heating biomass in a low-oxygen environment-that is applied to soil for carbon sequestration [146].…”

Section: Cdr Technologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scaling up this technique to large areas is a significant challenge [142]. The logistics of mining, transporting, and spreading large quantities of rocks would be a significant undertaking, and the cost of this process is currently uncertain [144]. While enhanced rock weathering has the potential to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the amount of carbon that can be sequestered through this process is still uncertain [53].…”

Section: Remaining Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The effectiveness of enhanced rock weathering may also depend on factors such as the type of rock used, the climate, and the location where the rocks are spread [53]. Weathering rates may decrease over time as the rocks become saturated with carbon dioxide and other nutrients, which could limit the amount of carbon that can be sequestered [144]. The cost of mining, transporting, and spreading rocks may be prohibitively expensive, and the economic benefits of this technique may not be realized for many years.…”

Section: Remaining Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Achieving net-zero emissions in agriculture: a review

Rosa

Gabrielli

2023

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Agriculture accounts for 12% of global annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (7.1 Gt CO2 equivalent), primarily through non-CO2 emissions, namely methane (54%), nitrous oxide (28%), and carbon dioxide (18%). Thus, agriculture contributes significantly to climate change and is significantly impacted by its consequences. Here, we present a review of technologies and innovations for reducing GHG emissions in agriculture. These include decarbonizing on-farm energy use, adopting nitrogen fertilizers management technologies, alternative rice cultivation methods, and feeding and breeding technologies for reducing enteric methane. Combined, all these measures can reduce agricultural GHG emissions by up to 45%. However, residual emissions of 3.8 Gt CO2 equivalent per year will require offsets from carbon dioxide removal technologies to make agriculture net-zero. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage and enhanced rock weathering are particularly promising techniques, as they can be implemented within agriculture and result in permanent carbon sequestration. While net-zero technologies are technically available, they come with a price premium over the status quo and have limited adoption. Further research and development are needed to make such technologies more affordable and scalable and understand their synergies and wider socio-environmental impacts. With support and incentives, agriculture can transition from a significant emitter to a carbon sink. This study may serve as a blueprint to identify areas where further research and investments are needed to support and accelerate a transition to net-zero emissions agriculture.

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Land-neutral negative emissions through biochar-based fertilization—assessing global potentials under varied management and pyrolysis conditions

Werner,

Lucht,

Kammann

et al. 2024

Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change

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Climate stabilization is crucial for restabilizing the Earth system but should not undermine biosphere integrity, a second pillar of Earth system functioning. This is of particular concern if it is to be achieved through biomass-based negative emission (NE) technologies that compete for land with food production and ecosystem protection. We assess the NE contribution of land- and calorie-neutral pyrogenic carbon capture and storage (LCN-PyCCS) facilitated by biochar-based fertilization, which sequesters carbon and reduces land demand by increasing crop yields. Applying the global biosphere model LPJmL with an enhanced representation of fast-growing species for PyCCS feedstock production, we calculated a land-neutral global NE potential of 0.20–1.10 GtCO2 year−1 assuming 74% of the biochar carbon remaining in the soil after 100 years (for + 10% yield increase; no potential for + 5%; 0.61–1.88 GtCO2 year−1 for + 15%). The potential is primarily driven by the achievable yield increase and the management intensity of the biomass producing systems. NE production is estimated to be enhanced by + 200–270% if management intensity increases from a marginal to a moderate level. Furthermore, our results show sensitivity to process-specific biochar yields and carbon contents, producing a difference of + 40–75% between conservative assumptions and an optimized setting. Despite these challenges for making world-wide assumptions on LCN-PyCCS systems in modeling, our findings point to discrepancies between the large NE volumes calculated in demand-driven and economically optimized mitigation scenarios and the potentials from analyses focusing on supply-driven approaches that meet environmental and socioeconomic preconditions as delivered by LCN-PyCCS.

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A comparative analysis of the efficiency, timing, and permanence of CO₂ removal pathways

Abstract: Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is essential to deliver the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement. Whilst several CDR pathways have been identified, they vary significantly in terms of CO2 removal...

Cited by 33 publications

References 62 publications

Environmental factors controlling biochar climate change mitigation potential in British Columbia's agricultural soils

Environmental factors controlling biochar climate change mitigation potential in British Columbia's agricultural soils

Achieving net-zero emissions in agriculture: a review

Land-neutral negative emissions through biochar-based fertilization—assessing global potentials under varied management and pyrolysis conditions

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A comparative analysis of the efficiency, timing, and permanence of CO2 removal pathways

Abstract: Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is essential to deliver the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement. Whilst several CDR pathways have been identified, they vary significantly in terms of CO2 removal...

Cited by 33 publications

References 62 publications

Environmental factors controlling biochar climate change mitigation potential in British Columbia's agricultural soils

Environmental factors controlling biochar climate change mitigation potential in British Columbia's agricultural soils

Achieving net-zero emissions in agriculture: a review

Land-neutral negative emissions through biochar-based fertilization—assessing global potentials under varied management and pyrolysis conditions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

A comparative analysis of the efficiency, timing, and permanence of CO₂ removal pathways