Carbon Banking: Biochar-Based Carbon Management Networks

By Yumul, John Anthony & Fidel, Jhoanna

Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration recently reached the highest level in recorded history (Kahn,
2017). Different technologies must be combined to curb GHG emissions to safe levels. Researchers
suggest that it is now necessary to approach near-zero future carbon emissions in order to stabilize
climate (Haszeldine et al., 2018) suggesting that there may be a need to deploy negative emissions
technologies (NETs). Negative emission techniques (or technologies) are means of achieving net removal
of GHGs from the environment such that atmospheric concentrations are reduced below the level that
would have resulted without their deployment (McLaren, 2012). Biochar is a scalable NET that has
received substantial attention in the scientific world mainly due to its significant potentials to combat
climate change while simultaneously improving soil properties.

How does biochar mitigate climate change?

Carbon can truly be stored in soil as crop residues or humus (a more stable material formed in soil from
decaying organic matter). But according to Jim Amonette of the Department of Energy’s Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, crop residues usually oxidize into CO 2 and are released into the
atmosphere within a couple of years, and the lifetime of carbon in humus is typically less than 25 years.
When the biomass is instead pyrolyzed, a stable solid product is produced that largely consists of a
recalcitrant carbon fraction with a half-life of a few centuries in soil. The carbon-rich product is called
biochar when it is stored below the ground for long-term removal of atmospheric carbon.

According to Hillel and Rosenzweig, the primary reason for the stability of biochar in soils is their
chemical recalcitrance, which is due to aromatic structures of varying properties. This is a relevant
measure for its ability to prevent photosynthetically fixed carbon from being returned rapidly to the
atmosphere. The stable storage of biochar in soils represents a long-term removal of atmospheric
carbon due to the fact that the recalcitrant fraction present in biochar decomposes very slowly, typically
with a half-life measured on the time scale of a few centuries. Hence, the production and application of
biochar in soil is a significant carbon sequestration strategy and has been suggested as one possible
means of reducing the atmospheric CO2 concentration.

What are the other benefits of storing biochar in soil?

The application of biochar in soil improves the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil such as
increase in soil-water and nutrient holding capacities that result in improved crop yields and reduction
of the need for fertilizers. According to Woolf and coauthors, direct sequestration in biochar coupled
with beneficial secondary effects can potentially mitigate 130 Gt carbon over the course of the century.
These secondary effects result from the displacement of fossil fuels by energy co-products from biochar
production, the suppression of natural soil N 2O and CH4 fluxes when biochar is added to soil, the
displacement of fossil fuel-intensive synthetic fertilizers due to improved soil fertility, and the reduction
of energy requirement for irrigation due to improved water retention properties. Because of the
aforementioned secondary effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the total potential for mitigation
can be much larger than the physical carbon content of the biochar.

What are the existing challenges that can potentially hinder biochar application?

Although much has already been achieved, barriers to biochar application for environmental
management still do exist. For instance, potential disadvantages of biochar application include albedo
effects due to soil darkening, excessive pH elevation, as well as adverse effects on soil quality due to the
introduction of contaminants such as salts, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dioxins.
The potential release of contaminants is possible since biochars are often prepared from a variety of
feedstocks including waste materials. These agronomic and environmental risks thus necessitate the
need to strategically match biochar sources with biochar sinks in order to minimize the adverse
unintended consequences. This has led to the “designer biochar” concept, wherein biochar could be
tailored with relevant properties to address specific soil quality improvements. There is a need to
optimize the processing conditions in order to improve the properties of biochar to become suitable for
agricultural use.

Techno-economic challenges also exist that can potentially hinder biochar application. Economic
benefits for biochar producers and farmers must come along with social and environmental advantages
if biochar is to be implemented globally. It was identified that biochar sales volume and market price
are the crucial factors responsible for profitability. However, alternative end uses of biochar compete
with soil amendment. Economic viability can be improved through simultaneous generation of valuable
co-products. Governments can facilitate its use for carbon management via carbon trading schemes, tax
incentives, financing and legal support.

These barriers imply that there is a need for further research to optimally deploy biochar as a carbon
sequestration technology and reap the co-benefits that come along with it.
What is the focus of your research and how did it address these challenges?

My study has developed a systematic framework for high-level planning and decision support in the
synthesis of biochar-based carbon management network. The promising results of biochar application to
soil can be potentially optimized through biochar-based carbon management networks (BCMNs) with
the aid of mathematical programming. In my dissertation, the term BCMNs is proposed to describe
systems that are intended to strategically plan carbon sequestration via systematic production and
allocation of biochars for long-term storage to agricultural lands and for simultaneous improvement of
soil properties. My dissertation focused on developing an optimization framework for BCMNs. My work
is the first to integrate the relevant and practical aspects of biochar research into a systematic
framework for the high-level planning of large-scale BCMNs. Such framework provides innovative
biochar systems concepts to fill the research gap in the global biochar literature. The framework is
comprised of mathematical models that capture the current features of biochar research.

The optimization framework I developed provides a sustainable strategy to facilitate the careful
planning of BCMNs on a globally significant scale. The framework can guide policy formulation
concerning biochar production and subsequent application to soil. To make biochar amendments more
beneficial, I synthesize a biochar-based network wherein biochar (source) could be customized in order
to fit certain soil conditions (sink). This can also minimize the potential for adverse unintended
consequences. It can also provide useful insights to guide policymaking to incentivize commercial-scale
BCMNs. Finally, the framework can aid the sustainable deployment of BCMNs to contribute on climate
mitigation.

Dr. Beatriz A. Belmonte is a faculty member at the University of Santo Tomas under the
Chemical Engineering Department. She is also a Researcher at the UST-RCNAS. She completed
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering at De La Salle
University last December 2018 under the Engineering Research and Development for
Technology (ERDT) program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) from January
2016 – December 2018. Her dissertation was entitled “DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPTIMIZATION
FRAMEWORK FOR BIOCHAR-BASED CARBON MANAGEMENT NETWORKS.” This work focused
on developing computer models to provide decision support for the use of carbonized biomass
as a soil enhancer and as a form of carbon sequestration. This strategy is regarded in the
literature as a potentially effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The research she
did during the course of her dissertation has led to five Scopus-indexed publications (h-index =
3) in major journals and conference proceedings, which have received a combined 24 citations
in a relatively brief period of time. In addition, she has one more manuscript from her Ph.D.
work currently in review, and is coauthor of a recently published article in the Journal of
Cleaner Production. The latter work is outside of the scope of her Ph.D. research. She is also a
Reviewer for the Journal of Cleaner Production published by Elsevier.