Carbonizzazione dei residui agricoli: Biochar preziosa Soluzione per il Sequestro di Carbonio nel Suolo. (Biochar: l’Acchiappa Carbonio)

Geographical location	Italy
Main geographical location (NUTS3)	Parma
Other geographical locations (NUTS3)	Piacenza
Keywords	Climate and climate change Waste, by-products and residues management
Additional keywords	biochar carbon sequestration biomass
Main funding source	Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups (in the sense of Art 56 of Reg.1305/2013)
Project type	Operational group
Starting date	2016
End date	2019
Project status	Completed

Title (in English):

Biochar production from agricultural waste for carbon sequestration

Objective of the project (native language):

introduzione nella filiera agroalimentare di un processo innovativo per la carbonizzazione degli scarti e l’impiego del biochar come ammendante; introduzione di un sistema innovativo brevettato, prototipale in scala 1:1, di microdimensioni accessibile economicamente anche a piccole e medie aziende agricole, in grado di garantire l’indipendenza energetica con l’uso di scarti agricoli; sequestro del carbonio in forma stabile e permanente, nel suolo, attraverso la carbonificazione della biomassa vegetale (decomposizione termochimica);
- riduzione della mineralizzazione e perdita per dilavamento della sostanza organica.

Objective of the project (in English):

Introduction in the food chain of an innovative process for biochar production from residues and utilisation of biochar as amendment
Introduction of a patented innovative system, in 1:1 scale, with microdimensions, economically viable also for SMEs, guaranteeing production of energy from agricultural residues
sequestration of carbon in a stable and permament form, in soil, through pyrolysis of plant biomass (thermochemical decomposition)
decrease of mineralisation and leaching of organic matter

Description of activities (native language):

Esercizio della cooperazione. si opererà perché si rimetta la dimensione associativa al centro dell’azione del
progetto.
‐ Studi necessari alla realizzazione del piano: l’Analisi Costi‐Benefici, che consentirà di valutare su un
orizzonte temporale di medio‐lungo periodo la convenienza a realizzare un investimento
‐ Raccolta, stoccaggio della biomassa organica e successiva carbonizzazione
‐ Messa a punto dell’alimentazione del micro carbonizzatore in funzione della tipologia della bioamassa
‐ Prove agronomiche (valutazione di colturali su diverse dosi di biochar)
‐ Analisi laboratorio su biochar e suoli
- Preparazione di linee guida

Description of activities (in English):

Cooperation among partners: the associative dimension has been at the center of project actions
Studies necessary for the realisation of the plan: Cost-Benefits Analysis, allowing the evaluation on medium-long time period of the appropriateness of the investment
Collection, storage of the organic biomass and pyrolysis
Development of a system for feeding biomass into the pyrolyzer, according to the specific biomass features
Field trials, with evaluation of biochar effects on different cultivations
Laboratory analyses on biochar and soil
Preparation of guidelines

Total budget:

199486.69

Project coordinator

Contact person:

Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard S.c.r.l.

Address:

Strada Madonna dell'Aiuto, 7/a - 43126 Parma

E-mail:

r.reggiani@stuard.it

Phone:

+39 (0)521 671569

Partner category:

Researcher

Practice summary

Practice abstract 1

Short summary for practitioners (in English):

The project Acchiappacarbonio has demonstrated how it is possible to sequester carbon into agricultural soils and at the same time recover residues from crops. According to circular economy, the residues have been pyrolyzed in a patented and exclusive machine, generating energy and leaving most of the carbon into biochar, a char residue. In such form, carbon is sequestered in a stable and permanent way. Before adding biochar as amendment to agricultural soils, and closing the circle from residues to crops, it was necessary to perform accurate analyses, to exclude negative effects and to highlight positive properties. Biochar can improve the soil structure, regulate pH, contribute to nutrition and defens of crops. Biochar works particularly well in combination with organic fertiizers. The project has produced guidelines for operators, based on the expertise developed during the project timeline. The project partners have also evaluated the economic feasibility, putting together the considerations based on energetic production, required investments, crop improvement. Biochar is becoming, in Europe, an amendment which can be used in agriclture, and soon the market for it will evolve. The project Acchiappacarbonio has evidenced the positive aspects of this approach, in which the residues are transformed, from a problem into a resource.

Short summary for practitioners (native language):

Il progetto Acchiappacarbonio ha dimostrato come si possa sequestrare carbonio nei suoli agricoli e allo stesso tempo recuperare i residui delle coltivazioni. In base all'economia circolare, i residui vengono carbonizzati in un pirolizzatore brevettato ed esclusivo, generando energia e lasciando la maggior parte del carbonio nel biochar, il residuo carbonioso. In questa forma il carbonio risulta sequestrato in modo stabile e permanente. Prima di aggiungere il biochar come ammendante ai suoli agricoli, ed effettuare in questo modo un riutilizzo dei residui, è stato necessario eseguire analisi approfondite per escludere effetti negativi e per evidenziare le proprietà positive. Il biochar migliora la struttura del suolo, regola il pH, contribuisce alla nutrizione e alla difesa delle piante. Il biochar funziona bene soprattutto in combinazione con fertlizzanti organici. Il progetto ha prodotto linee guida per gli operatori, basate sull'esperienza maturata nel corso del progetto.
I partner del progetto hanno anche valutato la fattibilità economica, mettendo insieme considerazioni basate sui guadagni energetici, sugli investimenti richiesti, sul miglioramento delle colture. Il biochar sta diventando in Europa un ammendante ammesso in agricoltura, e il mercato sicuramente si evolverà. Il progetto Acchiappacarbonio ha evidenziato gli aspetti positivi di questo approccio, in cui i residui si trasformano da problema a risorsa.

Further details

Links to other website(s):

company website Stuard

website of the DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, LIFE SCIENCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY of the University of Parma

website of the research group of the University of Bologna

Audiovisual material:

Official descriptive video of the project

Conference in Bologna 1-2 March 2019; Interview

Conference in Bologna 1-2 March 2019

Final conference on April 24th

Prototype inauguration at the University of Parma

Description of the context of the project:

To minimize or mitigate climate change is requiredthe management of the carbon cycle and of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. The carbon cycle includes a first phase of subtraction of CO2 by photosynthesis that accumulates in the organic biomass (leaves, stems, flowers ...), converting the CO2 into organic carbon. A second phase in which the organic biomass is consumed: directly from plants in cellular respiration, by animals in the food chain, degraded by soil microorganisms; with the return of CO2 into the atmosphere.
The high stability of biochar allows this product to be an interesting technology not only "Carbon neutral" but even "Carbon Negative" as sequesters more carbon than it is input during its production (Liu et al., 2014) .
The addition of biochar into the soil matrix lets you store carbon and thus mitigate the effects of climate-altering gases emitted continuously in high amounts in the atmosphere (Rhodes et al., 2012) by providing a sustainable approach for the mitigation of climate change through organic carbon storage in very stable form. (Dominic Woolf in 2009, Johannes Lehmann 2007)
The application of this product to the ground also has direct influences on the reduction of natural emissions of CH4 and N2Oin as change certain parameters of the matrix and consequently the metabolic activity of special microbial communities responsible for the production of these compounds (Rizhiya et al., 2015, Zhang et al., 2015).