EUBCE 2026 - Gert VAN TONDER - Economic and Agronomic Assessment of Second- or Cover-Soybean Cropping to Supply Stover for Modular Gasification in U.S. Midwest Farmlands

Economic and Agronomic Assessment of Second- or Cover-Soybean Cropping to Supply Stover for Modular Gasification in U.S. Midwest Farmlands

Short Introductive summary

This paper evaluates the agronomic feasibility and farm-level economics of intentionally integrating either a second (double-crop) soybean cycle or targeted legume/biomass cover crops into U.S. Midwest rotations to increase available crop residue (stover) for modular biomass gasification. We couple: (a) an agronomic synthesis of relevant literature and regional yield databases to estimate incremental biomass yield from second-crop soybeans and from dedicated cover crops; (b) a sustainable residue-removal model that constrains harvest to levels that protect soil organic matter and erosion thresholds; (c) a logistics and densification model (baling, on-farm storage, truck transport, aggregation hubs) to estimate delivered cost to a local modular 10 t/h baseline gasifier; and (d) a farm- and project-level techno-economic model that monetises energy (CHP/power), biochar co-products, carbon credits from biochar sequestration and soil carbon co-benefits, and farmer payments/tipping fees. Scenarios analysed include Conservative (current rotation stover only), Base (existing rotation + cover crops managed for biomass), and Optimized (targeted second-soybean or high-yield cover-crop strateg

G. Van Tonder, Regen Biofuels, Moscow, USA
W. Botha, Bara Consultants, Moscow, USA