state of the biochar industry 2014 · 2018. 11. 9. · strongly advised to seek appropriate legal...
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StateoftheBiocharIndustry2014
A Survey of Commercial Activity in the Biochar Sector
A report by the International Biochar Initiative (IBI)
by Stefan Jirka and Thayer Tomlinson, International Biochar Initiative
Published: May 2015
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Copyright and Disclaimer
© International Biochar Initiative, 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the authors, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
This document is based on information provided by respondents to an industry survey conducted by IBI in 2014, the State of the Biochar Industry 2013 report, as well as information compiled from websites of entities operating in the biochar space. IBI does not warrant the accuracy, suitability, or content of the survey responses or the results of that survey as set out herein. Nor does IBI warrant the accuracy, suitability, or content of the information collected from websites as set out herein. It is the sole responsibility and obligation of the reader of this report to satisfy himself/herself as to the accuracy, suitability, and content of the information contained herein. IBI makes no warranties and shall have no liability to the reader for any inaccuracy, representation, or unintentional misrepresentation set out herein. The reader further agrees to hold IBI harmless from and against any claims, loss, or damage in connection with or arising out of any commercial decisions made on the basis of the information contained herein. The reader of this report is strongly advised not to use the content of this report in isolation, but to take the information contained herein together with other market information and to formulate his/her own views, interpretations, and opinions thereon. The reader is strongly advised to seek appropriate legal and professional advice before entering into commercial transactions.
Acknowledgements
This report is made possible by the contributions of over 100 individuals who responded to the IBI survey in summer 2014. The authors thank survey respondents for their time and insights as well as for providing information on their work. IBI staff members, particularly Debbie Reed and Shiva Scotti, as well as the IBI Board of Directors, provided in‐depth reviews and improvements to this document. In addition to conducting a large amount of research, IBI intern Rita Ryan updated and expanded our ability to compile data and facilitated creation of a new database for annual data tracking. Finally, we thank our colleagues in the International Biochar Initiative, its membership, and its global audience for continued support in advancing the biochar industry.
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Executive Summary
Biochar has the potential to increase agricultural productivity, enhance agriculture’s resilience to the impacts of climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and produce sustainable energy. When added to soils, biochar may enhance the resilience of soil ecosystems in the face of intensifying weather events and pressures to improve soil productivity. But not all biochars are created equally. Diversity in feedstocks, production technologies, and biochar end uses creates a complex web of variables whose interactions and synergies are still being investigated. And although purposely adding charcoal to soils is an old practice in some parts of the world, biochar as a product is relatively new—both in terms of research and of a formal biochar industry focused on promoting its adoption as a mainstream soil fertility management practice.
The biochar industry is growing. A biochar marketplace is evident in some areas and a biochar supply chain has emerged—from equipment manufacturers and biochar purveyors to production and use consultants. Furthermore, the industry has created characterization standards and certification programs for biochar to ensure a safe, consistent product.
IBI published its first State of the Biochar Industry report in 2013; this is the second annual report on findings from the industry at large. It includes a history of biochar production and use and, an overview on the current state of the industry based on survey responses from commercial operations as well as internet research. The report presents results on feedstocks, biochar uses, costs, volumes transacted, production equipment, policies and regulations, barriers to expansion, and market trends and outlook. Case studies from five biochar companies are included to highlight the diversity of operations that comprise this industry. The report concludes with recommendations for increased growth—with a focus on creating a vibrant and sustainable biochar industry.
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Key Findings
In 2014, similar to 2013, the biochar industry has yet to make a substantial entry into large‐scale agricultural operations.
The number of companies included in this report rose from 175 in 2013 to 200 in 2014. Although a large number of companies left the biochar field, new biochar companies are coming online; many with a focus on multiple value streams from biochar.
Unblended biochar and biochar products blended with other materials are being sold in many countries at a wide range of wholesale and retail prices. We found 56 pure biochar products on the marketplace and 33 blends; with the average wholesale price for pure biochar at US$2.06 kg and the average retail price for pure biochar at US$3.08 kg.
Companies reported volumes of biochar sales totaling 7,457 metric tons. A significant majority of those transactions were made by a small number of businesses in Asia.
Woody biomass continues to be the largest source of feedstock for the biochar industry, with 87% of respondents using woody biomass as a biochar feedstock.
The main barriers to industry expansion identified are a lack of consumer awareness and education, regulatory issues, technological constraints, and access to financing.
Biochar is increasingly utilized for more applications outside the soil amendment sector. Within the sector, biochar is blended with new products to create enhanced biochars.
Published scientific research that we identified regarding various characteristics, feedstocks, production values, and uses for biochar expanded significantly; from 421 publications dated 2013 to more than 900 in 2014.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................ 3 1 Introduction – Purpose of this Report ........................................... 8
1.1 State of Biochar Research ................................................................................................ 8 1.2 Sources of Information ..................................................................................................... 9 1.2.1 Online public surveys ................................................................................................ 9 1.2.2 Internet‐based research and inclusion in the IBI database ...................................... 9
2 A Brief History of Biochar ............................................................ 11 3 State of the Biochar Industry ....................................................... 14
3.1 Biochar is a Spectrum of Materials ................................................................................ 14 3.2 The Biochar Industry – A 2014 Snapshot ....................................................................... 15 3.2.1 Distribution of biochar companies ......................................................................... 18 3.2.2 The “undocumented” biochar sector ..................................................................... 19
3.3 Biochar Feedstocks ......................................................................................................... 20 3.3.1 Feedstocks and environmental, social, and economic issues ................................ 20 3.3.2 Softwood and hardwoods are the primary biochar feedstocks ............................. 21
3.4 Use of Biochar ................................................................................................................ 23 3.4.1 Soil use is the primary market for biochar ............................................................. 23 3.4.2 Biochar in composting operations .......................................................................... 24 3.4.3 Biochar as a substitute agent for growing media ingredients ................................ 24 3.4.4 Diverse non‐agricultural uses for biochar ............................................................... 25
3.5 Biochar Production and Sales ......................................................................................... 25 3.5.1 Primary versus secondary products ........................................................................ 26 3.5.2 Use of by‐products .................................................................................................. 26
3.6 Cost of Biochar ............................................................................................................... 27 3.6.1 Biochar prices .......................................................................................................... 27 3.6.2 Biochar blends ......................................................................................................... 29 3.6.3 Volumes transacted ................................................................................................ 30 3.6.4 Revenues from biochar sales .................................................................................. 31 3.6.5 Niche markets for biochar ...................................................................................... 32
3.7 Biochar Production Equipment ...................................................................................... 33 3.7.1 Scales of biochar producing technologies .............................................................. 34 3.7.2 Types of biochar production equipment ................................................................ 35 3.7.3 Additional uses for biochar production equipment ............................................... 35 3.7.4 Revenues from biochar production equipment ..................................................... 36
3.8 Purveyors of Biochar‐Related Goods and Services ........................................................ 38 3.9 Biochar Carbon Persistence in Soils ............................................................................... 38 3.9.1 Biochar and climate change mitigation .................................................................. 39 3.9.2 Biochar sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment ................................................... 39
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3.9.3 Biochar and carbon markets ................................................................................... 40 3.10 Policies and Programs to Advance the Biochar Industry ........................................... 41 3.10.1 Public policies impacting biochar ........................................................................... 41 3.10.2 Regulations on biochar as a soil amendment ......................................................... 41 3.10.3 Other regulations on biochar production and use ................................................. 43 3.10.4 Private sector biochar standards and certification programs ................................ 44 3.10.5 Other relevant standards and certification programs ............................................ 45 3.10.6 Market‐based incentives in the private and public sectors ................................... 46
3.11 Barriers to Moving Forward ....................................................................................... 47 3.11.1 Lack of consumer awareness and market demand ................................................ 47 3.11.2 Regulatory challenges ............................................................................................. 48 3.11.3 Technological challenges ........................................................................................ 48 3.11.4 Financing and access to credit ................................................................................ 49 3.11.5 Lack of communication between research and industry ....................................... 50 3.11.6 Interplay with the energy sector ............................................................................ 51
3.12 Market Trends and Outlook ....................................................................................... 51
4 Recommendations for Future Industry Growth ........................... 54 4.1 Increase biochar education and outreach/marketing ................................................... 54 4.2 Address regulatory barriers and create opportunities to educate policymakers.......... 54 4.3 Enhance dialog between research and commercial communities—inside and outside the biochar space ...................................................................................................................... 55 4.4 Maintain emphasis on long‐term field trials with characterized biochars and standardized reporting ............................................................................................................. 56 4.5 Invest in technology R&D and alternative financing mechanisms ................................ 56
5 References .................................................................................. 58 6 Appendix: IBI Biochar Company Database ................................... 60
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List of Figures and Tables
Figure 1. Growth in peer‐reviewed biochar‐related publications from 2008 – 14 ........................ 8 Figure 2. Images of a parent soil (left) and terra preta (right). Note the dark color of the terra
preta indicating the soil is enriched in pyrogenic carbon i.e., biochar ................................. 11 Figure 3. Company comparison between 2013 report and 2014 report ..................................... 16 Figure 4. Number of biochar companies formed by year (n=88); and total number of full‐time
equivalent (FTE) employees working in the industry (not cumulative) ................................ 17 Figure 5. Companies in the biochar industry by sector in 2014 (n=200) compared to 2013
(n=175) .................................................................................................................................. 17 Figure 6. Geographic location of biochar businesses (n=200) ...................................................... 18 Figure 7. Geographic focus of biochar businesses (n=307) .......................................................... 19 Figure 8. Feedstocks reported by companies producing biochar (n=228) ................................... 22 Figure 9. Primary products and services (other than biochar) offered by companies which also
produce/sell biochar (n=135) ................................................................................................ 26 Figure 10. Ranking of importance of by‐products from biochar production; 1 is most important
use and 4 is least important according to current biochar producers (n=32 companies; respondents could choose more than one by‐product) ....................................................... 27
Table 1. Wholesale and retail price of pure biochar and blended biochar products (USD/kg) ... 28 Figure 11. Biochar blends for sale (n=140) ................................................................................... 29 Table 2. Volumes of biochar transacted in 2014 and 2013 by region .......................................... 30 Figure 12. Changes in revenues over previous 12 months for biochar production and/or sales
(n=39) and biochar equipment manufacturers (n=15) ......................................................... 31 Table 3. Scales, examples, and numbers of biochar producing technologies (n=161) ................ 34 Figure 13. Type of biochar production equipment manufactured (n=107) ................................. 35 Figure 14. Specific utilization options when equipment has the capacity to capture energy from
the pyrolysis/gasification process (n=148) ........................................................................... 36 Figure 15. Types of services offered in the biochar space listed by survey respondents (n=85) . 38 Figure 16. The IBI CertifiedTM biochar seal .................................................................................... 45 Figure 17. Perceived barriers to market development for all respondents (n=52)...................... 48 Figure 18. Survey responses to start‐up financing sources for companies (n=91) ...................... 50 Figure 19. Company comparison between 2013 report and 2014 report ................................... 52 Figure 20. Biochar sales will increase over the next 12 months (n=52) ....................................... 53
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1 Introduction – Purpose of this Report
The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) published its first State of the Biochar Industry report in March 2014 which presented an overview of the biochar industry in 2013. The current 2014 report, using 2013 as a baseline, provides updated information on the biochar industry in 2014 and begins to highlight industry trends. This report presents an overview of the current state of the biochar sector. While the report provides only a snapshot of commercial biochar operations and activities, it also frames the sector in the context of larger forces that influence the biochar industry including agriculture, carbon markets, and public policies and regulations. This report is based primarily on information gathered through public surveys and internet‐based research and includes accumulated knowledge of the present biochar landscape offered by IBI and contributors to the report. It is the intention of the IBI to continue to produce this report on an annual basis to track trends in the biochar industry.
1.1 State of Biochar Research
Innovative and peer‐reviewed research on all aspects of biochar better supports the growth of a successful biochar industry. Without strong research on biochar and its potential effects on crop growth, water retention, carbon stability, etc., industry growth is constrained as businesses continuously need to prove their product to customers. This report does not focus on the state of biochar research but does find that closer collaboration between researchers and the biochar industry can increase use of university and academic data for innovation (as highlighted in Section 4 Recommendations for Future Industry Growth). The dramatic increase in biochar‐related publications in the peer‐reviewed scientific literature over the last 6 years (Figure 1) highlights this opportunity for industry to access this expanding knowledge bank.
Figure 1. Growth in peer‐reviewed biochar‐related publications from 2008 – 14 (source: IBI website bibliography)
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Biochar training events and conferences around the world, whether on a small, local level or at the international level, allow biochar practitioners from different sectors to share experiences and better collaborate on projects and data gathering. These meetings raise awareness, identify overlapping opportunities, highlight barriers to implementation, and provide priorities for more research in the biochar field. They can engage potential biochar consumers (e.g., farmers, landscapers, horticulturalists, etc.); raise awareness of biochar’s benefits among key stakeholders (regulators, agronomists, and extension agents); and demonstrate the potential overall viability of biochar systems ranging from feedstocks to conversion technologies to cropping systems. The biochar community saw a great deal of opportunities to gather in 2014 with conferences and trainings held in Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information about upcoming biochar events, please see http://www.biochar‐international.org/date‐browser.
1.2 Sources of Information
Information in this report was used to create an IBI company database (see Appendix: IBI Biochar Company Database) derived primarily from three sources: 1) a public survey conducted by IBI from August – October 2014; 2) data aggregated from the IBI membership database; and 3) internet‐based research of biochar‐related companies. Further information was gleaned from phone interviews with companies; from direct consultations with stakeholders ranging from biochar entrepreneurs to scientists; and from review of existing publications and analyses on biochar and related industries. The subjects of the five case studies were chosen from the companies who submitted a survey for the report.
1.2.1 Online public surveys
An online public survey was conducted by IBI August – October 2014 to collect information on biochar industry activity. IBI designed the survey and widely announced a call for participation amongst its 11,800‐person network and all biochar stakeholders. In total, 200 industry surveys were completed and submitted. Information in the industry survey was compiled and merged with the existing 2013 IBI database comprised of 175 unique biochar businesses from IBI’s State of the Biochar Industry 2013 report.
1.2.2 Internet‐based research and inclusion in the IBI database
Internet‐based research was conducted in the fall and winter of 2014. IBI reviewed all 175 companies from the 2013 biochar industry list to determine whether listed companies were still operating in the biochar industry. The authors found that a number of companies (84) included in the 2013 industry database are either no longer operational or no longer have a connection to the biochar industry. This determination was made based on direct outreach to specific companies, website URLs that were no longer operational, or websites that had not been
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updated in the past 3 years. When deciding whether to include an entity in the 2014 database (see Appendix: IBI Biochar Company Database) for analysis in this report, IBI staff used its best judgment based on the information available and its knowledge of the industry.
