Journal of Energy Bioscience 2024, Vol.15, No.3, 147-159 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/jeb 154 6.3 Government incentives and funding opportunities Government incentives and funding opportunities play a crucial role in promoting the adoption of energy production technologies from agricultural waste. In India, policy support is integral to the development of a biogas-based circular economy, which includes subsidies and financial incentives for biogas plants. In Ukraine, the adoption of the Law regarding competitive conditions for electricity production from alternative energy sources in 2015 has significantly boosted the development of biogas plants (Tokarchuk, 2018). These examples underscore the importance of government policies in facilitating the growth of the agricultural waste-to-energy sector. 6.4 Barriers to adoption and strategies to overcome them Despite the promising potential, several barriers hinder the widespread adoption of energy production from agricultural waste. These include technological challenges, high initial investment costs, and regulatory hurdles. For instance, the heterogeneity and high moisture content of food waste pose significant challenges for its conversion to energy (Pham et al., 2015). Additionally, the lack of comprehensive waste management policies in some regions complicates the effective use of agricultural waste for energy production. Strategies to overcome these barriers include technological advancements to improve efficiency, government incentives to reduce financial risks, and the development of robust waste management frameworks. 7 Environmental Impact and Sustainability 7.1 Life cycle assessment of energy production from agricultural waste Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a crucial tool for evaluating the environmental impacts of energy production from agricultural waste. Various studies have demonstrated the benefits and challenges associated with different waste-to-energy (WtE) systems. For instance, a comparative LCA of food waste management scenarios in Singapore revealed that anaerobic digestion followed by gasification (ADgas) had the best global warming score due to high electricity output and carbon sequestration of biochar (Tong et al., 2018). Similarly, an LCA study in Turkey highlighted that biogas production from agricultural and animal waste through anaerobic digestion significantly reduced the environmental impact compared to traditional energy sources like coal. Another study of over fifty LCA studies on WtE systems found that most WtE processes have lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, although some processes may increase impacts like acidification and eutrophication due to agricultural chemicals (Hermann et al, 2011). 7.2 Comparative analysis of carbon footprints The carbon footprint of different waste management strategies varies significantly. For example, a study comparing incineration and landfill scenarios in Tehran found that incineration led to a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfilling (Nabavi Pelesaraei et al., 2017). Another study focusing on biodegradable materials' waste treatment showed that anaerobic digestion had the lowest carbon footprint, while incineration could become more favorable with improved energy efficiency. Additionally, the application of biochar in agricultural soils has been shown to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production and serve as a carbon capture method, further reducing the overall carbon footprint (Matuštík et al., 2020). 7.3 Soil health and fertility implications of biochar application Biochar application in agriculture has been extensively studied for its benefits to soil health and fertility. Research conducted in the Czech Republic on various biomass wastes demonstrated that biochar produced from these wastes could restore carbon deposits in the soil, enhancing soil fertility (Kwoczynski and Čmelík, 2021),. Field interventions in South Asia showed that using crop residue as biochar improved soil organic carbon, moisture, nutrients, and biological activity, leading to a significant increase in agricultural production (Dey et al., 2020). These findings underscore the potential of biochar to improve soil health while simultaneously managing agricultural waste.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzMg==