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Life cycle environmental impact assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and utilization in Northwestern Ontario, Canada

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Abstract

Biochar-based bioenergy production and subsequent land application of biochar can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by fixing atmospheric carbon into the soil for a long period of time. A thorough life cycle assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and biochar land application in Northwestern Ontario is conducted using SimaPro® Ver. 8.1. The results of energy consumption and potential environmental impact of biochar-based bioenergy production system are compared with those of conventional coal-based system. Results show that biochar land application consumes 4847.61 MJ per tonne dry feedstock more energy than conventional system, but reduces the GHG emissions by 68.19 kg CO2e per tonne of dry feedstock in its life cycle. Biochar land application improves ecosystem quality by 18 %, reduces climate change by 15 %, and resource use by 13 % but may adversely impact on human health by increasing disability adjusted life years by 1.7 % if biomass availability is low to medium. Replacing fossil fuel with woody biomass has a positive impact on the environment, as one tonne of dry biomass feedstock when converted to biochar reduces up to 38 kg CO2e with biochar land application despite using more energy. These results will help understand a comprehensive picture of the new interventions in forestry businesses, which are promoting biochar-based bioenergy production.

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Acknowledgments

Financial contributions from (1) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada through Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships (NSERC-IPS), (2) Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and (3) Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for this study is highly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Rd., Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, Canada

    Krish Homagain, Chander Shahi & Nancy Luckai

  2. Ontario Forest Research Institute, 1235 Queen Street E, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, P6A 2E5, Canada

    Mahadev Sharma

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  1. Krish Homagain
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  2. Chander Shahi
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  4. Mahadev Sharma
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Correspondence to Krish Homagain.

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Project funding: This work was supported by (1) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada through Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships (NSERC-IPS), (2) Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and (3) Ontario Power Generation (OPG).

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Corresponding editor: Chai Ruihai.

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Homagain, K., Shahi, C., Luckai, N. et al. Life cycle environmental impact assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and utilization in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. J. For. Res. 26, 799–809 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-015-0132-y

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