Pyrolysis biochar systems for recovering biodegradable material: A life cycle carbon assessment

Rodrigo Ibarrola Esteinou; Simon Shackley; Jim Hammond

doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2011.10.005

Pyrolysis biochar systems for recovering biodegradable material: A life cycle carbon assessment

Rodrigo Ibarrola Esteinou, Simon Shackley, Jim Hammond

School of Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on biochar and bioenergy generation was performed for three thermal treatment configurations (slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis and gasification). Ten UK biodegradable wastes or residues were considered as feedstocks in this study. Carbon (equivalent) abatement (CA)
and electricity production indicators were calculated. Slow pyrolysis systems offer the best performance in terms of CA, with net results varying from 0.07 to 1.25 tonnes of CO2 eq. t1 of feedstock treated. On the other hand, gasification achieves the best electricity generation outputs, with results varying around
0.9 MWhe t1 of feedstock. Moreover, selection of a common waste treatment practice as the reference scenario in an LCA has to be undertaken carefully as this will have a key influence upon the CA performance of pyrolysis or gasification biochar systems (P/GBS). Results suggest that P/GBS could produce
important environmental benefits in terms of CA, but several potential pollution issues arising from contaminants in the biochar have to be addressed before biochar and bioenergy production from biodegradable
waste can become common practice.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	859-868
Number of pages	10
Journal	Waste Management
Volume	32
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2011.10.005
Publication status	Published - May 2012

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Biochar
Biodegradable waste
Pyrolysis
Gasification
Life cycle assessment

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10.1016/j.wasman.2011.10.005

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title = "Pyrolysis biochar systems for recovering biodegradable material: A life cycle carbon assessment",

abstract = "A life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on biochar and bioenergy generation was performed for three thermal treatment configurations (slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis and gasification). Ten UK biodegradable wastes or residues were considered as feedstocks in this study. Carbon (equivalent) abatement (CA)and electricity production indicators were calculated. Slow pyrolysis systems offer the best performance in terms of CA, with net results varying from 0.07 to 1.25 tonnes of CO2 eq. t1 of feedstock treated. On the other hand, gasification achieves the best electricity generation outputs, with results varying around0.9 MWhe t1 of feedstock. Moreover, selection of a common waste treatment practice as the reference scenario in an LCA has to be undertaken carefully as this will have a key influence upon the CA performance of pyrolysis or gasification biochar systems (P/GBS). Results suggest that P/GBS could produceimportant environmental benefits in terms of CA, but several potential pollution issues arising from contaminants in the biochar have to be addressed before biochar and bioenergy production from biodegradablewaste can become common practice.",

keywords = "Biochar, Biodegradable waste, Pyrolysis, Gasification, Life cycle assessment",

author = "{Ibarrola Esteinou}, Rodrigo and Simon Shackley and Jim Hammond",

year = "2012",

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doi = "10.1016/j.wasman.2011.10.005",

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journal = "Waste Management",

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T1 - Pyrolysis biochar systems for recovering biodegradable material

T2 - A life cycle carbon assessment

AU - Ibarrola Esteinou, Rodrigo

AU - Shackley, Simon

AU - Hammond, Jim

PY - 2012/5

Y1 - 2012/5

N2 - A life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on biochar and bioenergy generation was performed for three thermal treatment configurations (slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis and gasification). Ten UK biodegradable wastes or residues were considered as feedstocks in this study. Carbon (equivalent) abatement (CA)and electricity production indicators were calculated. Slow pyrolysis systems offer the best performance in terms of CA, with net results varying from 0.07 to 1.25 tonnes of CO2 eq. t1 of feedstock treated. On the other hand, gasification achieves the best electricity generation outputs, with results varying around0.9 MWhe t1 of feedstock. Moreover, selection of a common waste treatment practice as the reference scenario in an LCA has to be undertaken carefully as this will have a key influence upon the CA performance of pyrolysis or gasification biochar systems (P/GBS). Results suggest that P/GBS could produceimportant environmental benefits in terms of CA, but several potential pollution issues arising from contaminants in the biochar have to be addressed before biochar and bioenergy production from biodegradablewaste can become common practice.

AB - A life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on biochar and bioenergy generation was performed for three thermal treatment configurations (slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis and gasification). Ten UK biodegradable wastes or residues were considered as feedstocks in this study. Carbon (equivalent) abatement (CA)and electricity production indicators were calculated. Slow pyrolysis systems offer the best performance in terms of CA, with net results varying from 0.07 to 1.25 tonnes of CO2 eq. t1 of feedstock treated. On the other hand, gasification achieves the best electricity generation outputs, with results varying around0.9 MWhe t1 of feedstock. Moreover, selection of a common waste treatment practice as the reference scenario in an LCA has to be undertaken carefully as this will have a key influence upon the CA performance of pyrolysis or gasification biochar systems (P/GBS). Results suggest that P/GBS could produceimportant environmental benefits in terms of CA, but several potential pollution issues arising from contaminants in the biochar have to be addressed before biochar and bioenergy production from biodegradablewaste can become common practice.

KW - Biochar

KW - Biodegradable waste

KW - Pyrolysis

KW - Gasification

KW - Life cycle assessment

U2 - 10.1016/j.wasman.2011.10.005

DO - 10.1016/j.wasman.2011.10.005

M3 - Article

SN - 0956-053X

VL - 32

SP - 859

EP - 868

JO - Waste Management

JF - Waste Management

IS - 5

ER -

Pyrolysis biochar systems for recovering biodegradable material: A life cycle carbon assessment

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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