Biochar
A carbon dioxide removal process begins with collecting biomass waste from forest and agriculture industries. This already prevents environmental harm by removing a significant source of air pollution and methane released from the decomposition process. This is primarily caused by the fact that biomass waste is no longer valuable by the biomass owner, and is now being openly burned across the country.
We process this biomass with a biochar technology for carbon capture. This CO2 removal technology works by depriving the biomass of heat and limited oxygen and applying pressure that produces charcoal. Charcoal produced in this way is referred to as biochar as a carbon dioxide removal process, it accelerates the natural carbon cycle. Both methods sequester – or stabilize – the carbon in the biomass so that it cannot escape into the oceans or atmosphere, removing the risk of harmful CO2 emission.
But the difference in biochar technology for carbon capture is that two-thirds of the carbon in biomass is sequestered in the process. In contrast, the natural carbon cycle only sequesters around 1% of biomass carbon. One ton of biochar contains approximately three tons of CO2. Because this CO2 is sequestered in a stable carbon, it cannot be released into the atmosphere or oceans as gas or water. Our CO2 removal technology has minimal energy requirements. For years, this has been a critical challenge for carbon dioxide removal and sequestration, as many methods put forward have been prohibitively expensive in terms of energy and financial resources.
Biochar as carbon removal
Carbon is in a constant state of movement. Trees and other plants draw down carbon from the atmosphere to grow. However, as plants decompose, they release carbon back into the atmosphere. This amounts to hundreds of billions of tons of CO₂. Our pyrolysis equipment hacks into this natural cycle. We convert the CO₂ from plants into biochar and store it for 1,000 years.
Collection
Collecting biomass is easier in agriculture processing facilities, such as: Palm Oil Mills, Sugar Factories, etc. Some basics of biochar and its applications are focused on feedstock availability and how to utilize feedstocks in such a way as to reduce the transportation costs of biomass. This is particularly relevant to low-value woody biomass coming from the agricultural process or forestry industry, though can be applied to other types of biomass that are available for conversion to biochar.
Processing
When the biomass converts through pyrolysis equipment into biochar, the carbon originally sequestered in the biomass will be stored for thousands of years and carbon credits can be claimed.
Biochar is the solid product of biomass pyrolysis, which involves heating in the absence of oxygen to co-produce liquid bio-oil and combustible gas. Owing to carbon stabilization during heating, biochar is difficult to degrade in soil environments, making it a useful candidate for the long-term storage of carbon. Several reactor configurations can support biomass pyrolysis, from simple pit kilns to multiple hearth kilns and drum kilns with sophisticated temperature and residence time control. This webinar explores the question of “What type of reactor to employ” which is a function of production scale and the biochar properties needed by the selected market. Operating parameters, such as set point temperature and reactor residence time, can be controlled to adjust biochar properties to match market needs.
Spreading
Soil health and fertility are tie-barred with farm profitability. There are many practices that have been proven to increase soil health and fertility such as manure application, cover crops, and no-till. However, biochar, an emerging soil amendment, shows promise in improving soil health and fertility. According to researchers Glaser, Haumaier, Guggenberger, and Zech, biochar is gaining attention as a sustainable product that may help decrease the need for fertilizers while also helping to reduce carbon emissions.
Carbon Removal
Biochar may be the answer to better utilization of wasted biomass and other organic material, but how can the price of biochar production go down to make it more affordable/accessible to farmers and other end-users? A research focus is creating forest biomass market opportunities with biochar as a carbon removal activity and how to monitor its implementation.
