Biochar Production in Australia, France & USA

Author Greg Amanatidis
Read Time 1 Minutes
Category Sustainability

As part of our partnership with Lune, one such project your Navia carbon offsets will go towards is Biochar production in the USA, France and Australia.

 

Projects: Wakefield Biochar (USA), Sylva Fertilis (France) & Pyrocal (Australia)

Verification: Puro.Earth

Type: Carbon Removal

Storage Period: Long-term

 

 

About – Pyrocal (Australia)

Pyrocal, located in South East Queensland, Australia, uses waste from organic feedstock such as macadamia shells and used pine wood pallets to create high-quality biochar. By burning the feedstock waste in an oxygen-free way, called pyrolysis, it turns into a charcoal-like form of almost pure carbon. In the process, carbon is locked in a solid form for thousands of years. In addition, biochar is used as a soil fertiliser. Pyrocal’s biochar complies with stringent government emissions regulations and meets the International Biochar Initiative (IBI) standards.

 

 

Project quality assessment

 

Durability: Carbon is stored for 100+ years

The carbon benefit is durable: existing research shows that producing biochar turns carbon into a solid, stable form and locks it away for hundreds of years. This length of time carbon is stored can vary depending on the pyrolysis conditions e.g. pressure, temperature under which biochar is produced, and the soil conditions where the biochar is spread e.g. soil type, temperature, which introduces some risk.

 

Additionality: Additional carbon benefit created by using waste biomass for carbon removal

The project makes use of waste nutshells and wood pallets for carbon removal. These waste products have no other commercial use, and would otherwise be disposed of. Waste nutshells and wood pallets are used to make biochar. Without the Pyrocal project existing, these waste products would be disposed of as they have no other commercial use. It’s clear from this baseline scenario that the project does provide additional carbon benefit. The biochar produced is sold commercially as a soil amendment and stock feed additive, so the project does have sources of income other than funding from the sale of carbon credits, which leads to reduced levels of additionality.

 

Measurement: Highly measurable carbon removal method

Biochar is a highly measurable carbon removal method as it is possible to directly measure the carbon content of the biomass material being input into the pyrolysis system, and there has been extensive lab research to gather data on this. The project is compliant with Puro.earth methodology requirements, with the accuracy of measurements validated and verified by an independent assessor. Pyrocal has conducted a lifecycle analysis, and have included the carbon emissions produced during the pyrolysis process in their calculations of carbon removal. They have also contributed 2.5% to a buffer pool to account for any uncertainty.

 

Risk Mitigation: 2.5% buffer pool, but some risk of negative environmental consequences due to lack of research

Pyrocal has built uncertainty into their measurements with a 2.5% contribution to a buffer pool. A third-party verified full lifecycle assessment further reduces risk of the project’s impact being overestimated. The project is certified through Puro.Earth, and all carbon credit sales are fully visible and traceable through the Puro.Earth registry.

There is some risk as this is a still a fairly early-stage method. Particularly there is a current lack of research on the wider environmental impact of biochar when spread on land, particularly the impact when it leaches into freshwater systems as there is some evidence that it could be toxic.

 

Co-benefits: Good co-benefits through use as a natural fertiliser and animal feed

Pyrocal’s biochar is sold as a soil amendment, improving soil health by increasing the soil’s ability to retain nutrients and water. This also reduces reliance on artificial fertilisers and water for irrigation. In turn, improved soil health also increases crop yields on agricultural land. The biochar is also sold as an additive for animal feed, and has been shown to improve the health of animals whilst also decreasing the amount of methane they emit.

 

 

About – Wakefield Biochar (USA)

Wakefield Biochar is a privately owned biochar producer located in Valdosta, Georgia, a city that thrived from the forestry industry, specifically pine products, for over 100 years. The company manages waste products from a pulp and paper mill. They use pine bark from FSC-certified forests and burn it using a pyrolysis process, creating high-quality biochar. The end product is almost pure carbon, storing CO2 safely for thousands of years. The biochar is used on agricultural land to improve water retention and nutrient uptake.

 

 

Project quality assessment

 

Durability: Carbon is stored for 100+ years

The carbon benefit is durable: existing research shows that producing biochar turns carbon into a solid, stable form and locks it away for hundreds of years. This length of time carbon is stored can vary depending on the pyrolysis conditions e.g. pressure, temperature under which biochar is produced, and the soil conditions where the biochar is spread e.g. soil type, temperature, which introduces some risk.

 

Additionality: Additional carbon benefit created by using waste biomass for carbon removal

Waste products from pulp wood and paper mills are used to make biochar. Without the Wakefield Biochar project existing, these waste products would either be burnt (producing carbon emissions) or sent to landfill for disposal. It’s clear from this baseline scenario that the project does provide additional carbon benefit. The biochar produced is sold commercially as a soil improvement and land remediation product, so the project does have sources of income other than the sale of carbon credits, which leads to reduced levels of additionality. The project is using carbon finance to scale and accelerate their work to increase future carbon removal.

