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.

The Basel based IWB has realized the first climate-neutral district heating project in Switzerland. Using our newly developed PX1500, IWB is now feeding an annual heating capacity of around 1.5 gigawatt hours into the district heating network. That covers the energy needs of about 170 Basel households. IWB uses only regional, untreated biomass such as wood and green waste from a maximum radius of 40 kilometers. In the PYREG plant, this high-quality biomass is carbonized into biochar at 500 to 700 degrees Celsius in the absence of oxygen. In this biochar, CO₂ is safely bound. Subsequently dispersed into the earth it ends up in a permanent carbon sink.

IWB sells premium biochar and closes the loop

Through the advanced temperature-controlled Pyreg carbonization, IWB produces a premium biochar certified as the internationally accepted “EBC-AgroBio“. That biochar complies with the requirements for EU-wide use as a soil conditioner – even in organic farming. IWB sells the biochar – ca. 550 metric tons per year – to both, agricultural enterprises, and private customers. By doing so, IWB is also setting new standards for circular economy in the municipal sector.

A flagship project

“IWB is a pioneer in climate protection and living proof of the enormous climate protection value that lies in CO₂-negative district heating,” says Helmut Gerber, CTO and founder of PYREG GmbH, adding, “We are convinced that flagship projects like this one in Switzerland will follow worldwide. They are important as we have no more time to lose on the way to achieving the Paris climate protection goals.”
“With this, our first biochar plant IWB emphasizes our leading role as a service provider for renewable energy. Decarbonizing the heat supply is one of our most important tasks, and not just in Basel. We carry this mission throughout Switzerland. The plant is a showcase project in terms of decarbonization and energy efficiency. Also, our customers gain from the ecological benefits of the biochar,” says Dr. Arthur Janssen, Head of Strategy & Innovation at IWB.

Der Beitrag Flagship project: Climate-neutral district heating in Basel erschien zuerst auf PYREG GmbH.