Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.7464/ksct.2021.27.3.269

A Mathematical Programming Method for Minimization of Carbon Debt of Bioenergy  

Choi, Soo Hyoung (Division of Chemical Engineering, Jeonbuk National University)
Publication Information
Clean Technology / v.27, no.3, 2021 , pp. 269-274 More about this Journal
Abstract
Bioenergy is generally considered to be one of the options for pursuing carbon neutrality. However, for a period of time, combustion of harvested plant biomass inevitably causes more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than combustion of fossil fuels. This paper proposes a method that predicts and minimizes the total amount and payback period of this carbon debt. As a case study, a carbon cycle impact assessment was performed for immediate switching of the currently used fossil fuels to biomass. This work points out a fundamental vulnerability in the concept of carbon neutrality. As an action plan for the sustainability of bioenergy, formulas for afforestation proportional to the decrease in the forest area and surplus harvest proportional to the increase in the forest mass are proposed. The results of optimization indicate that the carbon debt payback period is about 70 years, and the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases by more than 50% at a maximum and 3% at a steady state. These are theoretically predicted best results, which are expected to be worse in reality. Therefore, biomass is not truly carbon neutral, and it is inappropriate as an energy source alternative to fossil fuels. The method proposed in this work is expected to be able to contribute to the approach to carbon neutrality by minimizing present and future carbon debt of the bioenergy that is already in use.
Keywords
Bioenergy; Carbon debt; Carbon cycle; Carbon neutrality; Optimization;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Pommerening, A., and Muszta, A., "Relative Plant Growth Revisited: Towards a Mathematical Standardisation of Separate Approaches," Ecol. Modell., 320, 383-392 (2016).   DOI
2 Olah, G. A., Prakash, G. K. S., and Goeppert, A., "Anthropogenic Chemical Carbon Cycle for a Sustainable Future," J. Am. Chem. Soc., 133(33), 12881-12898 (2011).   DOI
3 Choi, S. H., and Manousiouthakis, V. I., "On the Carbon Cycle Impact of Combustion of Harvested Plant Biomass vs. Fossil Carbon Resources," Comput. Chem. Eng., 140, 106942 (2020).   DOI
4 Bat'a, R., Fuka, J., Lesakova, P., and Heckenbergerova, J., "CO2 Efficiency Break Points for Processes Associated to Wood and Coal Transport and Heating," Energies, 12(20), 3864 (2019).   DOI
5 Xu, Y., Yang, K., Zhou, J., and Zhao, G., "Coal-Biomass Co-Firing Power Generation Technology: Current Status, Challenges and Policy Implications," Sustainability, 12(9), 3692 (2020).   DOI
6 Yi, Q., Li, W., Feng, J., and Xie, K., "Carbon Cycle in Advanced Coal Chemical Engineering," Chem. Soc. Rev., 44(15), 5409-5445 (2015).   DOI
7 Sauvage, J., Spivacka, A. J., Murray, R. W., and D'Hondt, S., "Determination of in Situ Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Concentration and Alkalinity for Marine Sedimentary Porewater," Chem. Geol., 387, 66-73 (2014).   DOI
8 Mathworks, "ode45," https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/ode45.html (2021).
9 Mathworks, "integral," https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/integral.html (2021).
10 Wikipedia, "Carbon neutrality," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_neutrality (2021).
11 Katelhon, A., Meys, R., Deutz, S., Suh, S., and Bardow, A., "Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Carbon Capture and Utilization in the Chemical Industry," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 116(23), 11187-11194 (2019).   DOI
12 UNFCCC, "The Paris Agreement," https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement (2021).
13 NASA, "Global Climate Change," https://climate.nasa.gov/ (2021).
14 GLOBE, "The GLOBE Program," https://www.globe.gov/ (2021).
15 GLOBE, "GLOBE Program's Work," https://exchange.iseesystems.com/directory/globeprogam (2019).
16 Gonzalez-Garay, A., Mac Dowell, N., and Shah, N., "A Carbon Neutral Chemical Industry Powered by the Sun," Discov. Chem. Eng., 1, 2 (2021).   DOI
17 Beeler, C., and Morrison, J., "The UK's move away from coal means they're burning wood from the US," https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-06-20/uk-s-move-away-coal-means-they-re-burning-wood-us (2018).
18 Gabrielli, P., Gazzani, M., and Mazzotti, M., "The Role of Carbon Capture and Utilization, Carbon Capture and Storage, and Biomass to Enable a Net-Zero-CO2 Emissions Chemical Industry," Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 59(15), 7033-7045 (2020).   DOI
19 IPCC, "Reports," https://www.ipcc.ch/reports/ (2021).
20 Sallade, S., Ollinger, S., Albrechtova, J., Martin, M., Gengarelly, L., Schloss, A., Bourgeault, J., Freuder, R., Lhoptakova, Z., Randolph, G., Semorakova, B., Wicklein, H., and Donahue, K., "GLOBE Carbon Cycle," http://globecarboncycle.unh.edu/DownloadActivities/Model/GlobalCarbonCycleModeling_Feedbacks.zip (2012).
21 Zhu, Z., Piao, S., Myneni, R. B., Huang, M., Zeng, Z., Canadell, J. G., Ciais, P., Sitch, S., Friedlingstein, P., Arneth, A., Cao, C., Cheng, L., Kato, E., Koven, C., Li, Y., Lian, X., Liu, Y., Liu, R., Mao, J., Pan, Y., Peng, S., Penuelas, J., Poulter, B., Pugh, T. A. M., Stocker, B. D., Viovy, N., Wang, X., Wang, Y., Xiao, Z., Yang, H., Zaehle, S., and Zeng, N., "Greening of the Earth and its Drivers," Nat. Clim. Chang., 6(8), 791-796 (2016).   DOI
22 Falkowski, P., Scholes, R. J., Boyle, E., Canadell, J., Canfield, D., Elser, J., Gruber, N., Hibbard, K., Hogberg, P., Linder, S., Mackenzie, F. T., Moore III, B., Pedersen, T., Rosenthal, Y., Seitzinger, S., Smetacek, V., and Steffen, W., "The Global Carbon Cycle: A Test of Our Knowledge of Earth as a System," Science, 290(5490), 291-296 (2000).   DOI
23 Bastin, J.-F., Finegold, Y., Garcia, C., Mollicone, D., Rezende, M., Routh, D., Zohner, C. M., and Crowther, T. W., "The Global Tree Restoration Potential," Science, 365(6448), 76-79 (2019).   DOI