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2 A Brief History of Biochar
The roots of the current expansion of scientific research on biochar can be traced back to the rediscovery of terra preta do indio (dark earth of the Indian) soils in the Amazon Basin. These soils are hundreds to thousands of years old, and compared to the nutrient‐poor, red clay soils from which they were made, terra preta soils are dark, rich in organic matter, and, crucially, highly productive (Figure 2). In recent decades soil scientists have taken an interest in what archaeologists and local people have known for much longer: that these soils were created through the hand of man via the addition of charred remains of organic matter.
It is speculated that early pre‐Columbian societies disposed of household residues including charcoal from cooking fires in communal middens that were then incorporated—purposefully or not—into soils surrounding extensive settlements. Under such scenarios and over many years, soils became enriched with organic matter and char, and likely supported early agriculture in the region.
Figure 2. Images of a parent soil (left) and terra preta (right). Note the dark color of the terra preta indicating the soil is enriched in pyrogenic carbon i.e., biochar (photo credit: Julie Major and Bruno Glaser).
While widespread in the Amazon, terra preta soils are not unique to that region. In fact, charcoal‐enhanced soils are found throughout the world—in the tropics in Africa and Asia, in some temperate regions in Europe, and in the grasslands of the United States. Whether they were deliberately created by humans or arose as a result of natural causes such as forest or brush fires cannot always be elucidated. What is clear, however, is that charcoal‐enhanced soils are often more fertile than their parent materials. And soil scientists have taken note. Research on charcoal for soil use—in other words biochar—is growing exponentially. At international
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congresses on soil science, biochar sessions are now among the largest and most well‐attended.
The term biochar only entered the popular lexicon in the last decade, and is used to denote the application of charcoal as a soil amendment (although other uses for biochar are recognized). This definition encompasses materials derived from a range of source materials (biomass feedstocks) and production technologies, from primitive to highly engineered. In the case of terra preta, for example, incomplete burning of biomass in cooking or land clearing fires likely resulted in the biochar now present in those soils. Traditional charcoal production technologies are somewhat more sophisticated than open burn piles and well‐represented throughout the globe. These continue to be used to the present day and in some cases have been re‐purposed to produce biochar. Newer production technologies range in scale from small, portable devices for home use to large industrial facilities processing many metric tons (tonnes) of material per day. Efficient, clean pyrolyzing systems being further developed by a variety of stakeholders at different scales—from engineers in universities to the research and development departments of large companies in the energy sector—and for a variety of industrial and agricultural applications.
What all biochar production has in common, however, is the process underpinning its formation: pyrolysis. Greek for “decomposition by fire”, pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition process that occurs at relatively low temperatures ranging from 300 – 600C and under low or no oxygen conditions. Pyrolysis lies in the middle of a continuum of processes that occur when heat is applied to biomass, from torrefaction to burning (technically, torrefaction to combustion). Gasification is a related process on this continuum occurring at slightly higher temperatures and resulting in a larger fraction of gaseous byproducts but which can also produce a solid biochar component.
Pyrolysis has been used by humans to produce charcoal for thousands of years. There is evidence from present‐day China of early charcoal kilns that are up to 2,000 years old. While such dedicated charcoal production was intended to produce charcoal for heat energy, often to smelt ores in metallurgy, residues otherwise impractical for energy production (so‐called “fines”) have likely been used as soil amendments in agriculture for centuries or millennia. In Asia, for example, the informal biochar sector (see Section 3.2.1) is linked to traditional charcoal production.
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Case Study: Biotecnología Mexicana contra el Cambio Climático (BMCC)
While the beginnings of the current interest in biochar can be traced back to terra preta do indio soils discovered in the Amazon Basin, most activity in the nascent biochar industry is found outside of Latin America. A new enterprise, Biotecnología Mexicana contra el Cambio Climático (BMCC; Spanish for Mexican Biotechnology against Climate Change), works to change that.
The seeds for BMCC were planted in 2009 when the current director, Ramon Bacre, learned of biochar as an atmospheric carbon drawdown strategy while studying for his graduate degree in geology at the Mexican National Autonomous University. Together with colleagues, they formally registered BMCC as a company in Mexico in early 2014.
The BMCC business model consists of creating high value commercial products that can sequester carbon in the process. Biochar‐based fertilizers for agriculture are a niche, but the company is also investigating the use of biochar in the construction and livestock sectors. BMCC uses a combination of biochar derived from bamboo feedstocks (“bambu‐char”) and livestock manures to create a bio‐fertilizer and has conducted agronomic trials to demonstrate its efficacy.
BMCC has identified several barriers on the road to commercialization. Mexican consumers and the public do not generally consider climate change to be a priority
when making purchasing decisions. Additionally, there is a lack of awareness around biochar and its benefits in the country. And finally, while there are various groups in Mexico working on biochar, there is not an integrated agenda to advance the biochar space as a country‐specific effort.
In the coming years, BMCC seeks to expand its product line with input from its customer base to address problems of soil fertility, crop yields, and costs. Furthermore, BMCC intends to add a social marketing component to its work that will encourage rural communities to incorporate traditional production systems using new bio‐based technologies, chiefly biochar. This work will involve educating larger businesses about the potential for pyrolysis in the management of organic residues.
Pot trials with BMCC biochar (top) andBMCC biochar made from tree residues(bottom); courtesy of BMCC
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3 State of the Biochar Industry
The wider emergence of biochar over the past ten years, both as a promising soil management tool and as an agent for carbon sequestration, has instigated the creation of many new commercial ventures. As the unique biological, physical, and chemical properties of biochars become clearer, research investigations into applications for biochar other than addition to soils/carbon sequestration have arisen. Although IBI’s focus is primarily on biochar for soil application and for soil carbon sequestration, biochar is being used for many other purposes. The wide range of possible uses has created a surge in public interest reflected by an increase in mention of, and articles dedicated to, biochar in popular science outlets and the mass media. Over the past ten years, entrepreneurs have started businesses related to biochar production and utilization around the globe to form the early stages of a biochar industry. In the following sections, we report on the state of this biochar industry in 2014—the size and types of enterprises and their geographic distribution; the economics of biochar markets; and the conditions for overcoming barriers to scale‐up commercialization.
3.1 Biochar is a Spectrum of Materials
As defined by IBI, biochar is a solid material obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass in an oxygen limited environment. Biochar can be used as a product itself or as an ingredient within a blended product, with a range of applications as an agent for soil improvement, improved resource use efficiency, remediation and/or protection against particular environmental pollution, and as an avenue for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. Biochar can be distinguished from charcoal—used mainly as a fuel and as a reducing agent in metallurgy—in that a primary application is use as a soil amendment with the intention to improve soil functions and to reduce emissions from biomass that would otherwise naturally degrade to greenhouse gases (GHGs). Although biochar is generally understood to be used first and foremost as a soil amendment, it is also being used for other purposes such as soil remediation and water filtration.
Biochar can be made from diverse feedstocks using a wide range of thermochemical conversion technologies (discussed in greater detail in the following sections). As a result, biochars fall within a spectrum of materials with a common suite of physical and chemical (physicochemical) properties. These include variables typically used to measure and quantify the fertility of soils and soil amendments such as: carbon content; pH; electrical conductivity; cation exchange capacity; and macro‐ and micronutrient content, among others. Additional properties of relevance to biochar are ash content; the molar ratio of hydrogen to organic carbon (to estimate biochar carbon stability in the soil); and external and total surface area. Biochar materials may contain undesirable contaminants depending on feedstock as well as thermochemical process conditions (e.g., heat and residence time). Examples of potential contaminants include heavy metals and organic pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
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What all biochars do share is a common set of characteristics that make them much more stable than their uncharred precursor materials. While various methods are currently being used to measure stability, there is widespread scientific agreement that biochar’s stability is conferred by a high concentration of certain types of carbon compounds formed during the thermochemical conversion process. These compounds create a physical structure—a matrix—that makes it particularly well‐suited to enhancing soil biological and physical processes and reducing mineralization rates. The interactions of different biochars with different soils are not yet fully understood and require further research to better match biochars to soils and crops.
Because of the heterogeneity of the solid biochar end‐products of thermochemical conversion, characterization of the material is vital to understanding and conveying information on impacts from the material when placed in soils. To this end, IBI and other organizations have developed characterization standards intended to provide assurances to researchers, regulators, consumers, and other stakeholders about the necessary elements of biochar, as well as important safety characteristics. These standards are very important; in a largely unregulated industry the potential for misinformation, inadequate controls, or inappropriate uses of a material can be great.
3.2 The Biochar Industry – A 2014 Snapshot
As noted in the 2013 IBI State of the Industry Report, the biochar industry is still emerging. However, the data trend over the last year shows continued growth. The term biochar is gaining wider recognition outside the industry, but the overall understanding of this term by the general public is limited. The biochar industry still consists of mainly disparate activities including rigorous academic investigation; industrial‐scale research and development at large multinational corporations; small‐ and mid‐scale companies selling biochar and biochar blends, production equipment, and offering additional services such as consulting; small‐scale, “do‐it‐yourself” (DIY) production with homemade biochar kilns; and community‐based research and development projects.
For the purposes of this report, IBI defines the biochar industry as those enterprises encompassing the commercial production, distribution, and marketing of biochar and biochar‐related products and services. Within this definition, three sectors of biochar business entities can be broadly identified: 1) biochar production and/or product sales; 2) biochar production equipment manufacturers; and 3) other biochar‐related enterprises, such as consultants, project developers, and others.
This 2014 report includes data from 200 companies, 92 of which were also included in the 2013 report (Figure 3). As noted earlier, although the overall number of companies included in 2014 has expanded, a large percentage of companies included in the 2013 company list (84) were deemed by the authors to be no longer operational in the biochar space. Little information is available on why those companies have ceased biochar operations—in a few cases, companies
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reported that biochar sales alone were not strong enough to keep the company solvent—but further conclusions are not possible with the data IBI has.
Figure 3. Company comparison between 2013 report and 2014 report
Two data points of interest as highlighted by the survey responses are sharp growth in the number of companies and employees in recent years (Figure 4). Of 89 responding companies, nearly half emerged in just the past five years and accounted for over one‐third of all full‐time equivalent employees (FTEs) as compared to companies formed before 2010. In total, these 88 respondents accounted for 310 FTEs currently working in the biochar industry; given that only 43% of companies in the database provided information on staffing, the number of FTEs may be much higher.
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Figure 4. Number of biochar companies formed by year (n=88); and total number of full‐time equivalent (FTE) employees working in the industry (not cumulative)
Of the 200 commercial entities in the 2014 IBI company database, close to half were involved in biochar production and/or sales, just over one‐third were biochar equipment manufacturers, and the remainder were involved in related enterprises (Figure 5); 49 companies showed activity in more than one sector. Compared to 2013 data, the number of companies involved in biochar production and/or sales has grown by the largest percentage from 36% of the total companies in 2013 to 46% in 2014.
Figure 5. Companies in the biochar industry by sector in 2014 (n=200) compared to 2013 (n=175)
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3.2.1 Distribution of biochar companies
The distribution of biochar enterprises shows a heavy focus in North America, especially the United States. As compared to 2013, the percentage of companies located in North America and Europe shrank by a few percentage points whereas those in Australia and Asia grew, in the case of Asia doubling from 8% to 16%. This may be indicative of a trend towards diversification of biochar enterprises into all regions of the globe. Notably missing from this trend, however, is what seems to be a large and continued under‐representation of companies in South America (3 companies in 2013 and 1 in 2014).
Figure 6. Geographic location of biochar businesses (n=200)
Although the majority of biochar production enterprises identified had a regional sales focus, those enterprises producing equipment or providing consulting services often sold products/services outside their regional area and country location. Figure 7 highlights regions where survey respondents claim to conduct business, with some respondents choosing more than one region. Note the larger number of companies that operate in Africa, Asia, and Europe shown in Figure 7 compared to geographic company location highlighted in Figure 6; which
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shows that companies were instigating cross‐regional biochar commercialization by identifying business opportunities outside of the regions in which they are located.
Figure 7. Geographic focus of biochar businesses (n=307)
3.2.2 The “undocumented” biochar sector
While Figure 6 and Figure 7 indicate that the majority of companies were located and operate in North America and Europe, it appears that companies operating in the biochar production and sales sector in Asia—especially those located in Japan, China, and mainland Southeast Asia and—may not have been adequately identified in this research. In discussions with stakeholders and in reviews of literature, the authors found references to numerous enterprises producing biochar for sale at both the regional and the local level in East and Southeast Asia (e.g., Clare et al, 2014), but were unable to establish contacts with these enterprises. Interviews with stakeholders1 in the area suggests that this biochar sector in Asia—based on the use of charcoal residues for smallholder agriculture and with roots potentially hundreds of years old—is possibly significant. The authors thus believe that the biochar sector in Asia (but likely also in other parts of the developing world) may constitute a large and significantly under‐reported portion of the overall biochar market. Obtaining reliable data on
1 Including with the IBI Industry Committee members made up of nine international biochar industry representatives.
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this sector is difficult, however, and future efforts should focus on identifying and quantifying currently undocumented biochar production and use in order to fully report on the global biochar industry.
3.3 Biochar Feedstocks
Biochar can theoretically be made from any source material or feedstock with carbon content. The carbon‐containing compounds in the feedstock are converted into persistent (stable) and labile (unstable) fractions in the final biochar product. Based on numerous scientific studies (Budai et al, 2013) we can be confident that the stable carbon compounds, primarily aromatic ring structures, are likely to remain in the soil for hundreds or even thousands of years, whereas the labile carbon compounds are usually microbially degraded within short periods of time from weeks to years, depending on climate.
Biomass—that is, the biodegradable fraction of materials derived from biological origin—is, by definition, the only acceptable feedstock source by definition of biochar. Biomass can be subdivided into unprocessed feedstocks (for example, wood chips or corn stover) and processed feedstocks. The latter are those feedstocks that have undergone chemical (e.g., paper pulp sludge) or biological (e.g., manures digested through an animal’s gut or sludge from waste effluent treatment) processing.
3.3.1 Feedstocks and environmental, social, and economic issues
While a wide range of feedstocks can theoretically be converted into biochar, certain issues limit the practicality or desirability of using some feedstocks. First, feedstock conversion challenges can arise due to the physical properties of the feedstock such as particle size or moisture content, or chemical properties such as high silica content. While feedstock can be mechanically or chemically processed to facilitate conversion, it can be the case that the added cost of pre‐processing makes the use of some feedstock cost‐prohibitive. Second, serious safety concerns could arise from the presence of contaminants in the feedstock. For example, municipal solid waste (MSW) or biomass grown on contaminated soils may contain plastics or heavy metals which can lead to the concentration, formation, or emission of environmental pollutants during the conversion process and in the final product.
