A Life Cycle Assessment of an Energy-Biochar Chain Involving a Gasification Plant in Italy

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Should be as below:

538- 3. Results

781- 4. Discussion

Then please introduce points as follows:

5. Conclusion

6. Future developments

Please add all reference numbers into the text.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The current study entitled “A Life Cycle Assessment of an energy-biochar chain involving a gasification plant in Italy” is good. For a better understanding in-depth, it is a need for time to work on this topic. Furthermore, the achievement of potential benefits by using current technology is also dependent on the extensive research work for more exploration. Although the experiment is well organized, yet I suggest a major revision due to the following deficiencies.

Major Concerns

Abstract

• Introduce the need for study in 1-2 lines especially life cycle assessment of biochar rather than its potential usage.
• Give a problem statement
• Give reason for the selection of current strategy for the solution of the problem.
• Quantitative data is also important to support your conclusion. Would you please provide some quantitative data in terms of percentage significant increase or decrease in the abstract?
• Please provide a conclusive conclusion with is withdrawn through research in a single line. The statement “Though, this study pointed out the need for a strategic research development that will combine the effects of biochar applied to the soil with the details about the characteristics of biochar and soil to be amended, consenting the clarification of differentiated mechanisms for environmental and management factors.” is general. Please conclude with a statement that shows a knowledge gap covered, potential beneficiaries and specific recommendations as well.
• Give future prospective in a single line.
• As per standard suggestions, please avoid using title words as keywords

Introduction

• Please follow the title in the introduction section, i.e., Biochar, energy biochar chain, life cycle assessment, biochar importance in context to its use in Italy knowledge gap, hypothesis and aims.
• Also, provide a novelty statement at the end. What new things authors have done or correlated in this research compared to old ones?
• Would you please give a single line about the knowledge gap which your research has covered?

Material and Methods

• Have authors applied any statistics or not? Please specify that. Without statistical analysis, significant changes are not justifiable. In a case, if any modelling is done please give details about that.

Results and Discussion

• Results are fine.
• Please mechanistic approach as supporting evidence for discussion of results. Rather than comparing results with the findings of other scientists, it would be better to elaborate on the driven mechanisms behind the events which are studied. Please revise all the discussion part again.

Conclusion

• Please give a conclusive conclusion.
• Major portions of the introduction and results are incorporated in the conclusion. Please remove that.
• If the authors are not sure, then give future recommendations for more research and investigation.
• Add the targeted beneficiary audience who will get benefits from this research.
• Also, give clear-cut recommendations and future prospective regarding this research.

Minor

The English language needs extensive editing from native English speakers.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The author has modified the manuscript as per my suggestion. I suggest accepting the manuscript in its present form.