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Technologies using new carbon products to reduce the impact of farming on climate change are at the centre of the biochar and activated carbon conference in Claremorris, Co Mayo this Thursday. The conference is hosted by the Western Development Commission and the Irish Bioenergy Association as part of an EU-funded project sharing experience on these new technologies in north-western Europe, and marks increased government and industry interest here.
Biochar is an advanced form of charcoal obtained from the pyrolisis of biomass such as firewood. Research into its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from soils, livestock and manures has been promising.
A Teagasc study found that the “amendment of slurry with biochar significantly reduced global warming potential following land application of dairy cattle slurry”. This included a 63% reduction in the release of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
The use of biochar in soils is one of the six technologies under scrutiny from the EPA, Trinity College and Dublin City University for their potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere under the Negative Emissions Technologies research project.
Emer O’Siochru, an architect and beef farmer, is a founding member of the pioneering Irish Biochar Cooperative Society formed two years ago. She told the Irish Farmers Journal that adding biochar to slurry had increased nutrient availability and boosted grass growth by 20% to 25% in Austria. Other methods include spreading biochar directly onto soil. She added that its use as a feed additive in developing countries showed promising results in reducing methane emissions from cattle and further research is now needed on European cows.
On the production side, the co-op took part in a study with the Sustainability Energy Authority of Ireland. “It showed that it could be economic for small rural hubs if we can get the heat incentive,” O’Siochru said. Producing biochar means heating biomass at very high temperatures, and kilns could benefit from the Government’s upcoming Support Scheme for Renewable Heat if they can prove their leftover heat is used productively. O’Siochru said the co-op was exploring plants located in towns and capable of pyrolising municipal waste during a two-hour starting phase, before switching to processing biomass into biochar, with excess heat used in local buildings.
As a first step, the co-op has secured €1m from a separate European Innovation Partnership project to pilot a mid-sized production plant with the University of Limerick. It will attempt to turn rushes, bracken and other unwanted biomass into biochar. “We’re hoping to have an automated system for €100,000 to €200,000,” O’Siorchu said.
Such kilns could be rolled out in rural locations and may be more appropriate than costly industrial-size units. Robert Johnson, head of research and development at Arigna Biofuels and also a speaker at the Claremorris conference, told the Irish Farmers Journal that larger companies like his would focus on using processes such as torrefaction and pyrolisis to produce renewable solid fuels capable of replacing coal, while smaller units were better suited to the production of biochar for local agricultural use.
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