To address the above‐described concerns, the IBI Biochar Standards were developed to identify and prescribe common tests for the physicochemical properties of biochar, including safe levels of potential toxicants. The IBI Biochar Standards are intended to provide certainty to biochar consumers regarding biochar safety; to demonstrate that a product meets a minimum set of criteria to show that it is acceptable as a biochar; and to ensure regulators that the biochar industry is self‐policing and assuring quality and product safety. A similar initiative has arisen in Europe through the European Biochar Certificate. Please see Section 3.10.4 Private sector biochar standards and certification programs for more information.
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The feedstocks offering the best chance of financial viability are derived from biomass residues—the by‐products from agriculture, forestry, livestock rearing, food production and processing, and related industries, which under a baseline scenario are not returned to the soil. In many cases, residues present waste management challenges, and biochar production can be a win‐win solution. This is the case with urban green waste, for example; many municipalities around the world currently pay large sums of money to incinerate and landfill this material, and there are environmental and GHG impacts associated with its degradation.
The acquisition and procurement of biochar feedstocks should also be considered. There are food security and livelihood concerns around the diversion of feedstocks from prevailing uses such as fodder, fuel, and fiber. Disruption of existing patterns of feedstock usage is only likely to occur if the biochar, or the increased crop yield it produces, is of higher value than the previous uses. Nonetheless, analyses of existing and alternative use pathways for feedstocks should be conducted, particularly in developing country settings where impacts may be stronger. Further, the removal of biomass from soils that would otherwise be left in place could lead to soil degradation and erosion if undertaken at unsustainable rates.
Perhaps the greatest limitation to using any one feedstock, however, is the ability to procure it in large and continuous quantities and at low cost (including the costs of harvesting and transport). While biochar producers may find feedstocks that are low cost, free, or even cash‐positive (e.g., due to tipping fees), as soon as demand for feedstocks increases—as it would with an established biochar industry—the price of feedstocks can be expected to rise in line with the economic principles of supply and demand.
3.3.2 Softwood and hardwoods are the primary biochar feedstocks
Of the survey respondents who produce biochar, 81 businesses provided information on feedstocks. The graphic below shows that the forest products industry was by far the primary source for biochar feedstocks (Figure 8).
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Figure 8. Feedstocks reported by companies producing biochar (n=228)
Wood‐based residues—softwoods and hardwoods, or a combination of both—were listed as feedstocks in a majority of biochar products: 87% of respondents reported using softwoods, hardwoods, or a combination for their product. While considerably higher than 2013 results2, in both years woody materials were by far the top category of feedstock for biochar production. In these early stages of biochar industry development the prevalence of forest‐based feedstocks may be due to several factors: 1) the relatively high concentration of forest residues centralized around operations such as industrial wood mills as compared to agricultural residues which tend to be dispersed in fields; 2) the homogeneity and consistency of woody materials making them relatively easier to use; 3) lower moisture content than, for example, animal manures which eliminate the added cost of feedstock drying; and 4) a transfer of accumulated experience and equipment with woody biomass as a feedstock for bioenergy production. Because biochar production and bioenergy production may occur concurrently, often woody‐biomass based operations can more easily add biochar as a product to their existing business model as compared to other industries.
2 In 2013, 51% of respondents listed woody feedstocks though this percentage was likely higher given that “biomass” was reported in 25% of responses.
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As noted earlier in this report, the likely underreporting of biochar production in East and Southeast Asia shows up in the feedstock results as well. Many producers in Asia use straw and/or rice husk as a feedstock based on agricultural availability. There are many large rice husk carbonizers in operation throughout Asia and with a larger sample size, it is estimated that rice husk biochars would constitute a larger portion of the feedstock reported.
Animal‐based residues, primarily manure, comprised a low portion of responses in this survey. This despite much attention focused on using thermochemical conversion as a strategy to convert manure from a waste management concern into an asset. The low frequency of its current use as a biochar feedstock is likely a reflection of technological constraints around high moisture content, heterogeneity of material, and other physical characteristics of manures. Additionally, the authors have found instances of certain operations claiming to produce large amounts of biochar as a by‐product from gasification activities but storing the biochar (rather than offering it for sale) until such time as a market for the product is better defined.
3.4 Use of Biochar
While biochars are a spectrum of materials, they do share some distinctive physical and chemical properties such as a stable carbon fraction and high surface area. In addition to use as a soil amendment, the material is sold for diverse applications including plant and animal agriculture; filtration and soil rehabilitation. Although some companies produce biochar for purposes in addition to soil amendment uses, many companies that produce biochar for sale focus on its end use as a soil amendment.
3.4.1 Soil use is the primary market for biochar
At this time, the most widely marketed application for biochar is as an agricultural soil amendment. Documented soil benefits of biochars can include the following:
increased water holding capacity;
enhanced nutrient retention and cation exchange capacity;
enhanced crop nutrient bioavailability;
reduced nutrient leaching;
increased microbial activity;
pH amelioration;
enhanced aeration, structure, porosity, and tilth; and
carbon sequestration and enhancement.
Careful matching of particular biochars to soil types and crops is needed to maximize benefits. Meta‐analyses on biochar’s effects on soils can be useful to highlight overall crop yield responses with biochar use. When projected onto a global soils database, one meta‐analysis found the largest potential increases for crop yield from biochar were in areas with “highly
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weathered soils, such as those characterizing much of the humid tropics” (Crane‐Droesch et al, 2013) which indicates that biochars may have the greatest impact on crop yield in many developing country areas throughout Central and South America, Sub‐Saharan Africa, and South and South East Asia. For more information on specific soil and crop impacts, an up‐to‐date bibliography on scientific publications is available at http://www.biochar‐international.org/biblio.
3.4.2 Biochar in composting operations
As more biochars enter the marketplace intended for use as a soil amendment, practitioners are finding that the benefits of adding biochar to the composting process can assist compost operations and produce a quality biochar/compost blend. Although both biochar and compost use organic wastes as feedstocks, the two operations can be combined for synergistic production and utilization, as the ideal feedstocks for each end product vary (many materials that make good compost, such as food waste and wet manures, are not easily used for biochar production due to their high moisture content, whereas many ideal biochar feedstocks do not make good compost due to their high lignin content). It has been found that adding biochar to composting operations can reduce: overall compost time requirements; GHG emissions from decomposition (methane and nitrous oxide); ammonia loss; and odor production. For the biochar material itself, undergoing composting can help to charge the biochar with nutrients without breaking down the biochar substance in the process. More information on biochar and compost can be found at http://www.biochar‐international.org/compost.
3.4.3 Biochar as a substitute agent for growing media ingredients
Researchers are studying the potential of biochar as a less expensive and more sustainable substitute for traditional ingredients in growing media such as aggregates (vermiculite and perlite—both manufactured from mined rocks) as well as peat moss mined from drained peat lands. These growing media ingredients are often included in potting mixes to increase soil aeration and structure as well as water holding capacity. Biochar may be able to act as a lower cost replacement for these materials: a recent study found that “biochar showed a good potential for replacement of perlite and, to a lesser extent, peat moss in growing media” (Nemati et al, 2014). However, the research also shows that due to the variables in different biochars, a direct substitution by weight and/or volume of biochar for specific growing media may not be feasible. Growing media ingredients need to be standard in terms of size, constitution, pH, etc. and biochars can have a range of these properties due to feedstock type, production specifics, and post‐processing treatments. Biochar producers wishing to enter this market will need to produce consistent biochar products.
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3.4.4 Diverse non‐agricultural uses for biochar
While used as a soil amendment for increased soil health/plant productivity as well as carbon sequestration value (discussed in detail in section 3.9), biochar’s unique physical structure—essentially a matrix of stable carbon compounds—makes it potentially useful for other purposes as well. Biochar is being both tested for and used as a material in many processes (Schmidt HP et al, 2014). Some of the uses noted below are well documented and account for a substantial portion of non‐agricultural biochar uses (such as use in land remediation) while others (such as use in animal husbandry), are not as widespread.
Land Reclamation and Soil Remediation: Biochar is currently used commercially to remediate contaminated soils. Due to its large surface area and high capacity to adsorb heavy metals and organic and inorganic pollutants, it can be a useful tool for remediating contaminated areas. Due to its soil improvement properties, biochar can also be used for re‐vegetation of contaminated soils (Beesley et al, 2011).
Water Filtration: Biochar can be added to filtration systems to: clean certain pollutants and particles from water, filter specific nutrients from agricultural run‐off, filter pollutants from storm water prior to reaching larger bodies of water, and for sewage filtration, etc.
Air Filtration: The same high sorption capacity of some biochars that makes them useful for water filtration and soil remediation can also be beneficial for air filtration of contaminants in smokestacks or industrial processes.
Animal Husbandry Systems: Specific types of biochars can potentially be used as part of animal feed (in small portions), for clean bedding, odor reduction for livestock operations, and to absorb nutrients.
Public Health/Sanitation: When used in public dry toilets, biochar can help break down fecal matter faster than traditional decomposition processes, and reduce odors from human waste.
Despite significant and global research and development into non‐agricultural uses, only a handful of identified for‐profit biochar enterprises are focused on these other uses, mainly in the area of soil remediation. However, if research and demonstration bears more promising results, it is anticipated that entrepreneurs will respond by launching enterprises focused on these, and other, biochar uses.
3.5 Biochar Production and Sales
Of the 204 companies identified as operating in the biochar sector in 2014, 120 of those either produced and/or sold a biochar product. This is an increase of almost 100% from the 62 companies identified in 2013. Although new companies have entered the marketplace, this
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significant increase is probably also due to companies having a more visible presence online through company websites as well as the increase in biochar offered through online marketplaces such as Amazon.com and Alibaba.com.
3.5.1 Primary versus secondary products
Of the identified companies that produced and/or offered biochar for sale, biochar was nearly twice as likely to be a primary product as a secondary product (or by‐product). However, operations that produced biochar (whether as a primary or secondary product) also created value through other services and products (Figure 9). This diversity of potential value streams in biochar production operations is a strength for this sector; where profit margins on exclusively biochar sales may be slim or negative, revenues generated (or costs reduced) through ancillary activities can support overall business profitability.
Figure 9. Primary products and services (other than biochar) offered by companies which also produce/sell biochar (n=135)
3.5.2 Use of by‐products
For identified companies which produced biochar, 53 highlighted using by‐products from the production process; of these, 60% utilized by‐products internally, and 40% sold the by‐products. As shown in Figure 10 below, heat and syngas are the highest ranked by‐products, likely since they are often the most easily utilized, especially onsite. Electricity and bio‐oil are ranked of lower importance; while both can be useful and economically important production
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by‐products, there are fewer commercial systems that can produce electricity and bio‐oil at costs comparable to biochar systems that can produce heat and syngas.
Figure 10. Ranking of importance of by‐products from biochar production; 1 is most important use and 4 is least important according to current biochar producers (n=32 companies; respondents could choose more than one by‐product)
3.6 Cost of Biochar
To ensure profitability of exclusively biochar‐focused enterprises, the revenues generated from biochar sales need to support all expenses associated with operations including equipment, labor, and capital costs for feedstock procurement and preparation; biochar production, post‐processing, packaging and distribution; marketing activities; and others. For those enterprises that already have established and marketable products, selling biochar as a secondary product of their existing operations may add a previously unrealized source of revenue. In the sections below we further report on prices, volumes, and types of biochar products being marketed.
3.6.1 Biochar prices
Biochar sales prices were collected and analyzed by country on a wholesale vs. retail and pure vs. blended basis (Table 1). Prices were reported for 92 unique products, nearly two‐thirds of them pure biochar and the remainder biochar blends. Wholesale prices were considerably
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lower than retail: globally, pure and blended biochar products sold wholesale for roughly 50% and 240% less than retail, respectively. This trend held true at the country level.
Table 1. Wholesale and retail price3 of pure biochar and blended biochar products (USD/kg)
Compared to 2013, the global average price for pure and blended biochars (wholesale and retail combined) remained nearly static, rising by a few percentage points for blended products and dropping a few points for pure biochar. Overall, the average price of wholesale pure biochar was roughly US$2 per kilogram in both 2013 and 2014. Drawing any conclusions on trends in biochar pricing is not possible given that the datasets in both years are incomplete i.e., only a subset of pricing data was obtained from all biochar products currently on the marketplace. Future analyses should attempt to weight the price by volume sold in each country to get an average price by volume, rather than product.
3 Prices in each country are the average price by product, not volume.
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3.6.2 Biochar blends
As in 2013, there were nearly twice as many pure as blended biochar products offered in the marketplace in 2014. Nonetheless, biochar blends still represent an important portion of the biochar sales market. Over 10 unique ingredients were commonly blended with biochar (Figure 11)—often in combination, i.e., with more than one ingredient added. The top three most common reported additives were biologically active ingredients: compost/compost tea, soil micro‐organisms, and mycorrhizal fungi. Biochar as a substrate for beneficial micro‐organisms is well‐documented in the scientific literature (Gomez et al, 2014; Luo et al, 2015; Thies et al, 2015). It is therefore likely that producers are adding these biologically active ingredients with the intent to improve their product. Sources of plant macro‐ and micronutrients such as kelp, vermi‐compost, animal manure and industrially‐produced nutrients were also frequently blended. Other ingredients identified in blends were materials like peat, minerals, clay, and sawdust, all of which may facilitate the formation of biochar‐mineral aggregates, also known to confer beneficial effects when applied to soils (Joseph et al, 2013; Lin et al, 2012).
Figure 11. Biochar blends for sale (n=140)
There was a nearly three‐fold spread in the price of retail vs. wholesale blended biochar products, as compared to pure biochar pricing which varied by 50%. A similar trend showing a much wider price spread for blended biochar products was observed in 2013. This price spread may simply reflect variable regional costs to procure blended ingredients. Alternately, it may reflect a marketing strategy where, in some cases, the price of blended products is significantly marked up. Such a strategy at the wholesale level may not be possible due to a lack of direct consumer interaction with the biochar product. But at the retail level, sellers may be able to secure a premium through creative advertising that highlights the benefits of the multiple ingredients, persuading customers to purchase their product. The difference in price may also
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reflect the difference in underlying costs; the additional packaging and sales costs incurred when selling a retail product can be avoided by selling wholesale.
