can biochar link forest restoration with commercial agriculture? · 2019-12-23 · • in 2015...

Photo: J. Petitmermet

Economic Evaluation of a Forest-to-Farm Biochar Paradigm

David SmithJohn SessionsKristin TrippeClaire PhillipsJohn Campbell

Will HollomanJoshua PetitmermetJeremy FriedDan LeavellJohn Bailey

Can Biochar Link Forest Restoration with Commercial

Agriculture?

United States Department of AgricultureAgricultural Research Service

Sessions et al., Journal of Biomass and Bioenergy (in review)

• Limited demand for forest harvest residues restricts the ability of foresters to fund restoration projects.

Source: US Drought Monitor

Catastrophic fire threatens Oregon’s forests

Courtesy of J. Bailey

• 4 million ha. are at high risk of wildfire in Oregon

• Most of the risk is due to decades of fire suppression and a lack of funds to support fuel reduction treatments

Drought threatens Oregon’s crops

Source: OCCRI

• Biochar has the potential to improve water availability in agricultural soils, but limited supplies means costs are high.

• Does a forest-origin biochar strategy pair these reciprocal needs of forest restoration and agricultural productivity?

Source: USFS

• In 2015 drought caused over >$1.2 billion in crop losses

Does a forest-to-farm biochar paradigm pair the needs of forest restoration and agriculture?

BiocharProduction

Process

Bio-oil

Bio-Gas

Chipping/Grinding Transporting

Forest Thinnings

Dryland food crops

Field application

Courtesy of J. Petitmermet


BiocharProduction

Process

Bio-oil

Bio-Gas


Forest Thinnings

Dryland food crops

Field application

Does a forest-to-farm biochar paradigm pair the needs of forest restoration and agriculture?

BiocharProduction

Process

Bio-oil

Bio-Gas


Forest Thinnings

Dryland food crops

Field application


BiocharProduction

Process

Bio-oil

Bio-Gas


Forest Thinnings

Dryland food crops

Field application

!

BiocharProduction

Process

Bio-oil

Bio-Gas


Forest Thinnings

Dryland food crops

Field application

Source: US Drought Monitor

Study Area: Klamath Basin of Oregon

Is it economical to reduce fuel loads on steep slopes?

A shift level productivity study using steep slope harvesting technology was used to develop a model of tethered harvest.

Is it economical to reduce fuel loads on steep slopes?

• The cost of tethered machines on tethered operations (TT) and untethered operations (TU), and the cost of untethered machines on untethered operations (UT) were estimated.

Josh Petitmermet et al., (in preparation)

• Model calculated average harvest and transport cost to each plant

Thermal Pyrolysis

BIOCHAR PRODUCTION PROCESS

Scenario 2Heat Recovery

Scenario 3Electricity generation

Scenario 4Liquid

Recovery

50,000 BDT of forest restoration logs / year

18,000 tons/year

Scenario 1Biochar

Production

MillingDryingChipping

Microwave PyrolysisMicrowave Pyrolysis

Capital Costs

Biochar Production Cost

Complexity of plant does not increase price

Biochar Pdxn0

100

200

300

400

US

D/ t

on

230

392

291

215

Biochar Pdxn0

10

20

30

Cos

t (M

illio

n U

SD

)

20.117.5

17.3

20.3

Biochar Pdxn Heat Recovery0

10

20

30

Cos

t (M

illio

n U

SD)

20.117.517.3

20.3 +0.5*

Biochar Pdxn Heat Recovery0

100

200

300

400

USD

/ ton

230

392

291

215188

Biochar Pdxn Heat Recovery Electricity Pdxn0

10

20

30

Cos

t (M

illio

n U

SD)

20.117.517.3

20.3 +0.5*+4.2

Biochar Pdxn Heat Recovery Electricity Pdxn0

100

200

300

400

USD

/ ton

230

392

291

215188

167

Biochar Pdxn Heat Recovery Electricity Pdxn Liquid Recovery0

10

20

30

Cos

t (M

illio

n U

SD)

20.117.517.3

20.3 +0.5*+4.2

+0.9


100

200

300

400

USD

/ ton 230

188

392

291

215167 193

Critical Economic Factors•Plant location • Influences delivered log costs

•Electricity rates•Higher in California and for microwave production

•Plant Complexity•Recovery of energy and condensable liquids adds

capital and operating costs but in the end, offsets the production cost

•Seasonality• Influences raw material and finished product inventory• Log deliveries limited to summer months• Product sales limited to spring and fall months• Plant operates year round to maximize asset utilization


10

20

30

Cos

t (M

illio

n U

SD)

20.117.517.3

20.3 +0.5*+4.2

+0.9


100

200

300

400

USD

/ ton 230

188

392

291

215167 193

Biochar Production Cost without Harvest

and Transport

Harvest and Transport Impact Biochar Production Costs


100

200

300

400

USD

/ ton 230

188

392

291

215167 193


200

400

600U

SD/ t

on

398326

519

427354

306 316

Biochar Production Cost

with Harvest and Transport

Can Farmers Afford Forest-Origin Biochar?


Conventional Crops

IBI Estimate

This Study

Claire Phillips: PNW Biochar Atlas Session 1C Wed 9:45


Organic Crops

IBI EstimateThis Study

-4000

-2000

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

Cha

nge

in in

com

e ($

/acr

e)

Ryegrass WheatApple

BlueberryGrape Hops

10% yield increase

20% yield increase

Potato

*Assume 2-ton acre amendment rate


Summary • The production of biochar from forest residues has the potential to

• Reduce fire risk

• Store forest-origin carbon in agricultural soils

• Lower the price point for biochar products

• Our economic analysis determined that:

• Microwave pyrolysis is more costly than thermal pyrolysis

• Electrical generation from this process adds a significant capital cost but lowers overall price point

• Local commodity markets are not enough to support a biochar industry

Economic Evaluation of a Forest-to-Farm Biochar Paradigm

David SmithJohn SessionsKristin TrippeClaire PhillipsJohn CampbellJohn Bailey

Will HollomanJoshua PetitmermetJeremy FriedDan Leavell

Photo: J. Petitmermet

Acknowledgments

United States Department of AgricultureAgricultural Research Service

Collaborators: Karr Group; BSEI Inc.; Green Diamond; Miller Timber

Char Properties

Source: USFS

can biochar link forest restoration with commercial agriculture? · 2019-12-23 · • in 2015...

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