Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA)

53 temperatures (18-28 °C) and moderate to high relative humidity (55-83%) 31. The azolla genus has six species which are naturally found in tropical and low-latitude temperate regions. For the purposes of this study, we shall be focussing on Azolla pinnata. Azolla lives in symbiosis with the nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria Anabaena azollae. The independence of the water fern in terms of nitrogen requirement allows it to propagate quickly in natural habitats when conditions are optimal. Other similar floating plants like Lemna major and Lemna minor do not possess such nitrogen independence. The harvested azolla can be most commonly used as animal feed, bio-fuel or bio-fertiliser. For the purposes of this study, the bio-fertiliser route will be investigated, for this would eliminate carbon dioxide emissions and nitrous oxide emissions associated with the extensive use of nitrogenous fertilisers like urea and di-ammonium phosphate. Furthermore, the decentralised adoption of azolla bio-fertiliser would also reduce costs for small and marginal farmers, granting them a greater degree of resilience and independence. Multi-level Carbon Capture Unlike other carbon capture technologies, which generally have a single stage of GHG removal, the Azonian Process has been engineered to include 6 levels of GHG capture, prevention, offset and storage across the entire value chain. The various levels are enumerated below. Level 0 L01: Carbon captured by buildingmaterial Bamboo is the fastest growing grass on Earth, with widespread applications as a sustainable building material due to its good structural properties. This makes bamboo the ideal material for facilitating the large scale vertically scaled cultivation of azolla. In contrast to alternative building materials that would otherwise emit greenhouse gases during the manufacturing process, bamboo offers carbon capture and sequestration opportunities even at the construction phase of the project. L02: Emissions avoided due to organic waste utilisation No synthetic fertilisers are utilised to facilitate azolla growth. All nutrient requirements are met by streamlining channels of organic waste, preventing or at least reducing the quantum of greenhouse gases that would have otherwise been emitted at landfills. Level 1 L11: Carbon captured through biomass growth Owing to its low biomass doubling time, the rapidly growing azolla biomass captures atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. The continuous cycle of growth, harvest and re-growth keeps capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide, while the endophytic cyanobacteria captures atmospheric nitrogen. Level 2 L21: Emissions avoided by offsetting the manufacture of synthetic fertilisers By utilising the harvested azolla biomass as a bio-fertiliser, the demand for conventional synthetic fertilisers such as urea and di- ammonium phosphate will be reduced. In turn, the manufacturing emissions associated with the amount of offset fertiliser demand will be bypassed. L22: Emissions avoided in the post-application phase Nitrogenous fertilisers are not only quite emission- intensive products, but also having cascading emissions after their field application. The application of synthetic fertilisers produces other potent greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide, which are respectively about 30 and 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Level 3 L31: Increased carbon capture and storage capacity of reclaimed landscapes If the harvested biomass (either in composted form or as a bio-fertiliser) is utilised for soil amendment, land reclamation, fertility restoration or any other such activities, the modified landscape shall have increased carbon capture potential due to vegetation growth following azolla based bio-remediation. Resulting GHG mitigation = L01(CO2) + L02(CO2 + CH4) + L11(CO2) + L21(CO2) + L22(N2O + CH4) + L30 (CO2) Historical Evidence of Giga-tonne Scale Carbon Capture The potential of the azolla fern to sequester atmospheric CO2 is evidenced by the analysis of sediments recovered from Lomonosov Ridge in the Arctic. In the middle Eocene, blooms of Azolla in the stratified Arctic Ocean may have caused a