What is Additionality?

In the context of carbon markets, additionality refers to the principle that a project’s climate benefits—in this case, carbon removal—must be above and beyond what would have occurred under a “business-as-usual” scenario. In simple terms, a biochar project can only generate carbon credits if it demonstrates that its carbon removal activities would not have happened without the incentive provided by the carbon market.

This requirement ensures the integrity of carbon credits by preventing projects from receiving financial rewards for activities that would have occurred anyway. Additionality acts as a safeguard to ensure that every credit issued represents a genuine net reduction in atmospheric carbon.

Why Additionality Matters for Biochar Projects

Biochar’s ability to sequester carbon is well-documented. When organic biomass is thermally decomposed in a low-oxygen environment (pyrolysis), it produces a stable form of carbon that can persist in soils for centuries. This dual-purpose technology not only removes carbon from the atmosphere but also enhances soil fertility and water retention.

However, the biochar industry’s growing role in carbon markets depends on its ability to uphold transparency and credibility. Additionality serves as a critical criterion in this regard, ensuring that biochar projects truly contribute to climate mitigation. For project developers, additionality is not merely a box to check but a strategic consideration that shapes project design, implementation, and funding.

Demonstrating Additionality: Challenges and Solutions

From a project developer’s perspective, proving additionality can be both complex and resource-intensive. Below are key challenges and potential solutions, particularly in light of emerging carbon standards:

1. Baseline Scenarios

To prove additionality, developers must establish a baseline scenario—a hypothetical projection of what would have occurred in the absence of the project. For biochar, this often involves showing that the feedstock would have otherwise decomposed, been incinerated, or used in a way that emits carbon back into the atmosphere.

Solution: Leverage comprehensive lifecycle assessments (LCAs) and historical data to create robust baseline models. Engage third-party verifiers to validate assumptions and enhance credibility.

2. Economic Feasibility

Many biochar projects face economic hurdles, especially in regions where biomass feedstock is abundant but market mechanisms for carbon credits are underdeveloped. Demonstrating that the project’s financial viability hinges on carbon credit revenues is essential to proving additionality.

Solution: Maintain detailed financial records to substantiate claims that the project would not have been viable without carbon credit incentives. Collaborate with stakeholders to highlight the role of credits in bridging funding gaps.

3. Policy and Regulatory Context

In some cases, existing regulations may already mandate practices that align with biochar production, such as waste management or renewable energy policies. Projects in these contexts risk being deemed non-additional.

Solution: Conduct thorough policy reviews to identify gaps where the project exceeds regulatory requirements. Clearly document how the project delivers incremental benefits beyond compliance.

4. Leakage and Permanence

Leakage occurs when emissions reductions in one area inadvertently cause increases elsewhere. Permanence refers to the long-term stability of sequestered carbon. Both factors influence the additionality of biochar projects.

Solution: Implement robust monitoring and reporting frameworks to track carbon flows and mitigate leakage risks. Use scientifically validated methods to ensure the long-term durability of biochar in soils.

The Way Forward: Aligning with Standards and Best Practices

The biochar carbon removal community is increasingly aligning with internationally recognized carbon standards. These frameworks provide clear methodologies for assessing additionality, including:

• Financial Additionality: Demonstrating that carbon credit revenue is critical to the project’s financial success.
• Regulatory Additionality: Proving that the project’s activities are not already mandated by law.
• Common Practice Additionality: Showing that the project goes beyond industry norms or common practices.

Carbon standards organizations are also actively developing tailored methodologies for biochar projects, addressing unique considerations such as feedstock sustainability, pyrolysis conditions, and the stability of sequestered carbon. By adhering to these evolving standards, project developers can enhance the credibility of their biochar initiatives and foster trust among investors, regulators, and the broader climate community.

Conclusion

For the biochar carbon removal community, additionality is more than a requirement—it is a cornerstone of credibility. As project developers, the ability to demonstrate additionality directly influences the integrity of carbon credits and the success of our projects. By embracing rigorous methodologies, leveraging innovative tools, and aligning with international carbon standards, we can ensure that biochar projects make a genuine and measurable contribution to the fight against climate change. The stakes are high, but so too is the opportunity to build a resilient and transparent carbon removal industry that drives meaningful climate action.

Der Beitrag Additionality – a cornerstone of credibility: A BCR Project Developer’s Guide erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

The German climate tech company Novocarbo has announced the kick-off for its largest Carbon Removal Park (CDR-Park) in Germany to date. The latest site of the Hamburg-based start-up, which uses the PYREG net-zero technology to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, produce biochar, and generate renewable energy, is being built in Bochum in collaboration with the municipal utility of the city. Stadtwerke Bochum is the first municipal utility in a major German city to use climate-neutral heat from biochar production to make its district heating network greener. This is already the second carbon removal park that Novocarbo is going to open in Germany on the basis of the PYREG carbonization technology.

Climate-neutral heat for 26,000 households

Stadtwerke Bochum will source regenerative heat from the Carbon Removal Park Bochum all year round, thereby making the district heating supply in Bochum with currently around 26,000 connected households greener. “We very much welcome Novocarbo’s involvement in Bochum and are happy to support innovative, pioneering companies and technologies as part of our partnerships. Novocarbo offers us the opportunity to broaden our heat generation portfolio and make it greener. The surplus energy generated in the pyrolysis process is fed directly into our district heating network. The project is therefore an important building block for the decarbonisation of district heating in Bochum,” explains Elke Temme, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Bochum Holding GmbH.

Four PYREG plants form technical basis of Carbon Removal Park

The Carbon Removal Park in Bochum will be built from the end of 2024 on a site belonging to USB Bochum GmbH (USB) in Markstraße. By using four PX1500 pyrolysis plants from PYREG, around 6,000 tonnes of CO₂ will be removed from the atmosphere, 15,000 MWh of climate-neutral heat will be generated, and 3,300 tonnes of biochar will be produced on an area of 4,500 m² from mid-2025. Novocarbo is investing around 14 million euros in the new site in Bochum. The start-up plans to open around 200 Carbon Removal Parks by 2033.

Caspar von Ziegner, CEO Novocarbo: “Our goal is to accelerate the economy‘s transition to Net Zero and to support companies in decarbonising with our green heat solution. Together with Stadtwerke Bochum, we can make a valuable contribution to climate neutrality in Germany in one of its most densely populated metropolitan regions.”

Der Beitrag Green district heating with biochar: Novocarbo and municipal utilities Bochum rely on PYREG’s Net Zero technology erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

Sources of PFAS contamination include paper mills, landfills, firefighting training facilities and fluorochemical plants. After decades of use, PFAS are ubiquitous in soils, groundwater and surface water. This puts pressure on wastewater treatment plants to adequately treat waste streams to prevent further spread of PFAS chemicals and increases pressure to remediate contaminated soils. This is where biochar comes into play.

Source: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/les-decodeurs/article/2023/02/23/forever-pollution-explore-the-map-of-europe-s-pfas-contamination_6016905_8.html

Scientific research has demonstrated that PFAS are eliminated by the process of pyrolysis. Kundu et al. (2021) found that > 90 % of PFOS and PFOA in sewage sludge were destroyed in a pyrolysis-combustion integrated process. Evidence from the US EPA Office of Research and Development (2021) carried out on the US-based company Bioforcetech’s commercially installed PYREG pyrolysis plant shows that pyrolysis at 600 °C for 10 minutes and combustion of pyrolysis gases at 850 °C eliminate PFAS from sewage sludge. Bioforcetech (2021) has reported 38 PFAS compounds that were all kept at or removed to below detection limit in the biochar in their pyrolysis and pyrolysis gas burning process. At the Fårevejle wastewater treatment plant in Denmark, sewage sludge pyrolysis at a temperature of 650 °C and a residence time of more than 3 minutes has showed to eliminate all 7 PFAS compounds previously detected in the feedstock.

In addition to PFAS destruction Biochar made from sludges, used as a sorbent, binds already existent contaminants due to his high surface and properties. What is a sorbent ? Previous studies have postulated that high surface area, porosity, and high carbon content are important for the sorption of organic pollutants (Ahmad et al., 2014, Cornelissen et al., 2005; Hale et al., 2016; Zimmerman et al., 2004 ). Nowadays, activated carbon (AC), generally from fossil coal sources such as anthracite, is the most commonly used sorbent for soil remediation due to its high porosity and high carbon content (Hagemann et al., 2018). Biochar is an alternative to activated carbon, which can be costly and chemical and energy intensive to produce (Ahmed et al., 2019). The main advantage of biochar over AC is its greater sustainability, as demonstrated by an endpoint life cycle analysis (Sparrevik et al., 2011) due to its potential for carbon sequestration (Smith, 2016) and reduced use of chemicals (Zheng et al., 2019). Biochar is often produced from wood-based sources (Hale et al., 2016). However, from a circular economy perspective, it is at least as attractive to use lightly contaminated waste such as sewage sludge as a substrate for the production of biochar sorbents. Pyrolysis of sewage sludge to biochar is the possibility of a more sustainable waste management alternative to landfill or incineration, as it would remove many of the contaminants present in the sludge, including much of the PFAS (Sajjadi et al., 2019), and produce a sorbent for PFAS.

Sewage sludge biochars as effective PFAS-sorbents

In May 2023, there was now a groundbreaking study showing that biochar from raw and digested sewage sludge can be used as an effective sorbent for PFAS in most environmental contexts, with similar or better efficiencies than AC. This study is performed with biochar produced at Lindum AS (Drammen, Norway) by slow pyrolysis at 700 °C and a residence time of 20 minutes for WCBC and SSBC2 and 40 minutes for SSBC1 using Biogreen technology. “High porosity in the right size range and carbon content were probably the main parameters responsible for the high sorption strength observed in the sludge-derived biochars, together with some possible influence of amine functional groups.” (Krahn, Cornelissen et al. 2023).

According to Prof. Cornelissen’s research team, further studies should examine a larger range of biochar samples prepared at different pyrolysis temperatures to identify the characteristics ideal for PFAS sorption, such as surface area, pore volume, carbon content and mineral content (mainly Ca and Fe). Finally, studying the effect of activation of sludge chars on sorption strength could be useful for further improving their sorption properties.

Der Beitrag Pyrolysis not only eliminates PFAS from sewage sludge, the biochar also absorbs PFAS in contaminated soils erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

Hamburg-based start-up Novocarbo officially opened the Carbon Removal Park Baltic Sea in Grevesmühlen (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany) on October 12, 2023.

The Carbon Removal Park Baltic Sea (CDR-Park Baltic Sea) in the green industrial area north-west in Grevesmühlen is a unique example in Germany of a holistic approach to CO₂ removal and green heat generation. Each year 3,200 t of CO₂ will be removed from the atmosphere, 6,600 MWh of climate-neutral heat will be generated, and 1,700 t of biochar will be produced, which can be used as a soil conditioner in agriculture, among other things.

The showcase site for Biochar Carbon Removal, one of the world’s most effective CO₂ removal technologies, is the result of a unique cooperation of German climate pioneers, and combines several climate-saving measures at once.

State-of-the-art pyrolysis technology from PYREG is used to process biogenic residues into biochar. This binds the carbon present in the biomass and stores it in the biochar over the long term. The biochar serves as a water and nutrient reservoir, making agricultural soils healthier and more climate-resistant, for example. The pyrolysis process also produces climate-neutral waste heat, which Stadtwerke Grevesmühlen (municipal utilities) will feed into its district heating network from the 2023 heating season. This will make the supply of around 1800 connected households greener and increase the share of renewable energy from 60% to 75%.

Der Beitrag Novocarbo opens largest Carbon Removal Park in Germany erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

In the carbonization plant, residual wood is carbonized in a pyrolysis process. This produces regenerative heat and biochar. “Our carbonization plant is unique in Germany in terms of its dimensions and is the first time negative emission technology has been integrated in a German industrial group,” explains Dr. Wilfried Spintig, COO at thyssenkrupp rothe erde. “We use the heat generated in the pyrolysis process for our production site in Lippstadt and can thus cover around 40% of our on-site heat requirements.” This renewable heat replaces previously fossil fuels. By way of comparison, the heat produced in the plant is equivalent to the annual demand of almost 300 households.
The feedstock used in Lippstadt is unprocessed and uncontaminated wood, consisting on the one hand of packaging residues and on the other of suitably dried green waste. Around 2,500 metric tons of residual wood are used annually to generate over 5,300 MWh of heat and around 640 metric tons of biochar, which is used among other things as a soil conditioner in agriculture. “thyssenkrupp rothe erde will be climate-neutral by 2050, and to achieve this we are also constantly looking for new ways to implement decarbonization at our company,” explains Wilfried Spintig. “This plant is also a pilot project for us and, in our eyes, can be a building block for a meaningful jump-start on the way to decarbonization for other industries as well.”

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foto / source: Christian Deutscher, thyssenkrupp rothe erde

Der Beitrag thyssenkrupp rothe erde operates largest decarbonization plant in a German industrial group erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

PYREG held its first Biochar symposium for Growers in the California Central Valley.
Why? Biomass residues are valuable materials!  With PYREG NetZero Carbonization Systems, growers can transform their waste/residues into highly valuable Biochar. By applying the carbonization process, Growers achieve a Circular Economy,  producing Biochar, while generating renewable energy and carbon credit certificates.
Biochar is extremely interesting for agriculture because its sponge-like structure stores water and nutrients, thus counteracting soil dehydration, improving soil health and increasing crop yields/quality.
Robert Kovach clearly explains how Biochar works. A lively interview. Take a look!

KSEE24 Local News That Matters – KSEE Television
CBS47 Eyewitness News – KGPE Television

Short version:

Extended interview:

Der Beitrag Talking about Biochar with PYREG CSO Robert Kovach by YourCentralValley.com Local News erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

This is the result of the joint efforts of AquaGreen Denmark, the European Biochar Industry Consortium EBI and many biochar supporters. The EBI calls on the EU Commission to include biochar from sewage sludge in the EU Fertilizer Regulation as an important step towards a safe and sustainable circular economy and agriculture. In the absence of a clear position on pyrolysis as a means of upgrading sewage sludge, the EBI has addressed a position paper to the European Commission. It describes the Pyrolysis process and summarizes the current state of research as follows:

What is pyrolysis?
The heating of biomass in a low-oxygen environment is called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis converts organic carbon into a gas (pyrolysis gas) and fixed/elemental carbon. While organic carbon is degradable and while during its natural degradation, greenhouse gases like CO₂ or CH₄ are released into the atmosphere, fixed carbon is recalcitrant (resistant to weathering/degradation). Unless it is burned, it will not react with any element and stay in its stable form as C. Thus, it can be considered as a permanent carbon sink if used in a material way (no combustion). The specificities of the pyrolysis process include:
– A temperature and process time high enough to “decompose” and/or “volatilize” major feedstock contaminants, like virus or micropollutants (see below).
– The retention of key nutrients (like phosphorus) in the solid phase.
– The capacity to convert part of the carbon contained in the feedstock into “recalcitrant carbon” in the char, ensuring a stable carbon sink if the char is not
oxidized (burnt). This process is called Pyrolytic Carbon Capture and Storage (PyCCS).

Pyrolysis destroys feedstock pathogens
Sewage sludge originates mainly from human excrements. Naturally, the sludge contains pathogens and pyrogens, which are of public health concern. Standard hygienization of sewage sludge e.g., heating of the sludge to 70°C, does not eliminate spores, pyrogens or pathogens.
The process conditions of pyrolysis (> 350°C for several minutes) are much harsher than approved sterilization conditions (Requiring 132°C for 4 minutes with steam (see CDC Steam Sterilization Disinfection & Sterilization Guidelines) and 250°C to remove pyrogens (bacterial endotoxins) under dry conditions (Dry Heat Sterilization). DNA is denatured at 90 °C, hence pyrolysis removes all pathogens and pyrogens contained in sewage sludge (incl. bacteria, fungi, vira, spores, parasites, antibiotic resistance genes etc), from the final product, i.e. the biochar, thereby eliminating these public health concerns.

Pyrolysis eliminates micropollutants from sewage sludge.
Increasing concern is raised regarding sewage sludge spreading on farmland, due to the presence of micropollutants in sludges. Recent scientific research has demonstrated that pyrolysis will have a destruction or removal effect on several types of micropollutants:

Organic pollutants (pharmaceuticals, hormone disrupting molecules):
Recent scientific evidence shows that, at sufficiently severe pyrolysis temperatures (> 500°C) and residence times (> 3 min), all reference organic contaminants and organic micropollutants were completely or nearly completely degraded or driven off the solid material. A study published by the German Ministry of Environment in 2019 (Bundesumweltamt 2019) investigated pharmaceutical residues of various biosolids after pyrolytic treatments above 500 °C. Following the pyrolysis treatment with operating temperatures above 500°C all values of the investigated pharmaceuticals were below the detection limit. The authors concluded: With thermo-chemical treatments (i.e. pyrolysis) a complete destruction of the pharmaceutical residues is achieved. No further technical treatment measures are necessary.

PFAS:
PFASs have been used in consumer products since the 1940s. They are extremely persistent and accumulate in the environment as well as in our bodies. For this reason, they are often referred to as “forever chemicals.” According to research, some of them cause serious health effects such as cancer and liver damage. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are eliminated by the process of pyrolysis. Kundu et al. [2] found that >90% of PFOS and PFOA in sewage sludge were destroyed in a pyrolysis-combustion integrated process. Evidence from the US EPA Office of Research and Development (2021) work with Bioforcetech’s commercially installed PYREG pyrolysis plant shows that pyrolysis at 600°C for 10 minutes and combustion of pyrolysis gases at 850°C eliminate PFAS from sewage sludge [3].
Bioforcetech (2021) has reported 38 PFAS compounds that were all kept at or removed to below detection limit in the biochar in their pyrolysis and pyrolysis gas burning process [4].

PAH:
Direct land spreading of sewage sludge is a preferred method in some European countries. A potential issue with this method is the elevated content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sludges. The process of pyrolysis can eliminate the content of those to below detection limits in the biochar with proper design of the pyrolysis process (Moško et al., 2021) demonstrated that slow pyrolysis > 400 °C removed more than 99.8 % of PCB, PAH, and endocrine disrupting and hormonal compounds studied [5]. The conclusion from the study is “high temperature (>600 °C) slow pyrolysis can satisfactory remove organic pollutants from the resulting sludge-char, which could be safely applied as soil improver.

Pyrolysis eliminates microplastics from sewage sludge
Research indicates that sewage sludge is a sink for microplastics and further handling of sewage sludge is critical for potential dispersal. Thus, effective reduction of microplastics in the sludge is an important issue (Rolsky et al., 2020). The elimination of microplastic contaminants can be assured by the high temperature during the treatment and the residence time. Ni et al. 2020 [6] found that “Polyethylene and polypropylene, the two most abundant microplastics in sewage sludge, were entirely degraded when the pyrolysis temperature reached 450 °C.”.

The phosphorus present in the feedstock is retained in the pyrolysis char
Phosphorus must be recovered from sewage sludge in more and more EU member states so that fields can be fertilized with this recycled phosphorus in the future. There are various methods for phosphorus recovery, but pyrolysis at temperatures from 500-800 °C is among the most carbon efficient and leads to a product that is directly useable as a fertilizer for soil applications without the need for any further chemical extraction. The P-availability (P₂O₅) of the sludge biochar is between 40-80% in ammonium citrate (Friedrich et. al. 2015) [7] which is a highly suitable method for measuring the value as a P-fertilizer (Kratz, S.; Schnug, E., 2009) [8]. According to the same reference this indicates a highly valuable fertilizer.

Sources:

[1] Paz-Ferreiro J, Nieto A, Méndez A, Askeland M, Gascó G (2018) Biochar from Biosolids Pyrolysis: A Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, 956
[2] Removal of PFASs from biosolids using a semi-pilot scale pyrolysis reactor and the application of biosolids derived biochar for the removal of PFASs from contaminated water, Kundu S. et al, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2021, 7, 638–649
[3] EPA PFAS innovative treatment team (PITT) findings on PFAS destruction technologies, EPA Tools & Resources Webinar February 17, 2021, Gullett B.
[4] https://ccag.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BFT_FEB_2020-1.pdf
[5] Effect of pyrolysis temperature on removal of organic pollutants present in anaerobically stabilized sewage sludge, Moško J. et al, Chemosphere 265
(2021) 12982
[6] Ni et al., 2020: Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2020, 7, 12, 961–967. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00740
[7] Deutsche Gesellschaft für Abfallwirtschaft e.V., 5. Wissenschaftskongress Abfall- und Ressourcen- wirtschaft am 19. und 20. März 2015 an der Universität Innsbruck Kevin Friedrich, Katharina Schuh, Thomas Appel Trockene Klärschlammkarbonisierung – ist ein dezentrales Phosphorrecycling möglich?
[8] Kratz, S.; Schnug, E., 2009 On the solubility and plant availability of phosphorus from mineral fertilizers – a review, JOURNAL FÜR KULTURPFLANZEN, 61 (1). S. 2–8, 2009, ISSN 0027-7479 VERLAG EUGEN ULMER KG, STUTTGART,

Der Beitrag Biochar from sewage sludge: the phosphorus fertilizer for a safe and sustainable agriculture erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

Our motto for RWM is “turn positive now – the best way to recycle your residuals, protects the climate and creates economic value”. Let´s meet at the RWM Expo, which takes place on 22-23 September 2021 at the NEC, Birmingham. You are very welcome to arrange appointments with us in advance.
You will find us at the booth 5-Q102

Der Beitrag Join us at RWM Expo, UK’s largest Recycling, Resource & Waste Management event! erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

Let’s dive right into the EBC’s policies to better understand background and what they do:

“Modern pyrolysis plants as well as certain types of farmer-scale kilns such as flame curtain pyrolysis systems are now ready to produce biochar from a large variety of different feedstocks in an energy efficient way and without harming the environment. As both biochar properties and the environmental footprint of its production are largely dependent on the pyrolysis parameters and the type of feedstocks to be used, a secure control and assessment system for its production and analysis had to be introduced. (…)
The goal of the EBC guidelines is to encourage and ensure the control of biochar production and quality based on well-researched, legally backed-up, economically viable and practically applicable processes. Users of biochar and biochar-based products should benefit from transparent and verifiable monitoring and quality assurance. (…)
In issuing these guidelines the Ithaka Institute intents to introduce an assessment mechanism based on the latest research and practices. By requiring the use of this assessment system, the European Biochar Certificate (EBC) will enable and guarantee sustainable biochar production, processing and sale. It is introduced to provide customers with a reliable quality standard, while giving producers the opportunity to prove that their products meet well-defined and recognized quality standards. It further aims to provide a firm state-of-the-art knowledge transfer as a sound basis for future legislation (e.g. EU fertilizer regulations or carbon-sink regulations).
Currently, the European Biochar Certificate is a voluntary industry standard in Europe. In Switzerland, however, it is obligatory for all biochar sold for use in agriculture. Several other countries aligned their biochar related regulations with the EBC.”

EBC (2012) ‘European Biochar Certificate -Guidelines for a Sustainable Production of Biochar.’ European Biochar Foundation (EBC), Arbaz, Switzerland. (http://european-biochar.org). Version 9.3E of 11thApril2021

Der Beitrag The European Biochar Certificate (EBC): A proven voluntary industry standard erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.

In order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, as called for by the EU, two fundamentally different strands of action are required: on the one hand, the reduction of carbon emissions, and on the other, the creation of carbon sinks.

(source: Glen peters @ https://www.cicero.oslo.no/en/posts/climate-news/stylised-pathways-to-well-below-2c)

In the EU, this would require sequestering a carbon quantity on the order of 15% of 1990 emissions, or about 850 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent. Without carbon sinks, also known as negative emissions, climate neutrality and thus the Paris climate goals cannot be achieved.

There are a number of viable methods for creating carbon sinks, also known as Negative Emission Technologies (NET), that actively remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. The key to carbon efficiency is sequestration (i.e., storage) over as long a period of time as possible.

(source: EBI White Paper adjusted from MCC)

The European Biochar Certificate (EBC) for quality control was supplemented in June 2020 with a new standard for carbon sink certification (EBC, 2020). This provided a scientifically sound basis for quantifying the overall carbon sink performance of biochar applications. Key elements include:

1. Biomass production must be carbon neutral, i.e., it must not impact existing carbon sinks.
2. Emissions from the entire charring process (pyrolysis) must be subtracted. In particular, this includes emissions associated with the transport and processing of the biomass, any post-treatment, and the energy required to start the pyrolysis process.
3. Emissions from transporting the biochar to the point of use and, if applicable, emissions from further processing of the biochar must also be subtracted.
4. The final use of the biochar determines the durability of the carbon sink. For example, for soil applications, a scientifically based annual decay must be assumed. However, if the biochar is used as a sand replacement in concrete, for example, this is not necessary because the biochar cannot oxidize in the absence of air.

Der Beitrag Biochar as Negative Emission Technology (NET) erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.