Why Biomass Fuels Are Principally Not Carbon Neutral
In order to realistically fulfil global and national climate protection targets, all potential measures have to be made use of to a maximum extent. Because it is readily available, biomass energy has been playing a key practical role for decades, supported by the traditional assumption of its carbon...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9619 |
| _version_ | 1797459459233021952 |
|---|---|
| author | Gilbert Ahamer |
| author_facet | Gilbert Ahamer |
| author_sort | Gilbert Ahamer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In order to realistically fulfil global and national climate protection targets, all potential measures have to be made use of to a maximum extent. Because it is readily available, biomass energy has been playing a key practical role for decades, supported by the traditional assumption of its carbon neutrality: under sustainable conditions, carbon dioxide emitted during combustion is held to be equal to its absorption during plant growth. In order to clarify conditions of carbon (C) neutrality, it is therefore necessary to model the annual natural C cycle on the entire planet and to include changes caused by a variety of growth strategies for biomass fuels. The “Combined Energy and Biosphere Model” CEBM calculates the cycle of plant growth, decay, biomass fuel production and its combustion on 2433 grid elements worldwide. CEBM results suggest that over many decades, the C pools of litter and especially soil organic carbon (i.e., humus layer) deplete considerably as a consequence of the interrupted natural carbon cycle. Overall, based on this finding, the earlier assumption of “carbon-neutral biomass fuels” is disapproved of in a long-term evaluation and—as a coarse rule of thumb—might be reduced to “half as carbon neutral as previously assumed” (when compared to a current fuel mix). On top of this principal effect, it is well known that life-cycle emissions, indirect or secondary emissions such as energy input related to production, transport and conversion into fuels will still add to this already principally highly incomplete carbon neutrality of biomass. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:51:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5450e98bee5545d8b11d23e25a6388b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:51:39Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-5450e98bee5545d8b11d23e25a6388b52023-11-24T14:40:22ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-12-011524961910.3390/en15249619Why Biomass Fuels Are Principally Not Carbon NeutralGilbert Ahamer0Global Studies, Graz University, 8010 Graz, AustriaIn order to realistically fulfil global and national climate protection targets, all potential measures have to be made use of to a maximum extent. Because it is readily available, biomass energy has been playing a key practical role for decades, supported by the traditional assumption of its carbon neutrality: under sustainable conditions, carbon dioxide emitted during combustion is held to be equal to its absorption during plant growth. In order to clarify conditions of carbon (C) neutrality, it is therefore necessary to model the annual natural C cycle on the entire planet and to include changes caused by a variety of growth strategies for biomass fuels. The “Combined Energy and Biosphere Model” CEBM calculates the cycle of plant growth, decay, biomass fuel production and its combustion on 2433 grid elements worldwide. CEBM results suggest that over many decades, the C pools of litter and especially soil organic carbon (i.e., humus layer) deplete considerably as a consequence of the interrupted natural carbon cycle. Overall, based on this finding, the earlier assumption of “carbon-neutral biomass fuels” is disapproved of in a long-term evaluation and—as a coarse rule of thumb—might be reduced to “half as carbon neutral as previously assumed” (when compared to a current fuel mix). On top of this principal effect, it is well known that life-cycle emissions, indirect or secondary emissions such as energy input related to production, transport and conversion into fuels will still add to this already principally highly incomplete carbon neutrality of biomass.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9619global carbon cycleglobal modelbiomass fuelscarbon neutralityenergy strategies |
| spellingShingle | Gilbert Ahamer Why Biomass Fuels Are Principally Not Carbon Neutral Energies global carbon cycle global model biomass fuels carbon neutrality energy strategies |
| title | Why Biomass Fuels Are Principally Not Carbon Neutral |
| title_full | Why Biomass Fuels Are Principally Not Carbon Neutral |
| title_fullStr | Why Biomass Fuels Are Principally Not Carbon Neutral |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why Biomass Fuels Are Principally Not Carbon Neutral |
| title_short | Why Biomass Fuels Are Principally Not Carbon Neutral |
| title_sort | why biomass fuels are principally not carbon neutral |
| topic | global carbon cycle global model biomass fuels carbon neutrality energy strategies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9619 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gilbertahamer whybiomassfuelsareprincipallynotcarbonneutral |