Frequently Asked Questions
Carbon Removal
Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR) is a method of removing carbon from the atmosphere, that uses carbon stored in biomass via photosynthesis as a source for carbon removal. Biomass (organic residues) is heated at high temperatures and in the absence of oxygen. This is called pyrolysis. In this conversion process, the organic compounds of the biomass are thermo-chemically split and all volatile components pass into the gas phase. What remains is carbon in a solid, easily storable form: biochar. This process can yield various products, including biochar and renewable energy.
The basis is the carbon contained in plant residues. In the natural carbon cycle, this would be released back into the atmosphere as CO₂ via decay of the biomass or, for example, through forest fires. Through pyrolysis, biogenic residues are carbonized to biochar. In this process, biomass is converted into carbon under pressure and at high temperatures with the greatest possible removal of oxygen. This process prevents a large proportion of the CO₂ bound in the biomass via photosynthesis from escaping into the atmosphere. Depending on the carbon content and further use, one tonne of biochar binds around 2.5-2.8 tons of CO₂. The biochar is produced in a combustion-free process. If it is then used as a soil conditioner in agriculture or as a filler in building materials, the CO₂ ends up in a permanent carbon sink.
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) involves methods for removing CO2 from the atmosphere and then storing it permanently. Climate neutrality cannot be achieved without CO2 removal, because in all scientific scenarios residual emissions will remain even with very ambitious reduction measures.
The climate target of the Paris Agreement is to limit man-made global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this, the main aim is to drastically reduce greenhouse gases released. However, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a radical reduction in CO₂ emissions alone is no longer sufficient to achieve this goal. To stay on the 1.5-degree path, we would have to achieve NetZero emissions worldwide by 2050 at the latest. This NetZero will be possible with approximately 10-15 gigatons of CO₂ removal per year. Rapid scaling of CDR technologies is therefore essential.
During pyrolysis, process heat is generated. This heat is excess heat and all emissions from its generation are already added to the biochar CO₂ balance. Therefore, this heat is CO₂ neutral and can be supplied as renewable energy to industries or fed into local heating networks. There it replaces fossil energy sources such as gas and thus saves these emissions.
Green Heat
To process plant residues into biochar, we use state-of-the-art pyrolysis technology. The pyrolysis process also generates regenerative, climate-neutral surplus energy. We offer this energy to companies or municipal utilities in the form of heat-as-a-service partnerships. This means that we take care of designing the right heating solution, building the pyrolysis plant, and continuously operating and feeding the heat into the existing heating network. We can provide the heat as hot water, warm water or process steam.
Probably the biggest barrier companies face in making the switch to carbon-neutral heat is the large capital investment that must be made. Our heat-as-a-service solution allows businesses to access renewable heat without having to make the initial investment. In addition, there are also no maintenance and servicing cost and the heat can be offered at stable prices with long-term contracts! This aspect is also highlighted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): “Decarbonizing heat through a heat-as-a service-partnership is a great way to reduce dependence on gas, especially as energy prices are rising sharply globally and are expected to continue to fluctuate”.
Biochar is produced through the thermal carbonization of biomass, for which we use state-of-the-art pyrolysis technology. In the pyrolysis process, the biomass is not incinerated, but first gently degassed at 500 – 700 °C and then carbonized through the targeted insertion of air. In addition to high-quality, EBC-certified biochar, this also produces regenerative, climate-neutral excess energy.
This is achieved using a self-sustaining process in which the only energy required to maintain the pyrolysis process, originates from the biomass itself. The process gas from the input biomass is separated from the material inside the reactor. It is cleaned from the dust by an automated process gas filter and finally burned at a temperature of 1,000 °C through flameless oxidation (FLOX® burner) inside the separated combustion chamber. The hot flue gases from the combustion chamber are then directed into the outer jacket of the reactor, to support drying, degassing and carbonizing of the biomass. This produces excess energy that can be fed into heat networks and used for heating, for example.
A pyrolysis plant such as the one we use in our Carbon Removal Park Baltic Sea (PX 1500 from Pyreg) can generate 4,500 MWh of industrial waste heat per year, which is equivalent to the consumption of around 180 average households. We generally operate several pyrolysis plants in our Carbon Removal Parks: on average, we produce 18,000 MWh of green heat per site, which we can make available to companies and municipal utilities as hot water, warm water or process steam.
The combustion and carbonization of biomass are two different processes that produce different results. During combustion, biomass is burnt with the addition of oxygen. This takes place in an oxidizing environment, whereby the organic components of the biomass are completely converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Depending on the conditions, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) may also be produced. Combustion is used to generate energy, while the CO2 is released back into the atmosphere.
During carbonization, biomass is heated in the absence of oxygen. This process, called pyrolysis, is used in the production of biochar in our Carbon Removal Parks. By heating the biomass in a low-oxygen environment, volatile organic compounds are broken down, leaving behind carbon in the form of biochar. Depending on the biomass and temperature, up to 95% of the CO2 from the biomass can be stored in the biochar. The use of biochar, e.g. as a soil conditioner in agriculture, creates permanent carbon sinks.
