NEBRA has received a $25,000 grant from the Northwest Biosolids Association (NWBA)’s annual grant program to update the Biosolids Emissions Assessment Model (BEAM).

The BEAM is in spreadsheet format and focuses only on the GHG emissions from solids-related processes. It uses emission factors to estimate GHGs using built-in formulas that are transparent. The BEAM calculates Scopes 1, 2, 3, and biogenic emissions. It can and is being used to estimate emissions from biosolids management programs, including establishing a baseline and using that to compare different biosolids management scenarios (currently up to 10). It can be used to estimate impacts from changes in biosolids management practices as well as better understand the factors that have the greatest impact on GHG emissions for your program.

The BEAM was originally developed in 2008 - 2009 under contract from Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) by Sylvis (including Mike van Ham, Mark Teshima, John Lavery); with assistance from Sally Brown (University of Washington), Andrew Carpenter (Northern Tilth), and Ned Beecher (NEBRA). When NEBRA inherited the BEAM from NWBA in 2021, there were some major upgrades done to create BEAM*2022, a version that included new bio-drying and pyrolysis unit tabs. NEBRA also established a website www.BiosolidsGHGs.org. However, there are so many upgrades that have been suggested by the BEAM user community over the years, that additional funding was needed.

The funding from Northwest Biosolids will allow NEBRA to go beyond just reviewing and updating the BEAM to reflect the latest emission factors and science for calculating greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from wastewater solids processing and management. The funding will cover some structural changes to the spreadsheet with an eye towards the future addition of emerging technologies such as hydrothermal carbonization and hydrothermal liquefaction.  Increasing outreach and education on the BEAM is also part of the grant project. The website will be a big part of that and be a resource where people can get a copy of the updated BEAM when it is ready. The website can also be a place where people can share their experiences using BEAM, including data outputs.  

The BEAM upgrades fall into five basic categories:

  1. Typos and Clarifications,

  2. Minor Emissions Factor Updates,

  3. Calculation/Formula Changes,

  4. Functionality Changes (such as adding a tab to calculate emission from hydrothermal carbonization, gasification, and other developing technologies for biosolids), and

  5. The Science Review Team (SRT) recommended changes.

Thanks to Northwest Biosolids, NEBRA hopes to check off a lot of the recommended changes in the BEAM*2024 version.

The Science Review Team is comprised of 5 PhDs, who scrutinize various aspects of the BEAM with a focus on updating the emission factors and calculations with the latest science. The 2023-24 SRT included Sally Brown, Emma Shen (Jacobs), Céline Vaneeckhaute (Université Laval), Tarek Abichou (Florida State University), and Ruth Richardson (Cornell University).

The SRT reviewed the references and assumptions tab of the BEAM spreadsheet, according to their areas of expertise. The SRT looked at landfill methane emissions, carbon sequestration from land applied biosolids (again), nitrous oxide from combustion and land application processes, fugitive methane emissions from anaerobic digestion, and commercial fertilizer offsets. These areas, with ever-evolving science, will continue to be reviewed by future SRTs along with looking at GHG emissions from new processes as those get added to the BEAM.

At this point, the SRT has completed its 2024 review. NEBRA hosted a meeting for a group of BEAM “power users” and advisors on June 5th to go over the recommended changes for the next version of the BEAM. The work to update the spreadsheet is being done by Northern Tilth (Belfast, Maine) under contract with NEBRA.

The Northwest Biosolids grant will also help pay for updating and maintaining the www.BiosolidsGHGs.org website where the BEAM spreadsheet can be downloaded. Donations are requested on a sliding scale and will be used for BEAM program costs with the goal of providing sustainable funding for the SRT reviews and website costs going forward.  

NEBRA hopes the website becomes a resource hub with crowd-sourced supporting information and examples of how to use the BEAM. The BEAM will continue to be a respected source for biosolids-specific emissions/reductions/sequestration factors (as found in references). The long-term goal is for the BEAM to be helpful in developing protocols and working with registrars to allow for marketable carbon offsets for biosolids practices in the future.

Look for more presentations and articles about the BEAM as NEBRA rolls out the latest version sometime this Fall. For more information about GHGs and biosolids, check out NEBRA’s website: Resources: Key Topics of Interest — NEBRA (nebiosolids.org). If you are a BEAM power user and interested in getting more involved in NEBRA, consider joining the Carbon Trading Committee (NEBRA — Secure (nebiosolids.org)).