On the carbon abatement potential and economic viability of biochar production systems: cost-benefit and life cycle assessment

You, S. and Wang, X. (2018) On the carbon abatement potential and economic viability of biochar production systems: cost-benefit and life cycle assessment. In: Ok, Y., Tsang, D., Bolan, N. and Novak, J. (eds.) Biochar from Biomass and Waste: Fundamentals and Applications. Elsevier: San Diego, pp. 385-408. ISBN 9780128117293 (doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-811729-3.00020-0)

Abstract

Biochar production systems are regarded as one of the promising candidates to tackle the triple crisis of increasing energy demand, waste pileup, and climate change. Economics and environmental sustainability are essential indexes to evaluate biochar production. In this chapter, we have an overview of the economic and environmental analysis methods, that is, life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and their applications to the evaluation of biochar production systems. The products of biochar production systems are evaluated in terms of their economic and environmental impacts. The major factors associated with the carbon abatement potential and economic viability of biochar production are identified to guide the design of biochar production systems. The complication of biochar pricing systems is discussed with an emphasis on the balance between economics and carbon abatement. Finally, the cases of uncertainty analysis are introduced followed by the future development directions of LCA and CBA of biochar production systems.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: You, Dr Siming
• Authors: You, S., and Wang, X.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISBN: 9780128117293
• Published Online: 09 November 2018