CINCIA study on the impact of carbon on our planet

Climate changes occur every day that are bad for our planet. This is due to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. To restore the planet, it is necessary to block the already released carbon dioxide and prevent the ingress of new one. Through carbon sequestration, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels decrease and soil organic matter levels rise. The solution to the problem would seem simple – just plant a forest, but as new research by scientists from CEES Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation (CINCIA)  shows, the reality behind this approach to combating climate change is much more complicated than it seems. It is important to accurately take into account the amount of carbon when planting a forest.

David Lefebvre, a CINCIA researcher at Cranfield University in the UK, wondered what the carbon footprint of a reforestation site is. After all, tree planting is a complex process that requires energy and fuel costs, from growing seedlings in a nursery to transporting people to plant trees.

Using data from the CINCIA reforestation program, Lefebvre and his research team performed a carbon footprint lifecycle assessment of establishing and managing a tropical forest reforestation site over a period of one year. CINCIA has been planting trees for several years in the Madre de Dios area of Peru. To date, they have reforested 42.5 hectares of land, the equivalent of approximately 106 soccer fields.

Biochar is a key ingredient in CINCIA’s approach to reforestation. Biochar is a substance produced by recycling household waste, it is similar to charcoal. Using an approach developed in collaboration with Wake Forest scientists including CEES member and chemistry professor Abdu Lachgar, CINCIA produces its own biochar from Brazil nut husks by pyrolysis. “Pyrolysis is the combustion of biomass at high temperatures with little or no oxygen input, thus avoiding the conversion of biomass to ash,” explains Lefebvre.

Green Power has developed a set of efficient carbonization furnaces, one of the possibilities of which is to produce biochar. Our clients use different materials as raw materials, including Brazil nut husks. The furnaces work on the basis of pyrolysis, 20 years of experience with this technology has allowed Green Power to create equipment of the world quality standard, which is harmless to the environment.

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