Objective "The interest in using renewable energy is continuously increasing. Biomass is the most common form of renewable energy and recently, much attention has been paid to identifying suitable biomass sources which can provide high energy outputs to replace conventional fossil fuels. An important, but little understood aspect surrounding biofuels (fuels obtained from biomass) is the overall impact on global C and N cycling. Probably the increase of energy production from biomass will lead to higher input of its by-products to the soil as amendments or fertilizers. However, it is still unclear how these novel by-products of bioenergy production will influence microbial transformation processes in soil, and thereby its greenhouse gas balance and organic matter reserves. Particular attention has to be paid to changes in the C balance of the soil and changes in N2O emission of the soil, as these may negate any benefits made by biofuel production in terms of Global Warming Potential. With this project, I aim at studying the impact of different bioenergy by-products on C and N biogeochemical cycles. The study will focus on residues from two bioenergy chains (anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis), but novel bioenergy by-products from new developing tecnologies (such as residues from third-generation biofuels from algae) will also be included at laboratory scale. C and N mineralization in soil will be followed using a combination of 15N and 13C labeling units. Dynamics of CO2 and N2O will be studied in the field and under controlled conditions (laboratory experiments). N2O emitted per unit stabilized C will be quantified. This novel ‘efficiency parameter’ for C sequestration will be related to the different properties of the biofuel by-products. The integrated results of these experiments will help to understand the impact of the different bioenergy chains on C an N cycles, which may have a high impact on life cycle analysis calculations for the different bioenergy chains." Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybioremediationbioreactorsengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energynatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changesengineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuelsagricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomass Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG - Marie Curie Action: "Reintegration Grants" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-ERG - European Re-integration Grants (ERG) Coordinator AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Address Calle serrano 117 28006 Madrid Spain See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Eusebio Jiménez Arroyo (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data
