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.
Biomethane produced from maize grown on peat emits more CO2 than natural gas
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Research theme(s)
Environmental impacts Evidence base
Environmental impacts Evidence base
GGR Method(s)
Peatland restoration
Peatland restoration
Publication type
Article
Article
Author(s)
Chris D. Evans, Rebecca L. Rowe, Benjamin W. J. Freeman, Jennifer M. Rhymes, Alex Cumming, Isobel L. Lloyd, Daniel Morton, Jennifer L. Williamson, Ross Morrison
Chris D. Evans, Rebecca L. Rowe, Benjamin W. J. Freeman, Jennifer M. Rhymes, Alex Cumming, Isobel L. Lloyd, Daniel Morton, Jennifer L. Williamson, Ross Morrison
Publication date
September 9, 2024
September 9, 2024
Publisher
Nature Climate Change
Nature Climate Change