[Stoves] SPAM: Re: Carbon credits for biochar

Tom Miles tmiles at trmiles.com
Thu Jan 12 14:52:39 CST 2017


Several stoves programs receive carbon offsets via CDM projects. The monitoring protocols are established and there is third party verification. It has been an expensive program to get into. Several people on this list have participated in the program for several years. 

 

As far as I know a protocol obtaining monetary carbon sequestration benefits from using biochar from the stoves has not been established. International Biochar Initiative developed a protocol for carbon sequestration based on biochar. So far the protocol has only been accepted by California Air Pollution Control Officials Association (CAPCOA) http://www.capcoa.org/ghg-rx/ so it only applies in California. While some dispute the math it is a legal protocol that can be implemented with biochar that is safe, stable, and sustainable according to the CAPCOA guidelines.  

 

A few years ago World Stoves claimed to be selling carbon offsets from biochar produced in their gasifier stove on the voluntary market. We were unable to establish if a recognized third party was verifying the carbon production and use.  While they may have done very good work with ecosystem restoration using biochar they do not currently advertise carbon credits as a benefit of using the World Stove. http://worldstove.com/ecosystem-restoration 

 

World Stove, Seachar (Estufa Finca) and others have shown that biochar from gasifying stoves can be very useful for restoring degraded garden and farmland, improving soil health and productivity. I would expect those benefits to far greater  the stove user than funding from carbon credits. The food security should be used by the stove promoters to find funding for their programs.     

 

Tom 

    

 

From: Stoves [mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Traveller
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2017 12:09 PM
To: Paul Anderson <psanders at ilstu.edu>
Cc: Discussion of biomass cooking stoves <stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Subject: SPAM: Re: [Stoves] Carbon credits for biochar

 

Paul: 

Sorry for a delayed response. 

My 20+ years old charge that the CDM process - in turn based on IPCC Guidelines for GHG inventorying - is based on "expert-selected species for expert-selected computational methods from expert-selected sources net of expert-selected sinks" - is re-confirmed by your post. 

I wish you all success in getting biochar recognized in some "avoided kgCO2e" fashion. 

I haven't looked at CDM rules in ten years, but there may be some "sequestration" computations available from the REDD projects. I don't know if there are any yet under CDM. (This may answer Frank's question -- two different mechanisms may apply at the FCCC.) 

You will also do a great service by doing what is called "price discovery". 

Here is perhaps a stupid question --- if you put 1 tCO2e in the ground per year as char, is that net of all CO2e emitted from the stove? Or do your stoves have to show a low fNRB in order to get any avoided CO2e from combustion? What is the baseline for both cooking emissions (today) and char emissions (100 years, say)? What do you have to prove for "permanent sequestration"? (Not that anybody else has to prove permanent effect, only that during project lifetime.) 

I have no knowledge of the fate of char in soil. 

A silly idea perhaps -- you can design bids for your CDM and char/REDD certificates (assuming REDD applies), and offer the first buyers discounted price on future certificates. I did some auction modeling for Montreal Protocol some twenty years ago, but a better economist and scientist is needed for REDD auctions!! (There has been some literature on CER auction models, but my knowledge is way too rusty.) 

Start with a reservation price for CDM at $7/tCO2e and char at $10/tCO2e. Is that enough revenue per stove to cover the fob plant production cost? 

Nikhil





 

 

Frank, Stovers, and Charists.

I am responding to Frank's question that is below.

No carbon credits are given for biochar because that is the way the current carbon credit system is structured for that Deganga project (link is given below).  That is beyond the control of that project.

HOWEVER, I am organizing a similar Champion TLUD stove project in East Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India (exactly on the border with Bhutan).  That project has new rules about its carbon credits.  And I am stating that the incorporation of biochar into soils is eligible for carbon credits.  I will be presenting this at the ETHOS session Saturday evening 28 January. in the Seattle area.

Note:  Carbon credits are essentially an intangible commodity that can be linked to specific acts, such as the irreversible, scattered burial of appropriate carbon into soil.  Will someone pay to have that char-burial (making it unburnable) occur?   THAT is the same as paying for voluntary carbon credits.   

When (not if) that "unburnableness" of char is possible in a reasonably documented manner, would someone pay for that to happen?  I think that some people will A) pay for the carbon-negative burial of the equivlaent of 1 tCO2; or B) pay to have biochar into soil; or C) pay to accomplish both A and B; or D) pay as a donation to a real biochar project in an impoverished country; or E) pay for any other reason (such as "they like Paul Anderson.")  

It takes about 250 kg (quarter ton) of dry un-treated (raw) biochar to make 1 tonne CO2eq., and that amount of char comes from 1 TLUD stove used daily in one household during one year (based on India field data, not just laboratory calculations).  I think that such an amount that is PERMANENTLY SEQUESTERED should be worth TWO carbon credits, but that will need to be debated and resolved.  

I intend to place that amount of char on the market for US$20, being the price for EITHER one Biochar Credit or two Carbon Credits.  I think that is a fair price.   What do you think?  Can the price be higher?   

The East Darjeeling project will also be selling single Carbon Credits for $10.

Will anyone purchase it (as 2 carbon credits and they do not care about the char as long as it is made unburnable) (or as one biochar credit) and donate it to a serious biochar project in the local area?  

THAT is a serious question.   And I ask it to everyone who is reading this email.  $20 for biochar.  And there will be tens of thousands of those "Biochar Credits" every year.  

Remember, this is BOTH a Biochar Listserv topic (obviously) AND a Stoves Listserv topic (as it relates to how to finance the stoves that we want to disseminate.)   To be discussed on the lists separately.

I will be discussing this further, providing information as fast as I can.  I will see your responses, but I have work to do and will let others lead the discussions / debates.     (Please be sure that all discussants have read the Deganga TLUD report.   Otherwise, the above statements and their comments will not make sense.)  

Paul



Doc  /  Dr TLUD  /  Prof. Paul S. Anderson, PhD
Email:  psanders at ilstu.edu <mailto:psanders at ilstu.edu> 
Skype:   paultlud    Phone: +1-309-452-7072 <tel:(309)%20452-7072> 
Website:  www.drtlud.com <http://www.drtlud.com> 

On 1/8/2017 11:08 PM, Frank Shields wrote:

Thanks Paul,

I searched for the Deganga study and found it to be interesting. One statement in the report i do not understand:

 

"3. The produced TLUD char cannot generate credits if it is burned by the household or used as biochar for soil amending.” 

 

“cannot generate credits if it is burned by the household” - thats makes sense.

“or used as biochar for soil amending”? - that makes NO sense.

 

Amazing number of hurtles that you must have overcome to set the program in motion.

 

http://www.drtlud.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/TLUD-Case-Study-Deganga-2016-09-30.pdf

 

Thanks

 

Frank

Frank Shields

Gabilan Laboratory

Keith Day Company, Inc.

1091 Madison Lane

Salinas, CA  93907

(831) 246-0417 <tel:(831)%20246-0417>  cell

(831) 771-0126 <tel:(831)%20771-0126>  office

fShields at keithdaycompany.com <mailto:fShields at keithdaycompany.com> 

 

 

 

franke at cruzio.com <mailto:franke at cruzio.com> 

 

 

 

On Jan 8, 2017, at 8:43 PM, Paul Anderson <psanders at ilstu.edu <mailto:psanders at ilstu.edu> > wrote:

 

 Deganga study 

 

 

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