To summarize, when biomass is burnt, organic materials are converted into heat energy by adding oxygen, which releases CO2, whereas during carbonization (pyrolysis), biomass is heated in an oxygen-poor environment, producing heat energy and biochar, which stores the carbon from the biomass in the long term.
The pyrolysis process works autothermally, as only the energy of the biomass fed in is used to maintain the process. External energy (natural gas) is only required to start the pyrolysis plant. Apart from regular maintenance stops of the plant approximately every three months, the pyrolysis process runs autothermally at all times.
About Biochar
Biochar is produced by thermal carbonization (pyrolysis) of biomass such as waste wood, hedge trimmings as well as other biogenic residues e.g. from the food industry. Due to its porous structure and high internal surface area, biochar can store water or nutrients and be used as a filter material. These properties make it a true all-rounder that can play an important role in agriculture, industry and construction, for example.
Biochar supports the additional build-up of humus in the soil and prevents the leaching of phosphorus and nitrate. It also reduces nitrous oxide emissions on agricultural land and minimizes the need for irrigation. In addition, the resistance of plants to fungal diseases is increased. As an additive in the earth industry, biochar can replace peat and thus contribute to the preservation of peatlands, whose degradation in peat extraction causes methane emissions, a greenhouse gas that is around 28 times more harmful to the climate than CO₂.
Cities can be made more climate resilient and livable through filtration and water retention if biochar substrates are used for stormwater management and “blue-green” infrastructure projects such as urban trees, rain gardens and green roofs. In addition, applications are growing in the area of industrial materials. For example, biochar can replace some of the cement and sand in concrete in the production of concrete. At the same time, the product properties of the concrete can be improved. Biochar also proves advantageous as a filler: it has very good insulating properties. In particular, Novocarbo is currently working with the textile industry on ways to make biochar suitable as a substitute for non-sustainable materials.
Novocarbo’s biochar is mainly used as a soil conditioner, peat substitute in the earth industry, or in stormwater management for blue-green infrastructure projects. In addition, biochar replaces fossil or high emission resources in industry. Examples here include molded parts, housings and functional parts made of plastic, floor coverings or use as concrete aggregate. Novocarbo’s goal is to accelerate the active decarbonization of the industry with its economically viable products.
To produce biochar through pyrolysis, biomass is required. Various biogenic residues can be used for this purpose. Novocarbo mainly processes woody waste or agricultural residues such as forest residues from wood chip production, sieve overflow that cannot be composted in regional composting plants or uncontaminated waste wood of class A1. We also use green waste or residual materials from food production, such as nut shells or fruit pits. Which input material is utilized also depends on the subsequent application of the biochar and its required composition. We ensure that only biogenic residues are taken for our biochar production, which otherwise have no further use.
As Novocarbo produces high-quality, EBC-certified biochar, special criteria apply to the selection of biomass. Novocarbo is therefore committed, among other things, to sourcing biomass only from certified, regional PEFC biomass operations within a radius of no more than 100 kilometers.
This is where Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR), as biochar production by pyrolysis is officially called, has a decisive advantage: because pyrolysis permits the usage of otherwise hardly valorized residual biomass. According to the EBI European Biochar Market Report 2022/2023, just 1% of the biomass available today is required for 6 megatons of CO₂ forecasted for Biochar Carbon Removal by 2030. The biomass figures are based on the estimated total sustainable biomass potential for all markets from a study by Imperial College London.
Increased attention is also being paid to the topic of biomass at political level: for example, Germany presented key points for the National Biomass Strategy (NABIS) in October 2022. With this, the German government aims to steer biomass flows in a targeted manner to ensure that this valuable resource is used in the best possible way.
Climate Tech Company
As a Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR) company, we process biomass through pyrolysis into biochar, thereby binding and storing the carbon present in the biomass. As soon as the biochar is demonstrably added to a permanent carbon sink (e.g. in agricultural soil or concrete), a certificate can be generated for the amount of carbon safely extracted. This is done on the basis of Puro.earth’s scientific method and a sound auditing process by independent third parties. Afterwards, the amount of CO₂ captured in the process can be traded as a Carbon Removal Certificate. This trading takes place on voluntary carbon markets and marketplaces like the NASDAQ platform Puro.earth, among others.
According to the external method used, the certificate translates the carbon content of each production batch of biochar into CO₂ equivalents. The carbon content is measured on the basis of laboratory analysis. Then, all process, post-process and transport emissions are subtracted from this amount. Furthermore, depending on the use of the biochar, a possible degradation rate of the organic carbon components of the biochar in the soil is deducted as a safety buffer. The certificate calculates this degradation over at least 100 years and deducts a further general safety buffer. As a result, one ton of biochar is equivalent to approximately 2.5 – 2.8 tons of CO₂. Carbon Removal Certificates are an important financial tool for innovative CDR technologies like BCR, enabling rapid scaling to help achieve global climate goals.