3.6.3 Volumes transacted
While there was a modest increase in 2014 in the number of companies providing data on sales volumes (Table 2), the data still represent less than 25% of all companies reportedly producing or selling biochar. Results from the subset of companies that reported their volumes of biochar sales indicate a nearly 10‐fold increase over volumes reported in 2013. However, all of that increase can be attributed to three companies in Asia; when those companies are removed from the analysis, the total volume of biochar sold actually decreased from 2013 to 2014.
Table 2. Volumes of biochar transacted in 2014 and 2013 by region
The trends in volumes sold from 2013 to 2014 mentioned above, however, may be meaningless due to significant gaps in this dataset; only 25% of the companies that responded to the survey reported their sales.
None of the 16 companies that reported volume sales in 2013 reported volume sales in 2014. Of these 16 companies nearly two‐thirds of them were still in business in 2014 i.e., identified in the 2014 database. It is possible that all companies that sold biochar in 2013 sold none in 2014. However, the authors find it more likely that at least some of them did sell biochar in 2014 but did not report volumes in the survey. Further, the 24 companies that reported volumes in 2014 did not report in 2013. Of these 24 companies, more than half were new in 2014. Of those that were identified in the 2013 database, it is possible that they sold biochar for the first time in 2014 but, again, the authors find it likely that at least some of them simply did not report sales volumes in 2013.
Data on volumes of biochar sales thus show significant gaps. Without filling these gaps (i.e., obtaining accurate data on volumes transacted from every company actively selling biochar) the authors can only speculate on actual global sales volumes. This again underscores the
Region
2014 Volume
transacted
(tonnes) N (2014)
2013 Volume
transacted
(tonnes) N (2013)
Africa 1 1 25 2
Asia 7003 5 56 3
Australia 109 6 n/a n/a
Europe 150 3 205 3
Latin America 5 1 n/a n/a
North America 188 8 542 8
Grand Total 7457 24 827 16
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difficulty of acquiring reliable data in a fledgling industry where manufacturers are hesitant to share information about their businesses.
3.6.4 Revenues from biochar sales
A subset of companies provided information on changes in revenues from sales of biochar as compared to the previous 12 months (Figure 12). Nearly 80% of these companies reported a positive change in revenues and, interestingly, most of these listed a near doubling of revenues from 81 – 100%. On the other hand, less than 20% reported decreases in revenues, some down by ‐50%. At first glance it seems that sales for most companies in this sector increased significantly since 2013. Care must be taken in interpreting these results, however; less than half of companies selling biochar reported changes in revenue and it is possible that the companies that did not provide data did not increase revenues.
Figure 12. Changes in revenues over previous 12 months for biochar production and/or sales (n=39) and biochar equipment manufacturers (n=15)
In terms of monetary amounts, the combined gross revenues reported by this subset of companies were approximately US$1.38M while operating expenses were approximately US$
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0.58M. Compared to 2013, this represents a nearly 60% increase in revenues4. While this seems to suggest significant increases in revenues, it must be stressed that these data again represent only a subset of all companies in the biochar production and sales sector and it is thus not possible to draw definitive conclusions on overall changes in revenues.
3.6.5 Niche markets for biochar
While the majority of the volume of biochar reported sold in 20145 was via wholesale outlets, there was a greater number of retail products (50) available compared to wholesale (42). Retail sales outlets thus seem to represent an important avenue for marketing biochar. One key strategy appears to be selling low‐volume units (e.g., less than 10 kg per bag) at garden centers, plant nurseries, and related retail outlets, as well as by mail order on the internet. End uses for biochar sold in small quantities include backyard gardening, as a potting medium for houseplants, in arboriculture and greenhouse horticulture, and others uses where only relatively small quantities of biochar are needed. Numerous companies appear to be taking this approach.
Case Study: Seek Bio‐Technology; Developing a Market for Bamboo Biochar in China
Seek Bio‐Technology (SEEK) was founded in February 2011 in Shanghai, China by Jason Pu and several colleagues with PhDs in Agronomy. The company of 60 full‐time and 10 part‐time employees operates from three urban centers in eastern China—Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang—and focuses on producing biochar made from bamboo, an abundant feedstock in China. Mr. Pu started SEEK after observing the agricultural issues resulting from many years of chemical fertilizer and pesticide overuse by farmers in China. He wanted to bring an innovative product to the market to increase soil productivity for farmers in China.
SEEK works with researchers from local universities to test the bamboo biochar in SEEK’s experimental plots, located in Sunqiao, Shanghai, before selling the product in the global market. SEEK sells bamboo‐based biochar in both the raw form as well as a biochar blend to customers in two main sectors of the agricultural market: in bulk for farm‐scale applications and in smaller quantities for use in home gardens. In 2013, SEEK sold 1000 tonnes of biochar6. When marketing its biochar‐based fertilizers for farm‐scale applications, SEEK highlights the benefits of improved crop yields, improved sustainability, and increased N‐P‐K efficiency. They work to keep the price low as farmers are usually unable to pay much for biochar in addition to fertilizers for their crops. For bulk sales, SEEK uses industrial packaging for 25 kg/bags
4 No data is available on operating expenses from 2013.
5 No data is available on wholesale vs. retail sales from 2013. 6 SEEK did not report biochar volumes sold for State of the Biochar Industry 2013, but did report sales for 2014.
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while for the home garden market product division, SEEK sells 1 – 5 kg/bags with different blends for all‐purpose gardening. They also sell crop‐specific blends for tomatoes, orchids, etc.
The company finds the following barriers to successfully marketing and selling their products:
a. Few customers in their target market know about biochar and what it can do for crops and soils and those that learn about it sometimes have fears about potential negative effects in the soil.
b. Most farmers are not willing to pay extra for soil amendments. Since biochar is not a fertilizer or major source of nutrients, farmers need more information on the benefits of biochar and how it works with farming systems to improve nutrient retention in soils. Since farmers need to add nutrients through chemical fertilizers or compost, biochar can seem like an extra expense until they have more concrete data on the possible fertilizer reductions possible with biochar use.
c. To use biochar in organic farming systems, farmers need to use products with an organic certificate from organic certifying organizations. Some of the certifying agents are not familiar with biochar.
SEEK plans to broaden their offerings to include other beneficial ingredients in their biochar products such as fulvic acid, potassium humate, and potentially, chemical fertilizers to attract more customers. As more farmers in China use biochar in their fields, SEEK has begun to receive positive feedback in China, but a majority of their customers are based in the USA, Australia, UK, and France, and the challenge for SEEK is to recruit customers both domestically and overseas.
A comparison planting of oats with and without Bamboo Biochar (BBP No. 2); courtesy of SEEK
3.7 Biochar Production Equipment
Biomass feedstock can be converted into various products including solids, liquids, gases, and heat through a range of thermochemical decomposition processes, beginning with the slight charring of biomass—browned and brittle but not fully charred—and ending with complete combustion—the burning of biomass resulting in the production of heat, gases, and ash. Biochar is produced through pyrolysis or gasification. Pyrolysis occurs at temperatures ranging from 300 – 600C and under low or zero oxygen conditions. Gasification, occurring at slightly higher temperatures and with limited oxygen flow, maximizes the production of gas (impure synthesis gas) for energy production but can also produce a solid biochar by‐product. This
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section highlights survey responses to the different scales and types of production equipment on the market which are capable of producing biochar.
3.7.1 Scales of biochar producing technologies
Pyrolysis and gasification technologies capable of generating biochar are highly diverse. On one end of the spectrum are simple, low‐cost cookstoves while on the other end are multi‐million dollar industrial facilities engineered to process many tonnes of feedstock per day. Within this spectrum lie a wide range of technologies—spanning various sizes, designs, and engineering complexities.
The survey identified a total of 95 companies selling or planning to sell biochar production equipment in 2014 offering 161 technologies. Similar to 2013, the majority of identified active vendors produced mid‐ or large‐scale units, defined here as the capacity to process feedstock at rates >1 tonne and >10 tonnes per day, respectively. This may be reflective of the fact that manufacturers of larger technologies have the ability to produce biochar as a by‐product of biomass power production.
Table 3. Scales, examples, and numbers of biochar producing technologies (n=161)
Of those reporting, companies located in North America, Europe, and Australia produced a majority of the large‐ to mid‐scale range units whereas those located in Africa and parts of Asia primarily produced small‐ and micro‐scale units. An exception is larger rice husk carbonizers produced and utilized throughout East and South East Asia.
ScaleCapacity
(throughput) Example technology and use Number
large >10 tons/dayIndustrial pyrolysis plant used to produce heat energy for power generation and a
biochar byproduct for wholesale59
mid 1 – 10 tons/dayMobile continuous feed pyrolyzer used to
convert forestry slash in situ to biochar for forest soil regeneration
70
small 10 – 1000 kg/dayBatch retort kiln used by small farmers to convert agricultural residues to biochar for
retail sale via niche outlets22
micro <10 kg/day
High efficiency biochar-producing cookstove used in developing countries to cook meals and produce biochar for home
gardens
10
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3.7.2 Types of biochar production equipment
There exist many technological configurations for pyrolysis and gasification equipment. Figure 13 below depicts the frequency of certain categories of biochar producing technologies manufactured for sale. As in 2013, four main types of technologies made up nearly 90% of the equipment types on the market: continuous pyrolysis kilns, gasifiers, batch retort kilns, and cookstoves.
Figure 13. Type of biochar production equipment manufactured (n=107)
Technologies can be roughly divided into two main categories: 1) continuous feed and 2) batch processes. Continuous feed systems rely on auger screws or other mechanisms to deliver a constant supply of feedstock to a reaction chamber to maintain the pyrolysis or gasification process and would be included below in the categories of pyrolysis units, gasifiers, torrefiers, or carbonizers. Batch systems use a single‐load construction that requires loading of the feedstock and unloading of the product each time the pyrolysis process is run, and are typical of the retort kilns and cookstoves categories.
3.7.3 Additional uses for biochar production equipment
Thermal energy, fuel gas, and bio‐oils (among other by‐products) can be utilized in many ways. Survey respondents noted the following by‐product production/use potential from their technologies (Figure 14; note that many technologies offer more than one by‐product).
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Figure 14. Specific utilization options when equipment has the capacity to capture energy from the pyrolysis/gasification process (n=148)
3.7.4 Revenues from biochar production equipment
As illustrated earlier in Figure 12, the vast majority (80%) of companies in the biochar production equipment sector that provided data showed positive changes in revenues over the previous 12 months. Furthermore, combined gross revenues were reported as approximately US$6.78M and operating expenses only US$0.58M; this large difference between revenues and expenses would seem to suggest that the biochar production equipment sector is highly profitable. However, the same caveat applies as for biochar production and sales; namely, only a subset of companies actually reported figures and it is thus possible that the dataset is skewed towards those companies that had positive revenues. Indeed, the high turnover of companies and anecdotal evidence from this sector indicates that in actuality the business model for profitability is not straight‐forward.
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Image: Rice Husk Carbonizer recently installed;courtesy of KANSAI
Case Study: KANSAI Corporation
Throughout traditional Japanese agriculture, farmers have used rice husk biochar (called Kuntan) to amend their rice paddies and soils. Even today, with the increased use of chemical fertilizers, almost 10% of the available rice husk in Japan is processed as biochar and is used by agricultural cooperatives and local and prefectural governments to grow vegetables, flowers, fruits, and rice.
In 1963, the KANSAI Corporation incorporated and started building rice husk carbonizers to produce biochar for the marketplace. Since that time, they have constructed more than 300 units in Japan and maintain a 90% share of the Japan‐domestic rice husk carbonizer market. KANSAI is located in Shiga, Japan with just under 20 employees, and biochar/rice husk carbonizers are their primary product. In addition to larger carbonizers that produce electricity, heat and syngas, KANSAI also designs and builds small batch retorts.
KANSAI also produces biochar for sale. The company has found that although there is a tradition of using biochar in Japan, they still spend a good deal of time and energy showcasing the effects of biochar in soil to potential customers. KANSAI has participated in many field trials to showcase the impacts of applying rice husk biochar to rice paddies. They have also worked with golf courses using a rice husk biochar mix to reduce fertilizer runoff into local waterways. Their biochar is also used as part of a roadside tree planting mix and in severely sloped roadsides for erosion control.
Moving forward, KANSAI is looking to expand their operations further throughout Asia and into Africa. Although there is currently not a carbon market in place for biochar, KANSAI believes that with more education on the possibilities of using biochar, farmers in poorer countries will gain interest. To this end, KANSAI is conducting field trials to study the reduction in chemical fertilizer use by adding biochar to soils in South East Asia. And although access to feedstocks can be a challenge in some countries, rice husks are usually more available at an economically feasible price throughout South East Asia.
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3.8 Purveyors of Biochar‐Related Goods and Services
In addition to the two main categories of enterprises discussed in the previous sections—those producing and selling biochar and those manufacturing and distributing biochar production equipment—there exists a third category of enterprises in the biochar space. Activities here span a broad range and include (in decreasing order of prevalence): consulting on project design, consulting on engineering, marketing services, materials testing, and a small number of other related services (Figure 15). Often a company will consult on a number of aspects of the industry and may include research in addition to consulting services. As biochar production becomes incorporated into other industries, well designed projects that can utilize multiple benefits of energy co‐production may be the most profitable. In the case of bioenergy (and by extension engineering) consulting, a primary service is to work with biochar project proponents and equipment manufacturers to find ways to enhance the efficiency of thermochemical conversion systems and to utilize the heat energy, producer gases (low‐grade syngas), and bio‐oils created during the conversion of feedstock into biochar. Capturing and utilizing these energy by‐products may be critical to the financial viability of a given project, because revenues from biochar alone may not recoup the costs associated with the business.
Figure 15. Types of services offered in the biochar space as listed by survey respondents (n=85)
3.9 Biochar Carbon Persistence in Soils
One of the unique characteristics of biochar that makes it an intriguing material to study is its persistence in soils compared to the original biomass from which the biochar was made. The physical and chemical changes that biomass undergoes when converted to biochar are well‐documented (e.g., Chia et al, 2015; Kleber et al, 2015). The carbon lattice structure made up of fused polyaromatic carbon rings is hypothesized to be the key property that confers a
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resistance to mineralization (conversion from organic carbon to carbon dioxide via respiration) by soil microbes that utilize organic matter i.e., hydrocarbons, as food (Lehmann et al, 2015). The energy required by microbes to access the carbon in biochar appears to be greater than that acquired when it is released.
