Implementing biochar-fertilizer solution in Norway for climate and food production benefits

Norway needs to drastically reduce its GHG emissions. One way to do this is to increase carbon sequestration in soils, which are the largest reservoir of terrestrial carbon. Relatively small changes in soil carbon content can have an amplified mitigation effect on the Earth’s climate. Large-scale conversion of agricultural and forest waste biomass to biochar is considered the activity with the largest potential for soil carbon sequestration in Norway. For the Norwegian farmer, biochar presents the large advantage of curbing GHG emissions in agriculture without negatively affecting production. However, despite the convincing benefits of biochar as a climate mitigation solution, biochar was still mostly at the research stage by 2018, when we started the CARBO-FERTIL project. CARBO-FERTIL identified several key reasons for this situation, and actively developed solutions. In short, we need improved production methods associated to profitable value chains, improved products, and a road map for implementing biochar as an official carbon sequestration method in Norway. Regarding knowledge need of the industry and the agricultural sector, CARBO-FERTIL was instrumental in setting up the Norwegian Biochar Network in 2019 and continued mapping and disseminating available technologies and agricultural applications. The project also worked on improving the agricultural value of biochar products made from Norwegian feedstocks, notably by investigating their ability to increase the efficiency of nutrient delivery to plants. Compared to other methods for soil C sequestration, our research suggests that biochar fertilizer has the unique potential to reduce emissions of the greenhouse-gas N2O. Our critical investigations and appraisal of the biochar-fertilizer technology has led us to highlight the limitations of certain approaches, while emphasizing alternatives opportunities. This analysis contributes to guiding the scientific and biochar-engineering communities towards improved solutions. Our value-chain analysis has shown that farmers are highly interested in soil carbon sequestration as a climate mitigation measure, but that current prices of biochar are too high for this effect, and that incentives will be needed. We have also worked on how biochar could be reported in our national inventory of GHG-emission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We have shown that reporting a hypothetical scenario of biochar-fertilizer made from forest residues would reduce nationally reported GHG emissions. We also evaluated biochar’s climate mitigation potential in Norway and other environmental impacts when taking into account effects of farm operation, liming, transportation, feedstock collection, pyrolysis, fertilizations, carbon sequestration, heat and power production and possible bio-oil sequestration. We found that biochar-fertilizer addition to soil greatly improves the climate footprint of cereal production in Norway. This evaluation is critical for decision makers to support biochar technology in Norway.

The project main outcomes fall under its 6 main activities: 1) Knowledge co-creation. The Carbo-Fertil project contributed to establishing the Norwegian Biochar Network (Norsk Biokullnettverk), which regroups all actors form the entire value chain for biochar in Norway. 2) Pyrolysis methods. CARBO-FERTIL experiments provided the necessary data to conduct the LCA and climate sensitivity analyses of pyrolysis from Norwegian feedstocks. The project also generated biochar yields for different feedstocks from Norwegian forests and pyrolysis methods. These data are critical to develop an industry that combine energy and biochar production. 3) Biochar fertilizers. Internationally, the project linked research from Norway, Germany, France and Australia. Our research on limitations and most promising technologies for biochar fertilizer is guiding the scientific community and the Norwegian industry towards developing new products. 4) Climate footprint. We evaluated biochar’s climate mitigation potential in Norway and other environmental impacts when taking into account effects of farm operation, liming, transportation, feedstock collection, pyrolysis, fertilizations, carbon sequestration, heat and power production and possible bio-oil sequestration. We found that biochar-fertilizer addition to soil greatly improves the climate footprint of cereal production in Norway. This evaluation is critical for decision makers to support biochar technology in Norway. 5) Value Chains. Our surveys showed that farmers think that sequestering carbon is more important than other climate measures in agriculture. However, we also showed that few farmers are willing to pay more than 4000 NOK per ton biochar, while current prices are = NOK 8,000 per ton. Niche applications are therefore critical to kickstart the industry, and key industrial actors are now focusing on e.g. biochar-enriched feed additives. 6) Policy. We have also shown that a national reporting method can be developed for biochar based on the 2019 “Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories”. The possibility of developing this method is a key element for support to biochar as a C sequestration method in Norway. We have shown that biochar is a viable option in Norway both in terms of national GHG reporting and total climate footprint (LCA), which are foundation elements for the continued development of the technology. Our critical investigations and appraisal of the biochar-fertilizer technology has led us to highlight the limitations of certain approaches, while emphasizing alternatives opportunities. This analysis will contribute to guiding the scientific and biochar-engineering communities towards improved solutions.

The land sector in Norway, including agriculture and forestry, must critically contribute to the national target of 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emission by 2030. However, many mitigation measures might negatively impact food production and economic activity. Looking for alternative solutions, large-scale conversion of agricultural and forest waste biomass to biochar for soil C sequestration is in theory the activity with the largest potential for climate mitigation from the agricultural and land sector in Norway. However, despite the convincing benefits of biochar as a climate mitigation solution, it has not yet advanced much beyond research stage, notably because its effect on yield are too modest. In CARBO-FERTIL we will develop the innovations in pyrolysis and nutrient-rich waste recycling leading to biochar-fertilizer products as win-win solution for C-storage and food production. We will further evaluate this solution in terms of: 1) economic merit in the agricultural sector, including value chains and effect on subsidies 2) climate change mitigation benefits for Norway, through climate impact analysis, and 3) the need for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems and policies for large-scale biochar deployment in light of Norway's commitments to the Paris agreement. This ambitious analysis will be conducted in tight interactions with multiple stakeholders, resulting in accelerated process for reducing GHG emission in Norway with biochar technology, which is beneficial to industry, farmers and responds to the need of our national climate policy.