Issues in the Forest MARCH 2012

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities and the National Association of State Foresters have a shared interest in advancing sustainable forestry in the U.S. This BIOCHAR brief is intended to inform public dialogue on sustainable markets and turning wood to gold forests.

Good news for forest managers who Emerging markets need options for moving low-value trees and A nascent market for biochar has led numerous BIOCHAR RESOURCES wood waste into multiple markets. Biochar, a companies to attempt commercial production. charcoal byproduct of thermal gasification or For Phoenix Energy based in Merced California, fast pyrolysis, has proven agricultural benefits. biochar is quickly becoming their primary See a lengthy list of companies Biochar markets are on the rise and could make product with electricity moving to second place. exploring biochar at the the economics for renewable wood-to-energy Phoenix uses gasification to create synthesis much more attractive. gas to help California Pacific Gas and Electric Biochar Discussion Website. meet renewable energy standards using wood Biochar is touted as beneficial on multiple levels: chips and wood waste, including pallets and See a comprehensive list of • Soil amender increasing crop yields grapevines as the fuel source. • Prevents fertilizer runoff and leeching university, government and private • Reduces need for fertilizers Greg Stangl of Phoenix Energy says, “We are foundation research into biochar at • Retains soil moisture, especially helpful in arid no longer in the energy business but the biochar www.biochar.info regions business.” • Fosters growth of soil microbes essential for nutrient absorption, particularly mycorrhizal fungi Stangl and John Gelwick of Genesis agree that • Sequesters carbon while still in its infancy, the biochar market is • Water filtration rapidly growing. They both claim no one knows • Other products include pencil lead and toner for sure the depth of the market or real price for cartridge ink (black carbon) the final product.

The profitability of a biochar product depends on fuel prices for hauling and processing biomass and the ability of a plant to produce its own energy versus buying electricity as well as the emergence of potential taxes that could be imposed on society for carbon release.

Phoenix Energy’s repeat buyers, mostly soil scientists making their own soil amendment blends and selling into the agricultural markets, claim 15 cents a pound is the maximum they can pay. Yet, Phoenix has been selling loads How is biochar produced? recently at 50 cents per pound. Biochar is the result of baking biomass—either through pyrolysis or gasification—driving off Most biochar producers have their sights set volatile gases and leaving behind a solid residue beyond soil to the activated carbon market, i.e. richer in carbon content known as char. water filtration. Coconut shell-based activated Follow the Woody Biomass carbon is the primary source due to porosity. Joint Venture Pyrolysis is heating in the absence of oxygen. It is bought in large quantities from places like The word derives from the Greek pyr for fire and Indonesia for prices as high as $2 per pound The Woody Biomass Joint Venture, lysis meaning to separate. The process does by municipally owned water treatment facilities. a partnership between the U.S. Endowment not require a lot of energy but does need careful reaction control and fast heating and cooling rates Stangl says, “Woody biomass can replace for Forestry and Communities and USDA to prevent the liquids from breaking down to gases. coconut. It may require more volume to do Forest Service, encourages advancement the same job as a coconut, but it’s American- of near-term technologies and new Gasification is a high-temperature, high energy- sourced and we have lots of it.” procurement model development to use process, with or without oxygen and/or promote sustainable uses of woody biomass. water, producing synthesis or “syn” gas as well If Phoenix ran their facility at full steam, they We seek out organizations with proven as methanol, ammonia, diesel fuel, etc. would consume three quarters-of-a-ton of wood promise, stimulate new sets of networks and chips per hour resulting in 550 to 580 kilowatts disseminate rapid learning. Both pyrolysis and gasification are capable of of electricity and 274 pounds of biochar per producing biochar and carbon monoxide and hour. Learn more about the Woody Biomass Joint hydrogen, but according to John Gelwick of Venture at http://www.usendowment.org/ Genesis, using a newly patented process, Genesis Industries, producer of pyrolsis systems theendowmentonwoodybi.html in Redondo Beach, CA, “gasification produces a based on old pyrolysis methods developed by much higher quality product.” the Germans, is just starting up in Northern California utilizing “green waste.” Owner John Feedstock also affects chemical and physical Gelwicks feels the sky is the limit with their properties. For example, biochar made from technology. He has plans to produce wood manure will have a higher nutrient content than vinegar, popular in Asia for detoxification, and biochar made from wood chips, but woody bacteria inoculated biochar that could help with biochar is more stable and persists longer. forest pest control.

This publication is made possible through funds from the USDA Forest Service and U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.