Biochar solutions for reducing pollution in the Netherlands

Guido van Hofwegen, Joep A. van den Broek, Gertjan A. Becx, Ellis Hoffland, Oene Oenema

Overview of this presentation

Two Projects:

Assessment of the use of bio char as manure improver to reduce nitrogen pollution

Exploring the possibilities of charring green wastes in NL

Charcoal as manure improver - Intro

Relevance: Fast intensification of animal and arable

sectors 2005: 11,5 mln pigs, 100 mln chicken, 1,5

mln dairy cows EU Nitrate Directive and Water Framework

Directive

Charcoal as manure improver

Research question: Can charcoal improve the nutrient

retention of Dutch sandy soils prone to leaching which are heavily fertilized with pig manure?

What can we expect?

Charcoal is reported to reduce N leaching by Physical and chemical binding of N (in several

ways) Stabilizing SOM (hypothesizing)

But: Nitrate concentrations increases(?) What will happen with P? (Dutch sandy soils are P-

saturated, increased availability might lead to leaching)

Increased bacterial activity might increase gaseous losses (N2O).

Methods & Planning

Pot experiments with several sand, charcoal and manure mixtures, representing the Dutch situation

Experiments will start in September

Upcoming issues

Which charcoal to use? How should we treat it before use (milling /

NHO3 treatment)?

Exploring possibilities of charring biomaterials in the Netherlands

Exploratory study: Exploring the possibilities of charring green

wastes and other biomaterial for a) generating energy b) reducing the emissions of greenhouse gasses

other than CO2

Expected results

Household and other organic waste (1 Mt C)

0.1 C in compost

+7.1 tons

C02 equivalent

NOW

NOW`Char scenario’

0.5 C in biochar

+0.5 tons

CO2 equivalent

Issues to be addressed

Will it be cost effective? Is it possible to char ‘wet’ wastes? Will the charcoal be usable (heavy metal

content / P content etcetera)?