Biomethane produced from maize grown on peat emits more CO2 than natural gas

Evans, Chris D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7052-354X; Rowe, Rebecca L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7554-821X; Freeman, Benjamin W.J.; Rhymes, Jennifer M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9347-9863; Cumming, Alex ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5704-9006; Lloyd, Isobel L.; Morton, Daniel; Williamson, Jennifer L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8216-5885; Morrison, Ross ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1847-3127. 2024 Biomethane produced from maize grown on peat emits more CO2 than natural gas. Nature Climate Change. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02111-1

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02111-1

Abstract/Summary

Cultivation of maize for biomethane production has expanded rapidly, including on drained peat soils. The resulting soil CO2 emissions at the point of feedstock production are largely overlooked when assessing biogas climate mitigation potential. On the basis of field-scale flux measurements, we calculate that soil CO2 emissions from biomethane feedstock production on drained peat exceed embodied emissions for an equivalent amount of natural gas by up to a factor of three.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02111-1
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Hydro-climate Risks (Science Area 2017-) Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-) Unaffiliated
ISSN:	1758-678X
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	agriculture, biogeochemistry, climate-change mitigation, energy supply and demand, environmental impact
NORA Subject Terms:	Agriculture and Soil Science
Date made live:	16 Sep 2024 11:00 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538027

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02111-1

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Hydro-climate Risks (Science Area 2017-)
Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-)
Unaffiliated

ISSN:

1758-678X

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

agriculture, biogeochemistry, climate-change mitigation, energy supply and demand, environmental impact