Economics of pyrolysis-based energy production and biochar utilization: A case study in Taiwan

Kung, Chih-Chun; McCarl, Bruce A.; Cao, Xiaoyong

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.05.029

Cited by 86 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…McCarl et al (2009) showed that pyrolysis can have offset efficiencies of greater than 100% when compared with the emissions of the fossil fuel inputs that are replaced. Kung et al (2013) concluded that biochar application is economically feasible in Taiwan and that a stable supply of feedstocks can reduce pyrolysis costs and improve environmental quality significantly.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

An environmental and economic evaluation of carbon sequestration from pyrolysis and biochar application in China

Cao¹,

Kung²,

Wang³

2017

Agric. Econ. - Czech

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Sustainable development is an important issue currently facing the world and is concerned with the continuous and stable availability of visible and invisible resources across generations. Fossil fuels are typical non-renewable resources and modern civilizations have been largely dependent on their utilisation. Over-exploitation of fossil fuels not only reduces their availability for subsequent generations but also intensifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) effect, which increases the occurrence of extreme climatic events and results in negative effects for both current and future generations (McCarl et al. 2000;Chang 2002).Many countries, including China, have been engaged in research aimed at the development of renewable and low-carbon energy sources to replace fossil fuels. Solar energy, hydro power and bioenergy are qualified candidates, but bioenergy may be the most attractive option for China because it is an agricultural country and more than half a billion of the population are still engaged in agricultural-related sectors, implying that the vast resources of land and substantial labour force could be harnessed for the bioenergy industry. However, emphasis is not being put on bioenergy in most agricultural regions as local governments do not have enough information to allow them to make informed decisions regarding different energy crops and bioenergy technologies. Other factors that influence the production of bioenergy include the price volatility of energy, GHG emissions, farmers' willingness to participate in energy crop plantation, land-use changes and emission reductions. To provide more information about how energy crops and bio- Abstract:In the past decade, China has more than doubled its consumption of fossil fuels resulting in the emission of substantial amounts of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which are considered to be the main cause of climate change. To mitigate climate change and ensure the continued survival of life on earth, the current level of CO 2R emissions must be cut. Th is study establishes a price endogenous mathematical programming (Jiangxi Agricultural Sector Model) and incorporates bioenergy technologies such as ethanol, conventional co-fi ring and pyrolysis to examine how an agricultural province may contribute to bioenergy development and carbon sequestration. Th e results indicate that under moderate energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) prices, net electricity generation reaches 6.5 billion kWh annually. Net emission reduction is aff ected by market operations. At high GHG prices, pyrolysis and biochar application can sequester up to 4.74 million tons of CO 2R emissions annually. However, this measure fl uctuates signifi cantly when GHG prices vary. Our study shows that pyrolysis and biochar application provide signifi cant environmental eff ects in terms of carbon sequestration.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

An environmental and economic evaluation of carbon sequestration from pyrolysis and biochar application in China

Cao¹,

Kung²,

Wang³

2017

Agric. Econ. - Czech

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“…The existence of bio-energy seems to be a potential choice changing this situation because bio-energy utilizes agricultural commodities (crops, residuals or wastes) doi: 10.17221/147/2014 -AGRICECON to produce renewable energy and to combat the climate change. Among the available bio-energy alternatives, the pyrolysis and biochar application have been attracting great interests because it not only brings clean energy but also stores carbon from the atmosphere (carbon negative property), increases the crop yields and enhances the irrigation and fertilizer efficiency (Lehmann et al 2003;Lehmann 2007;McCarl et al 2009;Kung et al 2013). Because of these properties, the pyrolysis and biochar application might be one attractive bio-energy alternative.…”

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confidence: 99%

Economic effects of the biochar application on rice supply in Taiwan

Chang¹,

Wen²,

Kung³

2015

AGR ECON-CZECH

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Th e objective of the study is to analyze the economics of the bio-energy production for Taiwan in terms of the bio-energy production, social welfare and crop yield increase under the conventional bio-power, ethanol and pyrolysis. Th e eff ects on rice production patterns are also examined for the fast and slow pyrolysis plus the biochar application. In addition to adopting the mathematical programming model (Modifi ed Taiwan Agricultural Sec tor Model) in the analysis of the bio-energy production and the crop cultivation patterns, the study further employs a nonparametric kernel regression model to forecast the increased benefi ts of rice from using biochar under various scenarios. With the biochar application, Taiwan's rice production could increase ranging from 6308 to 38 118 tons annually, depending on the pyrolysis type and the plant location. Th e results indicate that the biochar utilization can potentially increase social benefi ts if rice is planted. Th e net increase of farmer›s and the environmental revenues can achieve up to NT$ 419 400. Moreover, we fi nd that farmers should give priority to the improvement of nutrient saving to make higher benefi ts. Second, the total benefi ts could be improved if the seed use is effi cient and harvesting and transporting costs for the energy crop and processing and the hauling cost of biochar are lower. Simulation results indicate that Taiwan benefi ts from the bio-energy production in terms of energy security, farmers revenue, social welfare and rice supply. Th e results show that, in general, pyrolysis plus the biochar application not only increase the domestic renewable energy supply but also enhance the farmers' and environmental revenues signifi cantly.