Efforts to develop methods to estimate biochar persistence in soils are well underway. The fused carbon ring structure of biochar is the key property conferring persistence (Lehmann et al, 2015). This property can be measured in the laboratory using a range of established techniques, some of which are low cost and relatively easy to conduct, while others are more sophisticated and require high‐tech equipment that analyzes nano‐structural properties. In combination with empirical (measurement‐based) modelling exercises which show how biochar carbon mineralizes over time using field and laboratory incubation trials for validation, the degree of carbon aromaticity can be used to predict how much biochar would remain in soils over discrete time periods, for example 100 years or 1,000 years. Persistence is then quantified as mean residence time (MRT)—the average time that biochar is present in the soil. While the best methods of estimating biochar carbon persistence may be debated, the underlying premise that biochar is appreciably more persistent in soils than its feedstock biomass is largely accepted by the scientific community.
3.9.1 Biochar and climate change mitigation
Because the elemental composition of biochar is mostly carbon—in some cases up to 90%—its use in soils is considered to be a possible form of carbon geo‐sequestration. Biomass feedstocks for biochar are largely plant‐based. Plants convert atmospheric CO2 into carbon‐containing compounds (primarily cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) via photosynthesis. Under business‐as‐usual scenarios (i.e., non‐biochar conversion) this carbon would eventually be released back into the atmosphere as CO2 or other GHGs through decomposition or burning. Under a biochar conversion scenario, approximately half of the biomass carbon is released immediately during pyrolysis, the other half, however, is transformed into biochar and placed in soils where it persists for longer periods of time than the uncharred organic carbon with mean residence times of tens to thousands of years. Whereas the overall biomass growth and decay process is carbon neutral (the natural carbon cycle of growth and decay), biochar can be carbon negative since it removes carbon from the carbon cycle for orders of magnitude than non‐converted biomass. If deployed on a global scale through the conversion of gigatonnes of biomass into biochar, some studies have shown that biochar has the technical potential to make a relevant contribution to global climate change mitigation by reducing GHG emissions and drawing down atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (Woolf et al, 2010).
3.9.2 Biochar sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment
Biochar systems link diverse activities including feedstock procurement (e.g., agriculture, forestry), biochar production (e.g., energy, manufacturing) and use (e.g., fertilizers, crops),
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waste management (e.g., agricultural and forestry residues, biosolids, MSW), and other economic activities, all of which have associated GHG (and other environmental) impacts.
When viewed from a systems perspective the complexity of biochar projects quickly becomes apparent. One method to dissect this complexity is through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)—a technique used to track the environmental impact of a product or process from “cradle to grave”. In the case of biochar, a GHG LCA would begin at the point of feedstock production and procurement and continue through to thermochemical conversion, processing, and finally use and application of biochar in the field. At any stage in this continuum there may be GHG emissions from combustion of fossil fuels for transport, processing or application, decomposition of residues, and other GHG sources or sinks.
Since climate change mitigation is one of many other effects related to biochar’s environmental, economic, and social sustainability, additional considerations must be taken into account when measuring the overall benefit of a biochar project. To this end, the scope of an LCA can be expanded beyond GHGs to examine impacts on water, energy, biodiversity, and land use as well as social and economic impacts to the community of stakeholders where a biochar project is planned. To date, LCAs have been employed in several academic exercises examining the GHG impact of specific biochar systems (Roberts et al, 2009) but there is much room for this tool to be deployed to a greater extent in an eventual biochar sustainability program. Such a program could allow biochar project developers to examine all aspects of their biochar project.
3.9.3 Biochar and carbon markets
In order to facilitate broad action on climate change, carbon markets have been developed which utilize GHG accounting and trading mechanisms to enable entities—whether governments, companies or other institutions—to mitigate, or offset, the GHG emissions associated with their activities. One unifying aspect of all carbon markets is the requirement to utilize rigorous GHG accounting methodologies. These quantify all potential sources and sinks of GHGs in the scope of a project (i.e., the system) and provide mechanisms to identify any leakage—the inadvertent release of or increase in GHGs associated with project activities. Methodologies are vetted through a process that involves review by external experts and the public which ensures that projects approved through the methodology deliver positive GHG impacts.
Several attempts have been made to register biochar carbon offset methodologies in existing voluntary carbon market registries but as of publication of this report, none have been approved for use. Most prominently, IBI along with partners The Climate Trust and The Prasino Group, submitted a proposed biochar carbon offset methodology to the American Carbon Registry (ACR)—a leading voluntary carbon offset registry. As of March 2015, this draft methodology was listed as inactive by ACR due to anonymous reviewer concerns around the
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embedded test methodology to assess biochar carbon persistence, used to estimate the quantity of biochar carbon remaining in the soil after 100 years. This outcome reflects the relative novelty of biochar science. Whereas biochar researchers around the globe largely agree on methods to estimate biochar carbon persistence utilized in the ACR methodology, the larger scientific community remains unfamiliar with recent advances in the field.
3.10 Policies and Programs to Advance the Biochar Industry
The emerging biochar industry is largely being shaped by entrepreneurs from the private sector and the academic community. Advances in biochar research and science are helping these actors to develop, formulate and sell biochar production technologies and biochar products. Both public and private sector policies and programs can help foster biochar commercialization. For example, in the private sector by providing spotlights for marketing and product differentiation, and in the public sector through preferential sourcing programs for biochar products, subsidized demonstration projects, and regulatory initiatives around issues of production, transportation, and soil application. Chief among these public policies for biochar are rules that govern the safe use of soil amendments, whether for agriculture, land remediation, or other purposes. Of equal importance are rules pertaining to air, water, or other emissions associated with the production of biochar. Additional rules relate to storage and transportation with respect to potentially flammable materials, the siting of production facilities, and the procurement of feedstocks, among other things. Many of these may be local rules while others may be state/regional, federal, or even international in scope. The following sections examine both private and public sector programs that are helping shape the biochar industry.
3.10.1 Public policies impacting biochar
Biochar has been regulated as a soil amendment in some regions for decades prior to the current use of the term biochar. In Japan, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery formally recognized charcoal as a soil improvement material in 1986. Notwithstanding this exception, in most regions biochar is a relatively new topic and is not explicitly mentioned in public policies and regulations. However, as the biochar industry continues to gain traction, policymakers are starting to pay attention. There are regardless many existing laws and regulations—from local to international levels—that already pertain to certain aspects of biochar systems. Additionally, new policies are being formulated specifically to regulate biochar production and use.
3.10.2 Regulations on biochar as a soil amendment
For biochar use as a soil amendment, the feedstock type will likely be one of the important factors that determine the extent to which the product may be regulated by local authorities. Depending on the location, forestry and agricultural residues may not have strict rules
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governing their use for land application. In some countries (and this can change by region within a given country), soil amendments, even those produced from forestry and agricultural residues, need to conform to specific testing requirements prior to soil application. For feedstocks such as animal manures or municipal solid waste, however, regulations in certain jurisdictions are quite extensive. Required permits include provisions for detailed plans for land application, and assessments of impacts on soil, water, and other natural resources. Of course, the conversion of all feedstocks into biochar fundamentally changes the physicochemical properties of the material to the extent that regulations governing the raw feedstock may no longer be applicable. As biochar use advances, regulatory agencies may seek to adopt new guidelines for biochar soil applications that are directly relevant to the unique properties of biochar. Examples of actions being taken by authorities to regulate biochar as a soil amendment include the following examples:
In Switzerland, the Swiss Federal Ministry of Agriculture approved the use of biochar in agriculture in April 2013. The approval requires that biochars achieve certification under the European Biochar Certificate program—an independent certification program overseen by the non‐profit European Biochar Foundation. Switzerland is the first country in the European Union (EU) to regulate biochar at the country level.
In Germany, the existing German Fertilizer Ordinance only permits the use of charcoal i.e., biochar, derived from untreated woody feedstocks. Biochar made from any other biomass source is currently not permitted.
In the EU several intersecting regulations dictate the production and use of biochar. First, if biochar is a byproduct—as opposed to a primary product—of pyrolysis or gasification production processes, it is considered a waste material under the European Directive on Waste (2008/98/EC) which prevents its use in agriculture. The European Community Fertilizer Ordinance (2003/2003/EC) currently only relates to mineral fertilizers; however, the ordinance is being revised to include organic amendments and as such could encompass biochar materials. Other policies on energy production and climate change at the EU level as well as within EU countries contain provisions that may pertain to biochar production and use. Biochar producers should familiarize themselves with pertinent regulations in their jurisdiction when commercializing a product. Montanarella and Lugato (2013) provide a comprehensive overview of EU policies related to biochar.
In Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) notified biochar industry and research leaders in 2013 that biochar for soil use is considered as soil supplement by the agency and falls under the regulation of “Fertilizers Act and Regulations”. The requirements to use biochar as a fertilizer supplement include declaring constituent materials, manufacturing process, results of product test analyses, and safety data. The properties to be tested are metals for which thresholds are set.
In the US, the regulation of soil amendments occurs at the level of state agencies rather than federal. At present, the authors of this report did not identify any state‐level regulations specifically addressing biochar marketing and use in the US. However,
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The PYREG reactor; courtesy of PYREG
biochar producers still need to follow state laws and/or rules governing the marketing and land application of agricultural/soil amendments that pertain to biochar.
3.10.3 Other regulations on biochar production and use
Rules exist in many nations around the world where clean air, water, and worker safety are considered important. Safe production of biochar must conform to laws and regulations at the local, regional and national levels. These include fire regulations and burn bans, and rules regarding safe construction and safe operation of industrial facilities. It is necessary and appropriate for biochar manufactures to comply with applicable laws at all levels. Those laws can also help inform the best practices recommended for safe biochar production.
Air emissions associated with conversion are regulated under existing clean air rules in various jurisdictions. Country‐ and region‐specific standards for air emissions should be identified by biochar producers seeking to install and operate a biochar production facility. In the US, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency in December 2014 proposed reconsideration of rules for emissions standards for boilers, process heaters, and incinerators that may cover biochar production (US EPA 2014). But there is lack of clarity around the specific definitions of technologies and whether biochar production units are covered by the EPA rule.
During the thermochemical conversion process, biochar producers should aim to minimize emissions and maximize system efficiency. The feedstock used may be an important aspect of the extent to which the conversion process is regulated for emissions. Depending on feedstock composition, it may be classified as a solid waste and be subject to strict oversight including stack monitoring to ensure that air emissions are below thresholds for criteria pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides. Furthermore, the conversion technology itself—whether gasification, pyrolysis, or some modified biochar production method—may determine the extent of regulation.
Case Study: PYREG
PYREG’s motto is ‘mission: climate protection”. The German start‐up enterprise based in the Rhineland‐Palatinate region is forging ahead with this mission in mind as it seeks to scale‐up production and distribution of its modular pyrolysis systems that produce clean energy and biochar. PYREG has already sold a dozen units of its flagship PYREG 500 to European customers since it went
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The PYREG process for dry carbonization; courtesy of PYREG
commercial in 2011.
The PYREG business model is built on manufacturing systems that combine the benefits of waste management with production of clean energy and biochar soil amendments. New regulations in the European Union around air and water quality and climate change mitigation are creating opportunities for new technologies to meet these needs. PYREG is working to create a niche within this context. The company has a dedicated R&D team that is involved in several research partnerships investigating the renewable energy and soil amendment potential of its products, all with support from German federal and provincial government agencies.
The PYREG 500 is based on the principle of dry carbonization. Feedstock is conveyed into the reactor where it is pyrolyzed at 800C. Syngas is then burned in a FLOX combustion chamber at 1250C and the process heat is used to power the PYREG reactor in a closed loop. On an annual basis, feedstock consumption is around 2000 tonnes (maximum 50% moisture content) which results in about 300 tonnes of biochar. Roughly one‐third of the heat energy is available for further use—enough to generate electric output of 150 kilowatts. PYREG systems are modular; multiple units can be deployed in series for greater feedstock throughput and power generation. The system is also able to process a wide range of feedstocks including wood, agricultural residues, slaughterhouse byproducts and biosolids. The main feedstock requirement is a minimum calorific value of 10 MJ/kg.
Commitments by European governments to support climate‐smart technologies have led to double digit per annum growth in the green technology sector in Europe. With this in mind, PYREG believes that pyrolysis for clean energy production combined with biochar use as a carbon negative soil amendment will be a fundamentally strong business proposition in the coming years. While climate protection targets are viewed in a positive light for PYREG’s business growth, other environmental regulations can conflict with this approach. For example, German law prohibits the use of biochar as a soil amendment with the exception of that produced from biosolids feedstocks and used as a phosphorous fertilizer. PYREG is working with regulators to amend this restriction, however, and otherwise sees a bright future for biochar in Europe.
3.10.4 Private sector biochar standards and certification programs
In addition to public policies, private sector initiatives are emerging as tools in advancing the commercialization of biochar. Chief among these are standardization and certification programs intended to differentiate biochar products in the marketplace through the use of a consumer‐facing label. Two primary programs have emerged: one in North America overseen by IBI, and
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another in Europe overseen by the European Biochar Foundation (EBF). Both programs have published standards that provide technical criteria and methods for material testing of biochar. These standards are linked to certification programs that enable biochar producers to certify their product as having met the standards. Collectively, the IBI and EBF biochar certification programs have certified over a dozen biochar products.
The IBI Biochar Standards (short for the Standardized Product Definition and Product Testing Guidelines for Biochar That Is Used in Soil) were developed by IBI. They seek to establish a common definition for biochar, and testing and measurement methods for selected physicochemical properties of biochar. Creation of the standards involved a multi‐year process with the input and participation of hundreds of research scientists, entrepreneurs, farmers and other stakeholders. The IBI Biochar Standards—currently published as Version 2.0—are continually improved in response to scientific advances and technical feedback through consultation with experts and the public. They provide documentation of program development as well as opportunities for public comment and other input on revisions through the IBI website and mailing lists. The IBI Biochar Standards are available for review at: http://www.biochar‐international.org/characterizationstandard.
The IBI Biochar Certification Program was launched in summer 2013 for biochar manufacturers in the US and Canada to enable them to certify their biochar product as having met the requirements of the IBI Biochar Standards. Approved manufacturers are allowed to place the IBI Certified™ biochar seal on their product packaging (Figure 16).
The European Biochar Certificate (EBC) is a project of the non‐profit European Biochar Foundation. Similar to the IBI Biochar Standards, the EBC seeks to provide assurances around biochar safety and efficacy for use as a soil amendment. It extends further than the IBI Biochar Standards, however, by also addressing sustainability and environmental impacts of feedstock procurement and biochar production technology. The EBC requires that biochar materials be tested for a specified list of parameters at accredited testing laboratories.
The certification is carried out by an independent, third‐party auditing firm. There is no official mechanism for public input to the development and/or evolution of the EBC.
