On Climate and

Sustainability of Bioenergy

John Bonitz, April 16, 2014 BECOME A MEMBER | TAKE ACTION @ www.cleanenergy.org

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Biomass is

stored solar

energy!

Need for Bioenergy

• Stored solar energy, constantly

available (not variable)

• Versatile – many applications

• Relatively stable prices

• Best option for renewable liquid

energy and chemicals

• Only renewable energy source that

can store carbon

Human Uses for Biomass

MADE FROM

BIOMASS:

• bioproducts

• biofuels

• biopower

• bioheat

• biochar

BIOMASS BIOFUELS BIOPOWER

BIO-

PRO-

DUCTS

BIO-

HEAT

b i o e n e r g y

Sustainable Bioenergy is

Indispensible for Climate Mitigation

http://report.mitigation2014.org/spm/ipcc_wg3_ar5_summary-for-policymakers_approved.pdf

Global CO2

levels

highest since

800,000 years

ago.

Current

efforts to

reduce

greenhouse

gases are

insufficient.

Sustainable Bioenergy is

Indispensible for Climate Mitigation

http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/ENE/GEA/doc/GEA-Summary-web.pdf

To keep warming

below 2°C, we

must not only

decarbonize

our energy

system, we

will need

net negative

emissions.

Biomass No Longer Gets A

Free Pass on Carbon Emissions

FINAL REPORT:

SAB Review of EPA’s

Accounting Framework

for Biogenic CO2

Emissions from

Stationary Sources

(September 2011)

http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab%5CSABPRODUCT.NSF/5

7B7A4F1987D7F7385257A87007977F6/$File/EPA-

SAB-12-011-unsigned.pdf

Wood Pellet Production has a Big

Carbon Footprint

"The pelletization of wood

requires significant

amounts of electrical

energy (145 kWh/Mg)…

Wood pellets require 5.8

GJ of fossil energy to

produce 17.3 GJ of

bioenergy (a net balance

of 10.4 GJ/Mg).”

-- Reed et al, 2012 (Forest

Products Journal)

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/3684

1

Wood Pellet Production has a Big

Carbon Footprint

http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/9/2/024007/article

Wood Pellet Production has a Big

Carbon Footprint

Derived from

BERC

report,

Table 24,

page 62.

http://www.nwf.org/pdf/Global-Warming/NWF-SE-Carbon-Study.pdf

Forest Biomass has Lower GHG

Footprint than Ag Feedstocks

“Production of forest-based

feedstocks for biofuels

resulted in lower delivered

cost, lower greenhouse gas

(GHG) emissions, and lower

overall environmental impacts

than the agricultural

feedstocks studied. Forest

residues had the lowest

environmental impact and

delivered cost per dry tonne.”

Source:

http://www.ncsu.edu/bioresources/BioRes_09/BioRes_09_1_3

93_Daystar_GRVTAK_Supply_LCA_Lignocell_South_US_3662

.pdf

Some Ways to Improve

Sustainability of Bioenergy Systems

• Source sawdust, mill waste, ag residues, or bioenergy

crops (NOT round-wood or chipped logs).

• Use residual biomass for process heat (NOT nat gas).

• Use the most efficient conversion techs possible.

• Get third-party verification of these practices.

• Seek continuous improvement…

• Use alternative fuels (biodiesel, propane, CNG, LNG) or

install diesel emission control equipment.

• Buy fuel chips by BTU content, NOT by weight (H2O).

• Capture and recycle waste heat, seek other EE.

• Pyrolytic system for process heat & biochar?

Carbon-Smart

Bioenergy

• Biomass is the only renewable resource which

can feasibly sequester carbon while delivering

energy: Biochar co-production = C negativity.

• We can do better than carbon neutrality; carbon

negative energy will begin repairing the damage.

• Let’s take carbon out of the atmosphere and put

it in the soil where we need it.

What is Biochar?

• Heat treated, carbonized

biomass

• Similar to charcoal, but

with less VOCs

• Biomass must be clean,

uncontaminated

• Important to do it right

(PAHs and GHGs, air

pollution, energy loss)

Biochar is carbonized biomass, made for the

purpose of amending soil to improve soil

functions and to reduce emissions from biomass

that would otherwise naturally degrade to GHGs.

What does Biochar do? Studies show Biochar can

• retain nutrients and

cation exchange

capacity

• decrease soil acidity

• decrease uptake of soil

toxins (soil remediation)

• improve soil structure

• Increase nutrient use

efficiency

• water-holding capacity

• decrease releases of

greenhouse gases (CH4,

N2O).

How is Biochar Made?

http://www.biochar-international.org/

Who Makes Biochar + Bioenergy?

Also…

+ Phoenix Energy, of

Merced, CA

+ Proton Power, of

Lenoir City, TN

+ Tucker Engineering

Associates, of

Locust, NC

+ Burt’s Greenhouses,

Ontario, Canada

Who Makes Biochar + Bioenergy?

USDA Farm Bill Programs

• REAP = up to 25% cost-share.

$78m in 2014, $50m thereafter.

Can begin project at any time.

• VAPG = up to 50% cost-share.

$63 million per year, mandatory!

Cannot begin until awarded.

Questions?

John BONITZ Renewable Energy Manager for Bioenergy

Pittsboro, NC 919-360-2492

Email: bonitz@cleanenergy.org

Twitter: BioenergyFuture

Biogenic Carbon

Time Lag in Context

Methane, previously thought to have a Global

Warming Potential of 72 (at 20 years) and 23 (at

100 years), is now understood to be much worse.

http://report.mitigation2014.org/spm/ipcc_wg3_ar5_summary-for-

policymakers_approved.pdf