Abstract
Life cycle assessment of Biochar was performed in this study using SimaPro software, aiming at the evaluation of the carbon footprint of biochar. Product Category rules have been developed. Data have been collected in a demonstrative slow pyrolysis plant, which is present at the University of Perugia and from field tests. The technical standard followed is ISO/TS 14067. Biochar, used as a soil amendment can improve soil health and fertility, soil structure, nutrient availability, soil-water retention capacity and is also a mechanism for long term Carbon storage in soils. Carbon sequestration in soils can be seen not only as a strategy to mitigate the global climate change, but also as a source of profit for companies via Carbon Credits. LCA is a useful tool to estimate the Carbon balance through all the Biochar life cycle. The feedstocks considered in this study is miscanthus, a perennial herbaceous energy crop. The functional unit is one ton of dry matter of initial feedstock (that is miscanthus biomass). The final carbon footprint is equal to -737 kgCO2eq/t of feedstock dried.