3.10.5 Other relevant standards and certification programs
While the IBI and EBF programs are restricted to North America and Europe, respectively, there is a recognition that other geographic areas could benefit from similar biochar standards and certifications. In particular, Australia and Asia have robust biochar research and product development sectors. Standards and certifications for these areas would require a place‐based
Figure 16. The IBI CertifiedTM biochar seal
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perspective—particularly a review of the existing legal and regulatory framework governing biochar systems—to ensure that the programs are regionally appropriate and relevant.
Also of importance is the development of standards for use in a developing country context where there is potential for small‐scale distributed biochar systems to have a positive impact. Existing standards programs require sophisticated, and often costly, laboratory tests of biochar materials. These tests are thus out of reach for small‐scale producers typical to the developing world. Further, there are social and environmental sustainability criteria relevant to developing countries that are not covered by IBI and EBF at this time (IBI is seeking funding to create biochar standards specific to developing countries). These include issues such as cropland diversion and land conversion for biochar feedstocks, food security, biodiversity, water use, land tenure, and others. Devising safeguards to ensure the equitable and sustainable implementation of biochar projects should be a central tenet of developing country biochar standards.
3.10.6 Market‐based incentives in the private and public sectors
Given biochar’s multiple benefits, incentives and subsidies from governments and other entities for biochar projects or products can help drive commercial success. For example, some municipalities are prioritizing the use of biochar in landscaping and restoration projects on public lands as part of efforts to reduce carbon footprints and maintain a green image. Among others, Stockholm, Sweden and several North American cities are all in the process of developing guidelines for and incentivizing use of biochar. Advocating at the level of city government could help launch local biochar projects in this manner.
Furthermore, industries such as sustainable agriculture and forestry, green building, and composting all have various types of standards and certification programs. One example is organic agriculture. Globally, organic food sales topped $63 billion in 2013, and this amount is expected to increase year‐over‐year.
In the US, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) has provisionally classified biochar as an amendment acceptable for organic agriculture—a $28 billion per year market in the US. In April 2013, the NOP requested public comments to clarify terminology and rules around biochar’s use for organic agriculture. IBI and other organizations submitted comments in support of biochar. Final determination is pending and expected in 2015. Similarly, the European Community regulation on organic production (2007/834/EC) in the EU currently permits biochar as a soil conditioner so long as it is derived from natural substances (note that other rules described above in Section 3.10.2 supersede the organic regulation).
Because linkages can be made between biochar and most natural resource management sectors, biochar crediting could be embedded into existing sector‐specific sustainability
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programs. In essence, biochar could become another tool to create green energy, manage waste, sequester carbon, or enhance soil productivity, depending on the related program and industry. However, much education and outreach needs to be done on the part of biochar proponents to elevate the status and recognition of biochar’s multiple benefits before these types of incentives can become a reality.
3.11 Barriers to Moving Forward
As outlined in the previous sections the biochar industry has grown significantly in recent years. However, where the baseline scenario is low i.e., there was only a nominal international biochar industry 10 years ago, industry expansion resulted in a total of only 204 companies identified across the globe in 2014. Compared to related industries this is small. The composting industry in the US alone, for example, registered over 3,200 active operations7 in 2012 (Platt et al, 2014). Biochar is still a niche industry with much room for expansion. But that expansion will not come without certain obstacles being addressed. In the following sections we discuss the barriers to advancing the biochar industry and potential solutions.
3.11.1 Lack of consumer awareness and market demand
Figure 17 shows results of survey responses to perceived barriers to biochar market development. A lack of market demand and consumer awareness was the combined top response. These two issues go hand‐in‐hand; that is, without consumer awareness of biochar’s benefits a strong market demand will fail to materialize. In the 2013 survey as well as in discussions with leading biochar entrepreneurs8 this was also the number one identified barrier, further reinforcing the point that education and outreach are needed to grow interest in and demand for biochar.
7 Note that this number is likely a significant underestimate as the study only reported data on numbers of composting operations in 31 of 50 US states. 8 Based on discussions with IBI Industry Committee members (nine international industry representatives).
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Figure 17. Perceived barriers to market development for all respondents (n=52)
While the characteristics of specific biochars and their potential positive impacts on agriculture are at this point well known amongst a certain segment of soil scientists, biochar producers, and other select constituencies, in general, this knowledge is not known to other potential stakeholders critical to the commercial success of biochar.
3.11.2 Regulatory challenges
As noted in the policy section above, regulations on the production and use of biochar vary from country to country, and in the case of some countries, from state to state. Just in the last year, new policies and regulations have been enacted that specifically impact the use of biochar as seen in Section 3.10.2. Uncertainty with regard to regulations can make it difficult for a company to feel confident entering the marketplace. This underscores a need for rules specifically designed to address biochar as an end product. Most new industries look to regulators to provide unambiguous guidance in product marketing and development. Biochar entrepreneurs may hesitate to invest funds to scale‐up production in an uncertain regulatory environment.
3.11.3 Technological challenges
An essential component for industry growth is access to turn‐key, reliable technologies that can produce a consistent biochar product while also returning positive revenues in a reasonable timeframe. These should minimize the ‘capital cost’ element of the total cost of manufacture
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per ton of biochar product. With such a new industry, investors may hesitate to back companies using technology that does not have established proof of concept. Companies may invest in new biochar technology, install it, and then find that there are still “kinks” to work out before the unit can run profitably. This can lead to less confidence in the economics of biochar production; if a unit is not producing biochar, the company cannot sell a product.
In the last few years, new technologies have entered the marketplace—some which have come from years of research and testing. Although there are more tested technologies available, the significant cost of many units hinders continued growth, especially the larger and more complex systems which need to be specifically engineered and designed for a given situation. Additionally, with a lack of established biochar markets and few, if any, specific cost‐benefit analysis projections, companies are often unwilling to make such an investment in technology. While this may not be the case for some of the smaller scale technologies like cookstoves and cone kilns, for the biochar industry to thrive there must be the capacity to produce biochar at rates commensurate with the market size of large‐scale farming and other applications.
3.11.4 Financing and access to credit
Raising finance for the biochar industry is widely perceived as a challenge—this is true for biochar demonstrations and on the ground projects, non‐profits supporting the industry, as well as commercial operations. The 2013 State of the Industry Report found that fully 85% of biochar vendors and equipment manufacturer respondents indicated they utilized either personal capital or loans from family or friends, whereas just over one quarter accessed more traditional financing vehicles like banks or venture capital investors. A year later, personal capital still provides a majority of start‐up financing (Figure 18), but other financing options are becoming more common—grants, loans or investments from various sources. For larger industrial operations to get up and running, they depend on funding sources other than personal capital—be it financing from venture capital or from more traditional financial institutions.
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Figure 18. Survey responses to start‐up financing sources for companies (n=91)
Banks and other traditional lenders may be hesitant to invest in biochar projects because of risk, or perceived risk: there are few established industry track records demonstrating profitability over time. There are few successful companies which have been in the sector longer than five years. However, 2014 saw the expansion of several well‐funded high profile operations that plan to produce biochar in large amounts. On the whole, these represent a small portion of the industry which is still largely comprised of smaller ventures that offer biochar as part of a suite of other products.
3.11.5 Lack of communication between research and industry
While not explicitly highlighted in the survey, information collected in interviews and discussions with biochar entrepreneurs9 suggests that insufficient communication between the academic research and commercialization spheres may hinder industry growth. This situation is not unique to the biochar sector; non‐academic stakeholders in many economic sectors often bemoan the lack of access to researchers and their results. Increased communication could benefit both spheres: first, entrepreneurs could communicate their research needs, for example demonstrating specific benefits of biochar products that are sought out by clientele, to
9 Based on discussions with IBI Industry Committee members (nine international industry representatives)
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instigate new lines of investigation; and second, researchers could communicate promising results to help entrepreneurs identify novel biochar products or applications. While opportunities for dialog in the relatively tight‐knit biochar community do exist e.g., in conferences, online forums, and other venues, focused collaborative opportunities between researchers and entrepreneurs could help speed up industry growth. This would most likely also increase the opportunity for biochar testing and use by farmers, agronomists, and crop advisors.
3.11.6 Interplay with the energy sector
Also not explicitly highlighted in the survey but alluded to by biochar production sector respondents, is the indication that the sharp decline in fossil fuel prices in recent years—mainly natural gas and oil—has negatively impacted the profitability and viability of biochar operations. Even if biochar is the primary intended output of a biomass conversion process, the by‐products (heat, bio‐oils and syngases) often play a role in the overall business plan of the company. When energy prices are low (as they presently are) due to a large supply of inexpensive fossil fuels, the price that biochar production enterprises are able to secure for their energy by‐products is reduced and changes the business plan, and potentially, economic viability of an operation. This situation highlights an important trade‐off in biochar production: where thermochemical conversion is optimized for a solid end product, i.e., biochar, the output of the liquid and gaseous phases is minimized thus reducing the quantity of these by‐products that can be sold into energy markets. Even if optimizing for gaseous and liquid by‐products at the expense of biochar, bioenergy production will likely not be competitive with fossil fuel‐derived energy at the current low prices for natural gas and oil.
3.12 Market Trends and Outlook
As reported in State of the Biochar Industry 2013, the present state of biochar commercial activity is indicative of the early evolutionary stage of the industry. This applies not only to the market share of biochar sales—nominal compared to related industries such as compost and fertilizer—and its potential for growth, but also to other important indicators of success for an industry, such as consumer awareness, market development, technological maturity, and investor confidence. Additionally, the high number of companies both entering and exiting the industry as shown in Figure 19 highlights the fluid nature of the current industry.
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Figure 19. Company comparison between 2013 report and 2014 report
The trajectory of the industry and pace of growth is uncertain and is dependent on some factors that can be influenced, such as consumer education/outreach and market development, technological advances, and investments in business development; and others that are more difficult to influence such as the current low price of fossil fuels, especially in the energy sector (which makes biomass energy production less profitable at this time). Of the 52 respondents who answered the question on whether they see sales increasing in the coming 12 months, over 65% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that sales would increase (Figure 20).
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Chip Energy unit inside a container;courtesy of Chip Energy
Figure 20. Biochar sales will increase over the next 12 months (n=52)
Case Study Chip Energy
Chip Energy is a biomass and biochar equipment producer based in Illinois, United States. They also recycle wood wastes and provide wood pellets, mulch, pallets, crates, and erosion control materials. President Paul Wever is a heavy metals fabricator who specializes in biomass gasification furnaces. He initially entered the biochar unit production market to produce affordable and well‐built biochar units in smaller sizes for customers in the United States, although is now expanding to customers worldwide.
The Chip Energy units produce both usable heat and biochar using computer controls to monitor production to ensure that the biochar product fits certain specifications. The range of units is from very small (some cookstoves built in coordination with Paul Anderson) to units that would be applicable for heating a rural community school or a residential district heating block (approximately 200,000 BTU to 1 million BTU requirements). With a market for biochar, it can potentially make the heating system more affordable. However, with low energy prices for natural gas at this time, in comparison the Chip Energy biomass equipment is not price competitive. This has slowed commercialization of the units.
With low natural gas prices, Chip Energy expanded its commercial focus to also producing biochar. Weaver finds that a good consistent market for biochar is academic researchers. With small batches, Weaver is able to produce high quality research‐grade biochars from specific feedstocks to match researcher needs.
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4 Recommendations for Future Industry Growth
The information provided in the previous sections provides a snapshot of the biochar industry in 2014, compared at times to information from 2013. The overall trends show a significant increase in peer‐reviewed publications, more companies coming into the industry, and more products being offered for sale. There is still much room for growth. While there are many needs, the following is a list of high‐priority recommendations for biochar scientists, producers, technology developers, project developers, and stakeholders to accelerate the pace of growth and reduce or overcome barriers‐to‐entry.
4.1 Increase biochar education and outreach/marketing
While the potential benefits of biochar use are increasingly well understood among a growing stakeholder community, this scientific knowledge has failed to penetrate in any significant manner into constituencies that operate within the commercial farming, horticulture, and related industries: farmers, ranchers, horticulturalists, crop advisors, extension agents, fertilizer companies, remediation specialists, etc. In a robust biochar industry, a substantial number of these constituents would be considering decisions to invest in biochar as part of their operations, just as they would with other inputs that add to their bottom line. Market development activities should focus on these potential end users of biochar products.
The growing number of organizations—mainly non‐profits and universities—with active biochar research, development, and deployment programs should play a central role in education at a local and regional level. Field days demonstrating biochar activities, the development of business case studies and project profiles, and other educational and training opportunities on biochar are all activities that can help make biochar more tangible and attractive to potential buyers and end‐users. Ultimately, the existing biochar community must recognize that for biochar to be viewed and embraced as a meaningful agricultural enhancement tool, awareness building must be enhanced.
4.2 Address regulatory barriers and create opportunities to educate policymakers
As biochar moves further into the mainstream, it will attract more notice from policymakers and therefore may be subject to more regulation. The industry can work to preempt potentially onerous regulations by showcasing commitment to product standards as well as best use practices in biochar production and application. The industry should work with policymakers at all levels—from municipalities to federal and international agencies—to educate them on all aspects of biochar. With specific education on the characteristics of the material and appropriate use, policymakers can draft regulations that appropriately apply to biochar, rather than classifying it as something it is not (such as a fertilizer).
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With better education on the possibilities of biochar to create jobs, reduce waste in certain locations, improve soils, and sequester carbon (among many other benefits), policymakers can also provide opportunities for industry growth. Including biochar in governmental project proposals, legislation, and spending budgets not only directly supports specific initiatives but also brings biochar to the attention of a much wider audience than the biochar community. For example, in 2009, United States Senators introduced the “Water Efficiency via Carbon Harvesting and Restoration (WECHAR) Act of 2009.” The bill was to establish a loan guarantee program to develop biochar technology, initiate a program of biochar landscape restoration projects on public land, and authorize a competitive grant program to fund research on biochar characteristics, impacts, and economics. Although this bill did not pass, it did bring biochar to the forefront for policymakers in the US.
4.3 Enhance dialog between research and commercial communities—inside and outside the biochar space
At present the biochar field is comprised of a somewhat disparate set of actors often operating in distinct geographic and focal areas. With more biochar‐specific conferences and training events happening at the regional level, biochar proponents can discuss common issues that pertain to their direct region. Additionally, there are also more and more biochar‐specific sessions held in conjunction with larger industry events—such as at bioenergy conferences and soil society meetings. These larger events offer the biochar community—researchers, supporters, project developers, business owners and operators—the opportunity to interact with one another and share experiences but also showcase biochar to a larger audience. There are opportunities for biochar to become an important constituent in other sectors. For example, biochar is already becoming an important component in the compost industry, as a product of energy production, and as an alternative to activated carbon. This cross fertilization of experience and knowledge opens the doors for the industry to work with new partners, break into new markets, and for researchers to find new collaboration possibilities. Enhancing the visibility of biochar sessions at major sectorial conferences such as water, bioenergy, soils, landscape architects, and environmental remediation would introduce biochar to new potential customers, project developers, and researchers.