 

Measurement: Highly measurable carbon removal method

Biochar is a highly measurable carbon removal method as it is possible to directly measure the carbon content of the biomass material being input into the pyrolysis system, and there has been extensive lab research to gather data on this. Wakefield Biochar is compliant with Puro.earth methodology requirements, with the accuracy of measurements validated and verified by an independent assessor and a full lifecycle assessment conducted.

 

Risk Mitigation: Fully traceable carbon credits, but some risk of negative environmental consequences due to lack of research

There is no evidence of contribution to a buffer pool to account for uncertainty, risks, or unexpected underperformance. All carbon credit sales are fully visible and traceable through the Puro.Earth registry. There is some risk as this is a still a fairly early-stage method. Particularly there is a current lack of research on the wider environmental impact of biochar when spread on land, particularly the impact when it leaches into freshwater systems as there is some evidence that it could be toxic.

 

Co-benefits: Good co-benefits through use as a natural fertiliser

The project’s biochar is sold as a soil improvement product, improving soil health by increasing the soil’s ability to retain nutrients and water whilst also reducing reliance on artificial fertilisers and water for irrigation. In turn, improved soil health also increases crop yields. The biochar is also sold as a land remediation product, supporting with the restoration of natural ecosystems. As Wakefield Biochar scales up, it is also creating green jobs in a region designated by the IRS as a low-income/disadvantage area.

 

 

About – Sylva Fertilis (France)

 

Sylva Fertilis is part of a French forestry consortium. The company manufactures high-quality biochar products for both retail and wholesale markets and is one of the largest suppliers in France. Sylva Fertilis’ process involves the production of biochar from wood pellets at their facility at Argentan, in the Normandy region. The wood pellets are sourced from a manufacturer near Reims in the east of France, which produces pellets from timber from forests certified by the PEFC as non-controversial. The biochar is used as soil improvement for agriculture, including wine production, and is the basis for organic fertiliser.

 

 

Project Quality Assessment

 

Durability: Carbon is stored for 100+ years

The carbon benefit is durable: existing research shows that producing biochar turns carbon into a solid, stable form and locks it away for hundreds of years. This length of time carbon is stored can vary depending on the pyrolysis conditions e.g. pressure, temperature under which biochar is produced, and the soil conditions where the biochar is spread e.g. soil type, temperature, which introduces some risk.

 

Additionality: Additional carbon benefit created by using waste biomass for carbon removal

Wood pellets from the timber industry, made from PEFC-approved timber, are used to make biochar. Without the Sylva Fertilis project existing, these wood pellets would be burnt for energy, resulting in carbon emissions. It’s clear from this baseline scenario that the project does provide additional carbon benefit. This could be further increased if waste biomass was used instead. The biochar produced is sold commercially as a soil improvement product, so the project does have sources of income other than the sale of carbon credits, which leads to reduced levels of additionality. The project is using carbon finance to scale and accelerate their work to increase future carbon removal.

 

Measurement: Highly measurable carbon removal method

Biochar is a highly measurable carbon removal method as it is possible to directly measure the carbon content of the biomass material being input into the pyrolysis system, and there has been extensive lab research to gather data on this. Sylva Fertilis is compliant with Puro.earth methodology requirements, with the accuracy of measurements validated and verified by an independent assessor. A full lifecycle assessment (LCA) of Sylva Fertilis’ production process has been conducted, which determined all process emissions from the harvesting of forestry materials, pelletising, transport, energy use, and transport of the biochar. These were removed from calculations of the project’s overall carbon benefit.

 

Risk Mitigation: Good lifecycle assessment, but some risk of negative environmental consequences due to lack of research

There is no evidence of contribution to a buffer pool to account for uncertainty, risks, or unexpected underperformance. However, a third-party verified full lifecycle assessment reduces risk of the project’s impact being overestimated. All carbon credit sales are fully visible and traceable through the Puro.Earth registry. There is some risk as this is a still a fairly early-stage method. Particularly there is a current lack of research on the wider environmental impact of biochar when spread on land, particularly the impact when it leaches into freshwater systems as there is some evidence that it could be toxic.

 

Co-benefits: Good co-benefits through use as a natural fertiliser

Sylva Fertilis’ biochar is sold as a soil improvement product to agricultural landowners, improving soil health by increasing the soil’s ability to retain nutrients and water. This also reduces reliance on artificial fertilisers and water for irrigation. In turn, improved soil health also increases crop yields, improving food production levels and increasing profits for farmers through sustainable farming methods.

 

 

UN Sustainable Development Goals

These are the UN SDGs the project supports.

Learn more.