Sustainable Co-Production of Pyrolysis Bio-Oil for Fuel and Bio-Char for Carbon Sequestration from Bioresidues

There is an urgent requirement to develop new, more efficient and sustainable renewable energy technologies from biomass, which can mitigate green-house gas emissions and reduce climate change. It is essential to prevent that increased biomass export from agriculture and forestry for energy production will not impair soil quality in the longer perspective. Furthermore, the soil may act as a sink via sequestration of carbon in soil organic matter and counterbalance CO2 emissions.
New flash pyrolysis technologies have been proposed as a sustainable technology for co-production of bio-oil and bio-char (black carbon, charcoal) from biomass. The bio-oil can be used as fuel in power plants or as feedstock for e.g. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of diesel and bio-char can be applied for long-lasting C sequestration in soil. In this way bio-char can compensate for reduced direct biomass incorporation in soil, potentially build the soil C-stock and it may have additional beneficial effects on soil quality, nutrient dynamics and crop yields.
The main aims of this interdisciplinary project are:
- to develop and upscale a new pyrolysis technology for decentralised co-production of bio-oil and bio-char from biomass.
- to characterise the bio-oil combustion characteristics and the bio-char in term of environmental properties e.g. PAHs, heavy metals, macro and micro nutrients, pH, CEC, pore size distribution and biodegradability., and
- to determine the short-term effects and mechanism related to of bio-char amendments on soil fer-tility, nutrient dynamics and plant growth and quality.
For the first time a complete study and evaluation of a new pyrolyses concept will be conducted that includes pyrolysis technology with biofuel production, carbon sequestration and improvement of soil quality and soil nutrient balances. Thus, the project will contribute to both innovation within the energy industry and develop new environmental technologies which can enhance sustainability of bioenergy production, agricultural impact on the environment and mitigate CO2 to contribute to stabilization of climate change.