In addition to cross fertilization via conferences and events, the biochar community can work to strengthen existing partnerships and create new partnerships between research and industry. While there may be different end products valued by universities and industry (businesses likely seek sales for products and academics look to publish results), there can be great benefits to each. For example, Pfizer and University of California San Diego have combined research and industry talents to accelerate the development of new drugs for patients (Jones et al 2012). A convening group or possible biochar trade association could work as a matchmaker between industry, academia, and government to promote biochar through different sectors. This association would require funding to get started but could be a key player in promoting more cross collaboration.
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4.4 Maintain emphasis on long‐term field trials with characterized biochars and standardized reporting
Although biochar may differ from other soil amendments and farm inputs that are more familiar to the farming community—chiefly chemical fertilizers and compost—with increased biochar characterization work it becomes easier to highlight biochar as an important component of a soil management regime. The value proposition of biochar includes longer term effects on soil functions—such as changes in water retention, drought tolerance, nutrient bioavailability, aeration, microbial activity, and others—as opposed to just immediate gains in crop productivity. Because these benefits change over multiple growing seasons, there continues to be a need for long‐term field trials, covering a range of feedstocks, biochars, crops, soil types, and geographies, to get a better grasp of the cumulative effects specific biochars have when used as soil amendments. Potential customers want to know long‐term specific, measurable benefits from soil amendments prior to purchase and application. Setting up and tracking field trials with fully characterized biochars allows for better comparison of biochar to other soil amendments on an annual basis and over time. In addition to use of characterized biochars, field trials (both academic and non‐academic) could report project specifics (such as crop type, application rate, blending) and outcomes using standard metrics to make it easier to compare information on these trials.
One recent research project, conducted as a collaborative effort between IBI and the Ithaka Institute for Carbon Intelligence, is a white paper focused on the potential of biochar to improve the sustainability of coffee cultivation and processing operations (Draper, Tomlinson 2015). Research and white papers highlighting the potential of biochar for crop types and systems can be used to introduce biochar to specific industries and highlight the costs and benefits of including biochar as part of their overall systems.
4.5 Invest in technology R&D and alternative financing mechanisms
At present, the economics of biochar as a commercial enterprise are not usually favorable. There are companies making money selling biochar or biochar production equipment. In most situations however, the upfront cost of production equipment is too high to make a strong business case. While development and testing of biochar technologies is ongoing, the amount of money being funneled into biochar production research and development is small relative to related industries developing new technologies for similar markets (such as biofuels where investments are at least an order of magnitude larger and measured in billions of US$ (UNCTAD 2014)). The capital cost of biochar production machinery is an important contributor to the manufacturing cost per ton of biochar; feedstock is usually the other top financial factor. Investment in the form of grants and subsidies to support the financing of biochar production equipment, particularly on the part of governmental entities, could instigate public‐private partnerships and drive innovation in biochar production equipment. Some biochar companies have received government grant funding to partially support acquisition of production
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equipment. Although developing grant proposals can take valuable time and effort on the part of a company, these opportunities to receive regional or federal financial support can move a company from “funded from personal capital” to a more solvent enterprise.
In an international field full of startup companies looking for capital, the biochar industry will need to highlight the full value of production and use systems to see how biochar can fit into multiple marketplaces in multiple sectors. Investors are looking for multiple applications for the product, but also the technology, to diversify their investment risk and create income generative opportunities. They want to see scalability—if a loan is provided, the company and therefore the industry, will need to grow over time to increase value.
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5 References Beesley, Luke; Eduardo Moreno‐Jiménez; Jose L. Gomez‐Eyles; Eva Harris; Brett Robinson; Tom Sizmur
(2011). A review of biochars’ potential role in the remediation, revegetation and restoration of contaminated soils. Environmental Pollution. Volume 159, Issue 12, Pages 3269–3282
Budai, A., Zimmerman, A. R., Cowie, A. L., Webber, J. B. W., Singh, B. P., Glaser, B., Masiello, C. A.,
Andersson, D., Shields, F., Lehmann, J., Camps Arbestain, M., Williams, M., Sohi, S. and Joseph, S. (2013). Biochar Carbon Stability Test Method: An assessment of methods to determine biochar carbon stability. International Biochar Initiative document at http://www.biochar‐international.org/sites/default/files/IBI_Report_Biochar_Stability_Test_Method_Final.pdf
Chia, Chee H.; Adriana Downie and Paul Munroe. Characteristics of Biochar: Physical and Structural
Properties. In: Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology, 2nd edition. 2015. Johannes Lehmann and Stephen Joseph (eds.). Routledge.
Clare, A., Shackley, S., Joseph, S., Hammond, J., Pan, G. and Bloom, A. (2014). Competing uses for China's
straw: the economic and carbon abatement potential of biochar. GCB Bioenergy. doi: 10.1111/gcbb.12220
Crane‐Droesch, Andrew; Samuel Abiven, Simon Jeffery and Margaret S Torn (2013). Heterogeneous
global crop yield response to biochar: a meta‐regression analysis. Environmental Research Letters. Volume 8, Number 4; http://iopscience.iop.org/1748‐9326/8/4/044049
Draper K., Tomlinson T. (2015). How Biochar Can Improve Sustainability for Coffee Cultivation and
Processing. International Biochar Initiative; http://www.biochar‐international.org/crop_report_coffee
Gomez, J. D., Denef, K., Stewart, C. E., Zheng, J., & Cotrufo, M. F. (2014). Biochar addition rate influences
soil microbial abundance and activity in temperate soils. European Journal of Soil Science, 65(1), 28‐39.
Jones, Sara and Stephen Clulow (2012). “How to foster a culture of collaboration between universities
and industry.” The Guardian, August 2, 2012. http://www.theguardian.com/higher‐education‐network/blog/2012/aug/02/the‐value‐of‐research‐collaborations
Joseph, S., Graber, E. R., Chia, C., Munroe, P., Donne, S., Thomas, T., & Hook, J. (2013). Shifting
paradigms: development of high‐efficiency biochar fertilizers based on nano‐structures and soluble components. Carbon Management, 4(3), 323‐343.
Kleber, Markus; William Hockaday and Peter S. Nico. Characteristics of Biochar: Macro‐molecular
Properties. In: Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology, 2nd edition. 2015. Johannes Lehmann and Stephen Joseph (eds.). Routledge.
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Lehmann J; S. Abiven; M. Kleber; G. Pan; B.P. Singh; S. Sohi; A. Zimmerman. Persistence of biochar in soil. In: Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology, 2nd edition. 2015. Johannes Lehmann and Stephen Joseph (eds.). Routledge.
Lin, Y., Munroe, P., Joseph, S., & Henderson, R. (2012). Migration of dissolved organic carbon in biochars
and biochar‐mineral complexes. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira, 47(5), 677‐686. Luo, C., Lü, F., Shao, L., & He, P. (2015). Application of eco‐compatible biochar in anaerobic digestion to
relieve acid stress and promote the selective colonization of functional microbes. Water research, 68, 710‐718.
Montanarella, Luca, and Emanuele Lugato. "The application of biochar in the EU: Challenges and
opportunities." Agronomy 3.2 (2013): 462‐473. Nemati, M. Reza; Frederic Simard; Jean‐Pierre Fortin and Jacynthe Beaudoin (2014). Potential Use of
Biochar in Growing Media. Vadose Zone Journal. doi:10.2136/vzj2014.06.0074 Platt, B; Goldstein, N; Coker, C. (2014) State of Composting in the US. Institute for Local Self Reliance. Roberts, K. G., Gloy, B. A., Joseph, S., Scott, N. R., & Lehmann, J. (2009). Life cycle assessment of biochar
systems: Estimating the energetic, economic, and climate change potential. Environmental Science & Technology, 44(2), 827‐833.
Schmidt HP, Wilson K (2014). The 55 uses of biochar. The Biochar Journal. ISSN 2297‐1114 www.biochar‐journal.org/en/ct/2 Thies, J. E., Rillig, M. C., & Graber, E. R. (2015). Biochar effects on the abundance, activity and diversity of
the soil biota. Biochar for Environmental Management: Science, Technology and Implementation, 327.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) 40 CFR Part 60 and Part 63. Standards of
Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission. Guidelines for Existing Sources: Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units. National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. Accessed March 2015 http://www.epa.gov/airquality/combustion/actions.html
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 2014. The state of the biofuels
market: regulatory, trade and development perspectives. Woolf, D., Amonette, J. E., Street‐Perrott, F. A., Lehmann, J., & Joseph, S. (2010). Sustainable biochar to
mitigate global climate change. Nature communications, 1, 56.
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6 Appendix: IBI Biochar Company Database
Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
3R Environmental Technology Group
Stidsviken Sweden Sweden Europe http://www.3ragrocarbon.com
AbonoChar LLC Hastings Mi United States
North America
http://biopretasupersoil.com
Abri‐Tech Inc. Namur Quebec Canada North America
http://www.advbiorefineryinc.ca/
Acclaim Technology Services India Private Limited
Chennai Tamilnadu India Asia www.acclaimcleanenergy.com
Adam + Partner Banska Bistrica N/A Slovakia Europe
http://www.biocoal.org/8.html
Adsorb Technologies
N/A N/A South Africa Africa
http://www.adsorb.co.za/technologies‐1.htm
Advanced Gasification Technology
Arosio Co Italy Europe
http://www.agtgasification.com/eng/agt_srl.htm
Advanced Renewable Technology International
Prairie City Io United States
North America
www.artichar.com
Advanced Resilient Technology
Ramsey Isle Of Man United Kingdom
Europe www.art.co.im
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Limited
Aemerge Indianapolis In United States
North America
http://aemerge.com/
African Christians Organization Network
Bungoma Western Kenya
Kenya Africa http://aconetwork.weebly.com/index.html
Africent Intergrated Trades Micro‐finance limited
Kano Kano State Nigeria Africa [email protected]
Agricharge Fort Collins Co United States
North America
http://agri‐charge.com/AC/how‐its‐made/
Agri‐Therm London Ontario Canada North America
http://agri‐therm.com/
AirTerra Inc. Calgary N/A Canada North America
http://www.airterra.ca/
Akinci Mangal ANKARA Ankara Turkey Asia http://www.akincimangal.com/
Algae AquaCulture Technologies
Whitefish Mt United States
North America
http://www.algaeaqua.com/
ALL Power Labs Berkeley Ca United States
North America
http://www.allpowerlabs.com/products/product‐overview
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Amaron Energy Salt Lake City Ut United States
North America
http://www.amaronenergy.com/Amaron_Energy/Amaron_Energy.html
Amazon Super BioChar
Los Angeles Ca United States
North America
http://www.amazonsuperbiochar.com/
Anaerobe Systems
Morgan Hill Ca United States
North America
http://www.anaerobesystems.com/
ARSTA Eco Tiptur Karnataka India Asia http://www.arstaeco.com/
Ashtavinayak Enterprises
Mumbai Maharashtra India Asia http://www.ashtavinayakagro.in/soil‐conditioner.html
AVA‐CO2 Zug N/A Switzerland Europe
http://www.ava‐co2.com/web/pages/en/home.php
Avello Bioenergy
Boone Ia United States
North America
http://www.avellobioenergy.com/
Bambusa Global Ventures
Phnom Penh Kandal Province
Cambodia Asia [email protected]
Bartlett Tree Experts
Stamford Ct United States
North America
http://www.bartlett.com/fertilization.cfm
BASNA d.o.o. Cacak Serbia Serbia Europe
http://www.basna.net/Basna/Welcome.html
Better Earth Products
N/A N/A Australia Australia http://www.better‐earth‐products.com.au/
Bio Char Merchants
N/A Oh United States
North America
http://biocharmerchants.com/
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Biocarbo Projects GmbH
Dorth Rhineland‐Palatinate
Germany Europe http://www.pflanzenkohlekontor.de/
Biochar Consulting (Canada)
Thornhill Ontario Canada North America [email protected]
Biochar Global Solutions
Ashland Or United States
North America
http://biocharglobal.com/
Biochar Industries
Kunghur NSW Australia Australia www.biocharindustries.com
biochar Ireland Mountshannon Clare Ireland Europe www.biocharireland.com
Biochar Marketing Solutions
Brownsdale Mn United States
North America
www.biocharmarketingsolutions.com
Biochar Merchants
N/A Oh United States
North America
http://biocharmerchants.com/
Biochar Now Loveland Co United States
North America
http://biocharnow.com/
Biochar Project Murwillumbah NSW Australia Australia
http://biochar‐store.biocharproject.org/
Biochar Solutions
Carbondale Co United States
North America
http://www.biocharsolutions.com/index.html
Biochar Supreme LLC
Everson Wa United States
North America
www.biocharsupreme.com
Biochar Works Pawling NY United States
North America
http://www.biocharworks.com/
Biochar‐Energy Systems Pty Ltd
N/A N/A Australia Australia
http://www.northernpoultry.com.au/BES.html
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
(BES)
BioCharWorks Pawling NY United States
North America
http://www.biocharworks.com/
Bioforcetech Redwood City Ca United States
North America
http://www.bioforcetech.com/pyrolysis.html
Biogreen‐Energy
N/A N/A France Europe
http://www.biogreen‐energy.com/
Biokol Stockholm Stockholm Sweden Europe http://www.biokol.eu/
Biological Carbon LLC (BLC)
Philomath Or United States
North America
https://appliedbiomass.squarespace.com/biological‐carborn/
BIOMACON Rehburg Niedersachsen Germany Europe
www.BIOMACON.com
Biotecnolog?_a Mexicana contra el Cambio Clim??tico (BMCC)
Teziutlan Puebla Mexico Latin America
www.bmcc.com.mx
BIOUHEL.CZ s.r.o.
