As the issue of carbon emissions becomes increasingly severe, reducing carbon footprint has been a focal point of global attention. Among the measures to reduce carbon emissions, biochar has attracted considerable interest as a sustainable solution. Read on to learn how biochar plays a crucial role in reducing carbon footprint.
What is Carbon Footprint?
Before delving into the role of biochar in reducing carbon emissions, it’s essential to understand what carbon footprint entails. Carbon footprint refers to the total amount of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4), emitted directly or indirectly by human activities. For example, transportation, energy production, and industrial processes are the main sources. It measures the impact of human activities on climate change and global warming. By understanding our carbon footprint, we can better understand the importance of strategies to reduce carbon emissions.
Understand Biomass & Biochar
Carbon Footprint in Biomass
It is estimated that plants globally absorb approximately 600 billion tons of carbon annually through photosynthesis, of which 10% can be converted into waste biomass. Biomass, once detached from its growth environment, typically undergoes natural decomposition. This means that each year, about 60 billion tons of carbon are in an unstable state. Moreover, human activities such as burning or composting accelerate the decomposition process of biomass. Some carbon elements in biomass are converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4). This leads to an increase in carbon footprint. The following is a schematic diagram illustrating the carbon footprint of biomass.
Biochar Production Process
Biochar is produced by the pyrolysis of biomass under high temperatures and low oxygen conditions. In the biomass pyrolysis plant, moisture and volatile organic compounds in the biomass are removed, leaving behind stable carbonaceous residue. The production of biochar converts unstable biomass into recalcitrant carbon. It can persist in the environment over centuries. Below is a video of biochar production process for your reference.
Characteristics of Biochar
- High Porosity: Biochar possesses abundant micro and mesopores. These pores typically range in size from nanometers to micrometers, providing a large surface area for gas molecule adsorption.
- Chemical Inertness: Biochar exhibits a highly resilient carbon structure. This structure is resistant to biological degradation or chemical oxidation, making it a stable carbon storage medium.
The unique properties of biochar make it play an important role in reducing carbon footprint. Here are the main ways biochar reduces carbon emissions.
Biochar Optimizes Soil Carbon Footprint
Soil is the largest carbon reservoir in terrestrial environments. The storage and stability of organic carbon in soil determine whether we can achieve stable control of our carbon footprint. However, with the intensification of ecologically harmful activities, billions of hectares of land worldwide are undergoing degradation. Currently, people use biochar as a soil amendment to alleviate this problem. It can reduce the carbon footprint in the following ways:
Enhancing Organic Carbon Content
One of the primary benefits of integrating biochar into improvement is its ability to enhance organic carbon content. Biochar’s stable carbon structure resists decomposition, effectively sequestering carbon in the soil for prolonged periods. This helps counteract the loss of organic carbon caused by factors such as erosion and microbial degradation. Additionally, biochar’s porous nature facilitates the retention of organic matter within soil aggregates, further bolstering soil carbon stocks.
Regulating Microbial Ecological Functions
Biochar exerts influence on soil microbial communities, modulating their metabolic activities and ecological functions. By promoting anaerobic microbial pathways, biochar reduces the rates of carbon oxidation, thereby minimizing carbon dioxide emissions from soil respiration. Furthermore, biochar fosters the proliferation of methane-oxidizing bacteria, which consume methane—a potent greenhouse gas—before it can be released into the atmosphere. This dual action not only curtails greenhouse gas emissions but also enhances soil fertility and ecosystem resilience.
Biochar Reduces Livestock Carbon Emissions
Livestock farming is one of the major sources of global methane emissions. The digestive systems of ruminant animals contain specific microbial populations that ferment cellulose and other carbohydrates into methane. Using biochar as a feed additive can effectively mitigate this issue.
Methane Adsorption
Biochar’s high surface area and porous structure allow it to adsorb methane within the animal’s digestive tract. Therefore, biochar intercepts this potent greenhouse gas before it enters the atmosphere. By capturing methane molecules, biochar diminishes the environmental impact of livestock emissions, contributing to overall emissions reductions.
Enhancing Methane Oxidation
Biochar can provide suitable habitats for methane-oxidizing bacteria in the intestines. These microorganisms can utilize the pore structure on the surface of biochar to grow and reproduce, thereby enhancing the methane oxidation process. By promoting the growth of these bacterial communities, biochar helps accelerate the conversion of methane into carbon dioxide and water in the animal digestive system, thereby reducing methane emissions.
Biochar Reduces Carbon Emissions From Energy Consumption
First and foremost, it’s important to clarify that the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed during the entire lifecycle of biomass is balanced with the amount released. The pyrolysis of biomass not only forms biochar but also generates biogas. Both are high-performance fuels. The utilization of these clean fuels can substitute for some traditional fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Naturally, the energy supply process of these biofuels emits carbon. However, this carbon originates from existing atmospheric carbon dioxide and does not contribute to a net increase in the carbon cycle. Hence, the use of biochar/biogas can reduce dependency on fossil energy sources, consequently lowering the overall carbon emissions from the energy structure.
Importance of Biochar Production Equipment
When it comes to reducing carbon footprint, you cannot ignore the importance of biochar production equipment. Biochar for use in reducing carbon footprint has high production standards. For production equipment, it mainly includes the following requirements:
- Minimize oxygen supply during production;
- Do not use fossil fuels for energy except for ignition. The whole production needs to use waste heat;
- The whole reaction should strictly control the emission of methane to the atmosphere.
This is what Beston Group’s advanced biochar production equipment can achieve. Our equipment can maximize the production of biochar. At the same time, the machine minimizes energy consumption and emissions. Our advanced pyrolysis technology ensures efficient conversion of biomass into biochar while maintaining its essential carbon sequestration properties.
Get Your Exclusive Solution from Beston Group
As an experienced recycling expert, Beston Group has been committed to developing cutting-edge solid waste recycling solutions. Our biochar production solutions have helped many customers achieve carbon footprint reductions. If you are also interested in sustainable recycling of solid waste, please contact us for a customized solution.