[Terrapreta] Selling Biochar in Climate Change Markets

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Lorenzo,

It is great to hear from someone who is optimistic about what can be achieved economically when the formation of Terra Preta soils (charcoal-in-soil) + fertilizers is viewed over the long run (25-30 years).  Did you know that nitrogen fertilizers can be made from off gases of the pytrolysis process, too?

One needs to be careful about estimates that get charcoal energy, and or fertilizer all from the biomass feedstock, though.  The more energy actually harvested or the more H2 gas used for fertilizer manufacture, then there will be a lower charcoal yield.  When cheap fossil fuel runs out (later this year?!), than making nitrogen fertilizers with hydrogen got from pyrolysis of biomass may be the only and/or cheapest way to make fertilizers, though.

Regards,

SKB


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Laurens Rademakers<mailto:lrademakers at biopact.com> 
  To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 9:28 AM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Selling Biochar in Climate Change Markets


  Tom, you are absolutely right. But you can in fact go MUCH further. We have done the same calculation, and biochar can be even more profitable when the system is implemented in the tropics at the forest frontier. Because there it would actually slow or even halt deforestation.

  We look at it as follows: 1 hectare of "slash and burn" converted into "slash and char" would, over a period of 30 years, save the carbon contained in at least 6 hectares of forest. Because shifting cultivation forces farmers to move on to new land after 2 to maximum 5 years (so after 30 years, they would have slashed and burned 6 ha if they use each hectare 5 years, which is a long time; in reality, most soils are depleted much faster, after 2 or 3 years). 

  -An average rainforest in SEAsia/Central Africa contains around 700 tons CO2eq/ha. 
  -So by converting 1 hectare into biochar soils, you would get 700 tons times 6 = 4200 tons (over 30 years); 4200 tons of CO2 at Euro 21/ton = Euro 88,200. 
  -Euro 88,200 divided by 30 (years) is 2940 per hectare of land converted to biochar; not bad

  Of course, currently these slash-and-burn farmers don't use fertilizers. Biochar only works if supplemented with fertilizers. So you would have to take emissions from fertilizers into the equation, and substract them from the gains.

  -Another stream of carbon revenue would be: reduced emissions from primitive biomass use for energy. When biochar is made in efficient pyrolysis plants that deliver electricity at the same time (from the syngas), then you would provide clean energy to these communities. They would no longer rely on wood burned inefficiently in open fires (current practise), which releases large amounts of emissions.

  Mmm, I think we should put much more effort in studying the potential carbon market opportunities for biochar, as they relate to different biochar concepts.

  Best,
  Lorenzo




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