Zlin Zlinsky Kraj Czech Republic
Europe http://www.biouhel.cz
Bioware Campinas SP Brazil Latin America
http://www.bioware.com.br/
Bison Soil Solutions
N/A SD United States
North America
http://bisonsoil.com/products/bison‐biochar/
Black is Green Mackay Queensland Australia Australia www.blackisgreen.net
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Blue Sky Biochar
Thousand Oaks Ca United States
North America
http://blueskybiochar.com/
Carbon Tierra Prieta
Guadalupe Nuevo Leon Mexico Latin America
www.facebook.com/tierraprietabiochar
Carbon Char Asheville NC United States
North America
http://www.carbonchar.com/
Carbon Compost
Exeter Devon United Kingdom
Europe
http://www.biocharretort.com/
Carbon Cultures
N/A Wa United States
North America
http://carboncultures.com/products‐services/
Carbon Drawdown Solutions
Haiku Hi United States
North America
http://www.cdsbiochar.com/index.html
carbon farming international bamboo hemp biochar
Mullumbimby New South Wales
Australia Australia [email protected]
Carbon Gold Bristol Se United Kingdom
Europe http://www.carbongold.com/
Carbon Industries
N/A N/A South Africa Africa
http://www.carbonindustries.co.za/Bio‐char+opportunity
Carbon Terra GmbH
Augsburg N/A Germany Europe http://www.carbon‐terra.eu/en/
CarbonZero Caslano Caslano Switzerland Europe
http://www.carbonzero.ch/index.cfm?view=44.home&lan=en
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Carolina Clean Energy LLC
N/A NC United States
North America
www.carolinacleanenergyllc.com
Charborn N/A Ca United States
North America
http://www.charborn.com/
Charcoal House LLC
Crawford Ne United States
North America
http://www.buyactivatedcharcoal.com/product/charcoal_green/biochar/hardwood/coarse
Charman Pyalong Victoria Australia Australia www.charman.com.au
Chip Energy Inc. Goodfield Il United States
North America
www.chipenergy.com
Clean Fuels b.v. Oldenzaal Ar Netherlands Europe
http://www.cleanfuels.nl/index.htm
ClearStak, LLC Woodstock Ct United States
North America
http://www.clearstak.com/
CoalTec Energy USA
Carterville Il United States
North America
www.coaltecenergy.com
Control Labs Watsonville Ca United States
North America http://www.biocharlab.com/
CoolPlanet Energy Systems
Greenwood Village
Co United States
North America
http://www.coolplanet.com/biochar
Cummins Cogeneration Kenya Limited (CCKL)
Nairobi Nairobi Kenya Africa
www.cummins‐power‐kenya.com
Dehong CHON Pyrolysate INC
Kunming Yunnan China Asia
http://www.pyrolysate.com/about/?113.html
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Diacarbon Energy Inc.
Burnaby BC Canada North America
www.diacarbon.com
DR MGR Biofuels
Mogappar East Chennai‐37 India Asia www.mgrbiofuels.com
Dr. Farhad Mirzaei
Karaj Alborz Iran, Islamic Republic Of
Asia www.iaapm.org
Earth Systems Melbourne Victoria Australia Australia www.earthsystems.com.au
EarthSpring Biochar/Biochar Central
Marietta Ga United States
North America
http://earthspringbiochar.com/
EcoEra Ostra Tommarp N/A Sweden Europe http://ecoera.se/
Ecoreps Welland South Australia
Australia Australia www.ecoreps.com.au
EcoSus Augustdorf N/A Germany Europe http://www.ecosus.de/
EcoTrac Organics Inc.
East Wenatchee Wa United States
North America
http://www.ecotracorganics.net/
EcoZoom N/A N/A United States
North America
http://ecozoomstove.com/index.php
Encendia Biochar
New Haven Ct United States
North America
http://www.amazon.com/Encendia‐Biochar‐Spring‐Blend‐Cu/dp/B00JOTTXP6
Energy Anew San Rafael Ca United States
North America
http://www.biocharm.com/about‐biocharm
Energy Farmers Australia Pty Ltd
Geraldton Western Australia
Australia Australia www.energyfarmers.com.au
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Enviro Energy LLC.
Unadilla NY United States
North America
http://www.enviroenergyny.com/soil‐enhance/
Eprida Marietta Ga United States
North America
http://www.eprida.com/invest/index.php4
EPWT Dalat Lam Dong Viet Nam Asia http://www.esrla.com/
Finger Lakes Biochar
Rochester NY United States
North America http://fingerlakesbiochar.com/
FLUID Company Ltd
Krakow Krakow Poland Europe
http://fluid.pl/en/technology/technological‐process/biocarbon‐production‐process/
Forest Concepts, LLC
Auburn Wa United States
North America
www.forestconcepts.com
Forestry Fuels Cambridge N/A United Kingdom
Europe http://forestryfuels.com/forest‐char‐biochar/
Four Seasons Fuel LTD
West Sussex N/A United Kingdom
Europe
http://www.fourseasonsfuel.co.uk/
Frontline Bioenergy LLC
Ames Ia United States
North America
http://www.frontlinebioenergy.com/en/products/biochar/
Frye Poultry Wardensville WV United States
North America
http://www.fryepoultry.com/
Full Circle Biochar
San Francisco Ca United States
North America
http://fullcirclebiochar.com/company/
Garden Planet Biochar
Newtown Wales United Kingdom
Europe http://www.gardenplanetbiochar.org.uk/
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
GCI ‐ Green Charcoal International
Paris Paris France Europe
http://www.green‐charcoal.com/
Genesis Industries
Redondo Beach Ca United States
North America
http://egenindustries.com/a‐sustainable‐future‐with‐genesis‐biochar/
Global Gateways
Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg Europe
http://www.globalgateways.eu/
Green‐Ef Eco‐Business Village Ltd
Tamale Northern Region
Ghana Africa
www.greenenefebv.com.gh
gregory flick Elkton Or United States
North America
Guangdong Dazhong Agricultural Science and Technology Co. Ltd
Dongguan City Guangdong Province
China Asia
http://www.dazhongnk.cn/english/index.asp
Heat Systems West Perth Wa Australia Australia
http://heatsystems.com.au/
ICM, Inc Colwich Ka United States
North America
www.icminc.com
Innovative Agro‐Tech
Ahmedabad Gujarat India Asia
http://www.indiamart.com/innovative‐agro‐tech/products.html#biochar‐organic‐fertilizer
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Integro Arden NC United States
North America
http://www.integrofuels.com/services/facility‐design‐construction‐consulting/
Interra Energy, Inc.
San Diego Ca United States
North America
www.interraenergy.us
Iwamoto Inc. Osaka Chikko Japan Asia http://superstoneclean.com/
Juntos Energy Corporation
Normal Il United States
North America
www.woodgas.com
KANSAI corporaton
Hikone‐city Shiga Japan Asia http://www.kansai‐sangyo.co.jp/e‐index.html
King Coal N/A N/A Japan Asia http://www.kingcoal.jp/
Klean Industries Vancouver BC Canada North America
http://www.kleanindustries.com/s/Home.asp
Lambiotte & Cie, S.A.
Brussels Brussels Belgium Europe
http://www.lambiotte.com/Solvent_from_carbonization_our_acetals_‐page.htm?use=62
Lanstar Johannesburg Gauteng South Africa Africa www.vermichar.co.za
Larson Consulting
Golden Co United States
North America N/A
Lee Enterprises Consulting Inc
Sherwood Ar United States
North America
http://www.lee‐enterprises.com/
LEI Products Madisonville Ky United States
North America
http://bioburner.com/
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Lewis Bamboo Oakman Al United States
North America
www.lewisbamboo.com
MetaKom Limited
N/A N/A Russian Federation
Europe
http://ru1010526092.trustpass.alibaba.com/company_profile.html
Microbeix Pty Ltd
Palm Beach Queensland Australia Australia www.microbeix.com
Micromeritics Analytical Services
Norcross Ga United States
North America http://www.particletesting.com/
Miller Soils LLC Boulder Co United States
North America
http://www.millersoilsllc.com/about‐us.html
Mirimichi Green
Millington Tn United States
North America
https://sites.google.com/a/tennmandigital.com/mirimichigreen/biochar/golf‐courses
Moki Manufacturing
N/A N/A Japan Asia
http://moki‐ss.co.jp/
Neil's Park and Garden
Cantonment Fl United States
North America
Nettenergy Boskoop Boskoop Netherlands Europe
http://www.nettenergy.com/index.php/en/
New England Biochar
Cape Cod Ma United States
North America
http://newenglandbiochar.org/
Novatos RE Agro‐Industrial
Cainta Rizal Philippines Asia www.facebook.com/novatos.re
Novotera Montreal Qc Canada North America
http://novotera.ca/
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Organic Power Solutions
Indianapolis In United States
North America
http://www.organicpowersolutions.com/technology.html
Out of Ashes Bioenergy
Prince George BC Canada North America
http://turtlebackbiochar.com/
Oxford Biochar N/A Oxford United Kingdom
Europe http://www.oxfordbiochar.com
Pacific Biochar Pahoa Hi United States
North America
www.pacificbiochar.com
Pacific Pyrolysis Somersby NSW Australia Australia http://pacificpyrolysis.com/agrichar.html
pakistan biochar initiative
Faisalabad Punjab Pakistan Asia www.pakistanbiochar.com
Passive Remediation Systems Ltd
Armstrong BC Canada North America www.prsi.ca
Peako Biomass Energy
Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong Asia
http://www.peako.net/index.php
Phoenix Energy San Francisco Ca United States
North America
http://www.phoenixenergy.net/
Plant Growth Management Systems, LLC
N/A Mi United States
North America
http://www.plantgrowthmanagementsystems.com/
Plantonics Savannah Ga United States
North America
www.plantonicsllc.com
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Proininso SA Malaga N/A Spain Europe http://www.proininso.com/biochar‐biocarbon.html
Proton Power Lenoir City Tn United States
North America
http://www.protonpower.com/technology/
PYREG GmbH Dorth Rhineland‐Palatinate
Germany Europe
http://www.pyreg.de/
Pyrolyzer, LLC Boca Raton Fl United States
North America
http://www.pyrolyzer.net/Default.aspx
rainbow bee eater
Somers Victoria Australia Australia www.rainbowbeeeater.com.au
Real Montana Charcoal
Hamilton Mt United States
North America
http://realmontanacharcoal.net/bio‐char/
Renewable Energy
Richmond Tx United States
North America [email protected]
Renewables Plus
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Asia
http://www.renewablesplus.com/
Revatec Geeste Lower Saxony Germany Europe
http://www.revatec.de/terracoal.htm
Rock Dust Local Bridport Vt United States
North America
http://www.rockdustlocal.com/index.html
Sattvik Nutrients Ptv Ltd
Bangalore Karnataka India Asia http://www.sattviknutrients.in/agriculture/biochar
Seek Bio‐Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Minhang Shanghai China Asia www.seekfertilizer.com
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Select Carbon Cairns Queensland Australia Australia www.selectcarbon.com
Shangqiu Haiqi Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd.
Shangqiu Henan China Asia
http://haiqimachine.en.alibaba.com/
Shangqiu Sanli New Energy Co., Ltd.
Shangqiu City Henan China Asia http://en.b2b168.com/c168‐1763236.html
Showa Kikaki Co.,Ltd.
Inazawa City Aichi Japan Asia
http://www.showakikaku.co.jp/e‐sumi10ji.html
Sixth Element Sustainable Management
Ottawa Ontario Canada North America www.6esm.com
Sonnenerde Riedlingsdorf N/A Austria Europe http://www.sonnenerde.at/index.php?route=common/page&id=
Sonoma Biochar
Petaluma Ca United States
North America
http://www.sonomacompost.com/biochar.shtml
Splainex Hague N/A Netherlands Europe
http://www.splainex.com/index.htm
SULLIVAN CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Modananock NH United States
North America
http://sullivancsa.com/biochar‐products/
Summit Environmental Technologies, Inc.
Cuyahoga Falls Oh United States
North America www.summitlabs.comf
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Sunmark Environmental
Portland Or United States
North America
http://www.permamatrix.com/
Susteen Technologies GmbH
N/A N/A Germany Europe
http://www.susteen‐tech.com/products.html
Swiss Biochar Belmont‐sur‐Lausanne
N/A Switzerland Europe
http://www.swiss‐biochar.com/eng/biochar.php
T R Miles Technical Consultants Inc
Portland Or United States
North America www.trmiles.com
Tam Tam Investment Limited Company
Giong Trom Ben Tre Viet Nam Asia
http://vietnam.tradeford.com/vn225773/
Terralogix Group LLC
Annapolis Md United States
North America
http://www.terralogix.net/biochar
The Biochar Company LLC
Berwyn Pa United States
North America
https://www.soilreef.com/index.php
the BLUE SKY enterprise
Thousand Oaks Ca United States
North America
www.blueskybiochar.com
The Carbon Compost Co
Exeter Devon United Kingdom
Europe http://www.carboncompost.co.uk/
The Prasino Group
Calgary Alberta Canada North America
www.prasinogroup.com
The Worm Dude
San Jose Ca United States
North America
http://www.thewormdude.com/
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Thermal Company Limited
Itabashi‐ku Tokyo Japan Asia
http://www.e‐thermal.co.jp/English/HomePage/1aCspec.htm
TONGLI Machinery
Gongyi Henan China Asia
http://www.cncharcoalmachine.com/Product/#.VIe0QskhOQc
TR Miles Technical Consultants
Portland Or United States
North America http://trmiles.com/
US BioCarbon N/A N/A United States
North America
http://usbiocarbon.com/
Vee‐Go Easthampton Ma United States
North America
http://www.vee‐go.com/biocharxtra.html
Vega Biofuels Norcross Ga United States
North America
http://vegabiofuels.com/#products
Vermont Biochar
West Danville Vt United States
North America
http://vermontbiochar.com/biochar/
Vertrolysis LLC N/A Ma United States
North America
http://vertrolysis.com/
V‐Grid Energy Systems
Camarillo Ca United States
North America
http://vgridenergy.com/
Village Coconut Charcoal
Bakewell Northern Territory
Australia Australia
http://villagecoconutcharcoal.com/
Vuthisa Technologies
Pietermaritzburg Kwazulu‐natal South Africa Africa
http://www.vuthisa.com/biochar
Wakefield Agricultural Carbon
Columbia Mo United States
North America
http://www.wakefieldbiochar.com
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Company City State/Region Country Continent
Production and/or Sales
Equipment Manufacturer
Other biochar‐related enterprise URL
Walking Point Farms
Tigard Or United States
North America
http://walkingpointfarms.com/
Waste to Energy Solutions
Destin Fl United States
North America
http://wesionline.com/index.htm
Wilson Biochar Associates
Cave Junction Or United States
North America www.wilsonbiochar.com
Woodstock Sustainable Farms
Woodstock Ct United States
North America
http://www.wssfarms.com/products/miracle‐biochar‐fertilizer/
World Biochar N/A N/A Australia Australia
http://www.worldbiochar.com/index.html
WorldStove N/A N/A Italy Europe http://worldstove.com/
ZeroPoint Clean Tech
Potsdam NY United States
North America
http://www.zeropointcleantech.com/biochar
Zhengzhou Kehua Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd.
N/A Henan China Asia
http://zzkhdq.en.alibaba.com/
Zhengzhou Shuliy Machinery Co., Ltd.
N/A Henan China Asia
http://www.shuliy.cn/