Beta Analytic presented ASTM D6866 in EUEC 2007 as the most accurate method that can quantify carbon-neutral greenhouse gas emissions.
EUEC is an annual conference and exposition held in Arizona that is attended by energy and environment professionals. In this conference, attendees network with experts and learn about cutting-edge technologies and strategies concerning renewable energy and carbon management.
Carbon-neutral carbon dioxide, or biogenic carbon dioxide, is recently respired CO2 that plants are able to easily remove from the air. It is often a by-product of biomass incineration. It is quantified and monitored because carbon-neutral carbon dioxide does not count toward greenhouse gas inventories. Thus, biogenic carbon dioxide is subtracted from GHG inventories and, because it can be used to gain green certificates, it has a market value and can be traded.
Because carbon 14 is naturally occurring and is present in all biomass but absent in fossil fuels, ASTM D6866 is able to measure the biogenic fraction of carbon dioxide emissions via radiocarbon dating.
Instead of doing labor-intensive physical characterization of the feedstock, companies that combust fuels can collect gas samples and have them tested for their biogenic carbon content through ASTM D6866. This standard testing is not only accurate but also cost-effective in monitoring GHG emissions for regulatory reporting.