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“…Por su parte, en el estudio de Kung et al (2013) se hizo una evaluación económica de procesos de pirólisis lenta y rapida usando como materia prima madera de alamo. En el primer escenario de dicho estudio, el objetivo fue producir y comercializar energía, bioaceites y biochar.…”

Section: Viabilidad Económicaunclassified

“…En el mismo estudio, Kung et al (2013) evaluaron la viabilidad económica de la producción y aplicación en suelos de todo el biochar producido. Para esto, tuvieron en cuenta los impactos positivos del biochar en el suelo y cómo éstos podrían repercutir económicamente en la reducción del uso de fertilizantes y agua.…”

Section: Viabilidad Económicaunclassified

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Evaluacion del uso de residuos organicos para la produccion de biochar y su aplicacion como enmienda organica

Parra¹

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En primer lugar, quiero dedicar este trabajo a mi madre, a mi padre y a mis hermanos por su apoyo incondicional, su amor y sus consejos, y porque, a pesar de la distancia, siempre estan conmigo. Ademas, agradezco el soporte económico que me brindaron y por el cual pude desarrollar esta investigación.Agradezco a mis directores de tesis por sus enseñanzas y orientación, así como a todos los docentes, investigadores y doctorandos pertenecientes a la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid y a otras instituciones con quienes tuve la oportunidad de compartir experiencias académicas, establecer lazos de amistad, y quienes de forma directa o indirecta me ayudaron y guiaron durante todo este proceso.También quiero agradecer a mi familia mas cercana, tía, primos, primas, amigos y amigas, por su amor, apoyo, por hacerme sonreír y transmitirme energía y fortaleza para seguir adelante; en especial a mi abuelo porque con su luz y sabiduría me ayudó a convertirme en la mujer que soy ahora. A ti abuelito te agradezco y te dedico este trabajo, siempre te llevaré en mi corazón. "De los miedos nacen los corajes; y de las dudas las certezas.Los suenos anuncian otra realidad posible y los delirios otra razon. Al fin y al cabo, somos lo que hacemos para cambiar lo que somos." Eduardo Galeano 7 RESUMEN RESUMENEn la actualidad el uso de biochar ha despertado gran interés por sus supuestos aportes en la lucha contra el calentamiento global, la mejora de la calidad de los suelos y el aumento de la productividad de cultivos. Esta tesis se ha centrado en el estudio de los efectos de este material carbonoso en los suelos y en evaluar la viabilidad de gestión de diversos residuos organicos mediante procesos de pirólisis o gasificación.Con este propósito, se estudió la influencia de distintas materias primas y procesos de producción sobre las propiedades de los biochars y los impactos asociados a su uso como enmienda organica. La tesis esta estructurada en cinco capítulos.El objetivo del capítulo tres fue estudiar la influencia de la materia prima (residuos ganaderos) y de la temperatura de pirólisis sobre las propiedades de los biochars, para ello se hizo una caracterización de todos los materiales. Los resultados indican que las propiedades agronómicas de los biochars son muy variables según la biomasa empleada y las condiciones de producción. Sin embargo, en todos los casos se observó una reducción de las fracciones móviles de metales traza en los biochars.En el cuarto capítulo se determinó la influencia del biochar sobre las propiedades biológicas del suelo, con este fin, se desarrollaron dos estudios en los que se evaluaron los efectos del biochar sobre la respiración del suelo y las actividades enzimaticas. Los resultados indican que tras el proceso de pirólisis la biomasa alcanza mayor estabilidad, por lo tanto, la mineralización del carbono es menor cuando se usa biochar como enmienda organica. Sin embargo, los biochars producidos a altas temperaturas tienen un impacto negativo sobre los microorganismos del suelo.El objetivo del capítulo c...

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Economics of pyrolysis-based energy production and biochar utilization: A case study in Taiwan

Cited by 86 publications

References 20 publications

An environmental and economic evaluation of carbon sequestration from pyrolysis and biochar application in China

An environmental and economic evaluation of carbon sequestration from pyrolysis and biochar application in China

Economic effects of the biochar application on rice supply in Taiwan

Evaluacion del uso de residuos organicos para la produccion de biochar y su aplicacion como enmienda organica

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