Effects of Biochar Production and Application on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: a Meta-Analysis and Life Cycle Carbon Footprint Assessment

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-708-3_43How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Meta-analysis; biochar; life cycle; carbon footprint

Abstract

This paper evaluates the carbon footprint and emission reduction potential of agricultural straw pyrolysis biochar production and application from a life cycle and meta-analysis perspective. The system includes stages such as straw acquisition (planting, transportation), pyrolysis co-production (construction, operation, wastewater treatment, energy use), biochar transportation, and field application (carbon sequestration, soil GHG reduction). Results show that straw cultivation contributes most to GHG emissions. However, through fossil energy substitution and biochar’s carbon sequestration, GHG reductions of 206.62 to 1364.10 kg CO₂-eq per functional unit are achieved. Without considering energy substitution and carbon sequestration, the emission reduction potential of straw biochar is comparable to that of wood residues and sludge. However, when these factors are accounted for, the system’s emission reduction potential increases significantly. Biochar application boosts crop yields by 18% to 31%. Substituting excessive nitrogen fertilizer with biochar further enhances emission reduction. Meta-analysis indicates emission reductions of 30.55%, 22.82%, and 21.34% for rice, wheat, and maize straw-derived biochar, respectively. Sensitivity analysis suggests that reducing energy consumption in wastewater treatment and pyrolysis can minimize environmental impact. Central and Eastern China are ideal for rice straw biochar, Northern and Northwestern China for wheat straw, and Northeastern and Northern China for maize straw. Hebei, Shandong, and Henan should be prioritized as pilot provinces for promotion.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Dunxue Yao
AU  - Qingrui Wang
AU  - Chao Liu
AU  - Bo Miao
AU  - Pinglu Chen
AU  - Qing Yang
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/05/09
TI  - Effects of Biochar Production and Application on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: a Meta-Analysis and Life Cycle Carbon Footprint Assessment
BT  - Proceedings of the 2024 10th International Conference on Advances in Energy Resources and Environment Engineering (ICAESEE 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 394
EP  - 406
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-708-3_43
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-708-3_43
ID  - Yao2025
ER  -