Today was the first day of the International BiocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More Initiative’s three day Wales study tour (although we do spend a suspicious amount of time in England…). The group had two incredible site visits today the first to Black Bull Biochar and the second to Severn Wye Biochar (SWB).

The tone of the visit to Mersey Biochar was set right from the get go:

“One person’s waste is another’s raw material”

The plant works with a range of feedstocks, some virgin material and some not. Although it should be noted that, speaking with Sandy Ruthven MBE, the CEO of Severn Wye Energy, these virgin materials are still waste products of sorts. They will utilise the top third of trees (more or less the ‘crown’), as opposed to doing a full tree biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More use, which would use biomass that could be utilised for timber products. This avoids confusion surrounding carbon removals, as the biochar is only being made from the waste material that would otherwise decompose in situ or be burnt.

SWB has a strong hourly output rate of around 125kg/hour of biochar that is coming from about 4x the feedstockFeedstock refers to the raw organic material used to produce biochar. This can include a wide range of materials, such as wood chips, agricultural residues, and animal manure. More (500kg/hour). This feedstock is typically around 20% moisture content but they suggested the unit could handle up to 25%. They have a biochar output of around 1,000t/year, which at 92% carbon in their char, they estimate to equate to around 2,700tCO2e.

They work with a local biomass trading body, which enables them to have nearly daily deliveries of biomass – suiting the smaller plot they currently operate on. Once the feedstock hits the pyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste biomass into bio-char, bio-oil, and pyro-gas. It offers significant advantages in waste valorization, turning low-value materials into economically valuable resources. Its versatility allows for tailored products based on operational conditions, presenting itself as a cost-effective and efficient More chamber, its residence timeResidence time refers to the duration that the biomass is heated during the pyrolysis process. The residence time can influence the properties of the biochar produced.   More is only around 18 minutes, highlighting how fast this process occurs when done industrially.

The thing that has been holding SWB back is funding. They are not yet commercially viable, though hope to be soon. During the early stages of the project, the company that had built the bulk of their pyrolysis unit went bust, and this added an estimated £350-500k to the project cost. Some of the team working on the SWB project had worked with these machines prior – really providing a lifeline for the project’s feasibility. However, due to Severn Wye Energy being a charity, there is never spare capital to mobilise to fix issues, meaning things are descoped – regardless of whether that could lead to more cost, or missed value, further down the line.

Day 1 has been amazing, bring on day 2 !!!