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Optimal bioenergy power generation for climate change mitigation with or without carbon sequestration

Author

Listed:
  • Dominic Woolf

    (Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University)

  • Johannes Lehmann

    (Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University
    Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University)

  • David R. Lee

    (Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University
    Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University)

Abstract

Restricting global warming below 2 °C to avoid catastrophic climate change will require atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Current integrated assessment models (IAMs) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios assume that CDR within the energy sector would be delivered using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). Although bioenergy-biochar systems (BEBCS) can also deliver CDR, they are not included in any IPCC scenario. Here we show that despite BECCS offering twice the carbon sequestration and bioenergy per unit biomass, BEBCS may allow earlier deployment of CDR at lower carbon prices when long-term improvements in soil fertility offset biochar production costs. At carbon prices above $1,000 Mg−1 C, BECCS is most frequently (P>0.45, calculated as the fraction of Monte Carlo simulations in which BECCS is the most cost effective) the most economic biomass technology for climate-change mitigation. At carbon prices below $1,000 Mg−1 C, BEBCS is the most cost-effective technology only where biochar significantly improves agricultural yields, with pure bioenergy systems being otherwise preferred.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominic Woolf & Johannes Lehmann & David R. Lee, 2016. "Optimal bioenergy power generation for climate change mitigation with or without carbon sequestration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms13160
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13160
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhe (Han) Weng & Lukas Zwieten & Ehsan Tavakkoli & Michael T. Rose & Bhupinder Pal Singh & Stephen Joseph & Lynne M. Macdonald & Stephen Kimber & Stephen Morris & Terry J. Rose & Braulio S. Archanjo &, 2022. "Microspectroscopic visualization of how biochar lifts the soil organic carbon ceiling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Kang, Yating & Yang, Qing & Bartocci, Pietro & Wei, Hongjian & Liu, Sylvia Shuhan & Wu, Zhujuan & Zhou, Hewen & Yang, Haiping & Fantozzi, Francesco & Chen, Hanping, 2020. "Bioenergy in China: Evaluation of domestic biomass resources and the associated greenhouse gas mitigation potentials," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    3. Dmitry Porshnov, 2022. "Evolution of pyrolysis and gasification as waste to energy tools for low carbon economy," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(1), January.
    4. Zhang, Kai & Yin, Kedong & Yang, Wendong, 2022. "Predicting bioenergy power generation structure using a newly developed grey compositional data model: A case study in China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 695-711.
    5. Jiang, Dong & Wang, Qian & Ding, Fangyu & Fu, Jingying & Hao, Mengmeng, 2019. "Potential marginal land resources of cassava worldwide: A data-driven analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 167-173.
    6. Cesare Caputo & Ondřej Mašek, 2021. "SPEAR (Solar Pyrolysis Energy Access Reactor): Theoretical Design and Evaluation of a Small-Scale Low-Cost Pyrolysis Unit for Implementation in Rural Communities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-27, April.
    7. Lin, Richen & O'Shea, Richard & Deng, Chen & Wu, Benteng & Murphy, Jerry D., 2021. "A perspective on the efficacy of green gas production via integration of technologies in novel cascading circular bio-systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    8. Alexandre Tisserant & Francesco Cherubini, 2019. "Potentials, Limitations, Co-Benefits, and Trade-Offs of Biochar Applications to Soils for Climate Change Mitigation," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-34, November.
    9. Snyder, Brian F., 2019. "The Inclusion of Ecosystem Service Valuations in Bioenergy Cost Analysis: A Case Study of Constructed Wetlands in the Neotropics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 196-201.

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