BIOCHAR STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS and their impact on biochar industry development Kelpie Wilson Wilson Biochar Associates [email protected] Presented at 2014 ASA, www.wilsonbiochar.com CSSA, and SSSA Annual Blog at: www.greenyourhead.com Meeting, Long Beach, CA Wilson Biochar Associates 2 Wilson Biochar Associates: • I am an independent biochar consultant. I am also an editor at the newly launched Biochar Journal – covering biochar science and applications: http://www.biochar-journal.org • In 2011-2012 I was privileged to help facilitate the open, transparent, public process of drafting and finalizing version 1.0 of the IBI standards Wilson Biochar Associates 3 Biochar Certification and the Industry • Why Standards and Certification? • What do existing biochar standards cover? • Are certification programs effective? • What biochar qualities are the markets looking for? • What biochar qualities are researchers investigating? • What are some new biochar quality assays that should be developed? Wilson Biochar Associates 4 Why Biochar Standards & Certification? 1. To standardize characterization for research purposes 2. To keep unacceptable biochar products out of markets through testing and certification 3. To assist in market development by providing the means to match products to applications Wilson Biochar Associates 5 Biochar Certification Programs • IBI – International Biochar Initiative (2012) • EBC – European Biochar Certificate (2012) Wilson Biochar Associates 6 IBI & EBC - Different Biochar Definitions: Product only vs Product + Process Approach IBI EBC “Biochar is here defined as a charcoal-like substance that is pyrolysed from “Biochar: A solid material obtained from Biochar sustainable obtained biomass under thermochemical conversion of biomass controlled conditions and which is used for Definition in an oxygen-limited environment.” any purpose which does not involve its rapid mineralisation to CO2.”** The organic carbon content of biochar The biochar's carbon content must be Minimum must be higher than 10% of the dry higher than 50% of the dry mass (DM). Carbon mass (DM). Biochar materials are Pyrolysed organic matter with a carbon Content divided into 3 grades based on content lower than 50% are classified as increasing organic carbon content. Bio-Carbon-Minerals (BCM). * http://www.biochar-international.org/sites/default/files/IBI_Biochar_Standards_V2.0_final.pdf ** http://www.european-biochar.org/biochar/media/doc/ebc-guidelines.pdf Wilson Biochar Associates 7 Elements of IBI & EBC Standards Biochar Product or Process Parameters IBI EBC Feedstock restrictions (clean biomass) X X Feedstock sustainability (production and transportation) X Pyrolysis process certified (energy efficiency, fossil fuel use, energy generation, emissions) and verified with pyrolysis facility inspection X Toxicant analysis: • Thermally produced PAH, dioxins X X • Originating from feedstocks – primarily metals Biochar stable carbon content for carbon accounting X X Biochar properties include: pH, liming, particle size, bulk density, moisture, surface area, nutrients, volatile matter constituents, ash constituents and more X X Division of properties into basic required and advanced optional tests X X 3 biochar grades based on carbon content X 2 biochar grades based on threshold levels of PAH and metals X Wilson Biochar Associates 8 Evaluating Biochar Standards and Certification Programs Wilson Biochar Associates 9 Have these programs successfully standardized basic biochar material (product) characteristics? • Yes. Basic biochar product standards have been established by IBI & EBC • Efforts are underway to harmonize thresholds and testing methods between IBI & EBC • Hopefully this standardization is serving the biochar research community • Perhaps new tests need to be added for more meaningful biochar characterization? Wilson Biochar Associates 10 Have these programs kept unacceptable biochar products out of markets? • Unknown • No monitoring programs • Certification programs have low market penetration • However, they are still new (2 years or less) Wilson Biochar Associates 11 IBI, EBC voluntary adoption by industry • IBI – 3 certified products in US • Costly ($2000-$2500 per product – labs and fee) • No regulatory incentive • Other certifications (organic, etc) may have priority for markets • EBC – 7 certified producers in 5 EU countries; adopted by Swiss legislature • Costly, but… (1700 EUR per product – labs and fee) • Regulatory environment more compatible, justifies costs Wilson Biochar Associates 12 A Reason for Slow Adoption • Other certifications available with established value in marketplace, eg OMRI, which considers biochar to be a form of ash, a traditional organic soil amendment • Blended products can be approved as fertilizers by AAPFCO or as compost by the US Composting Council Seal of Testing Assurance Wilson Biochar Associates 13 Another Reason for Slow Adoption A sizeable portion of biochar now on the market in the US is a waste product – high carbon ash from biomass energy combustion (often more than 50% carbon). It is difficult to certify. Why? Because of the Process • Questions about consistency of product • In the absence of other controls, IBI requires quarterly testing to reliably certify Wilson Biochar Associates 14 Bioenergy Boilers • Legacy bioenergy boilers are producing agronomically valuable chars that are now on the market* *Brian Coughlan, Wood Ash Industries, Andrew Carpenter, Northern Tilth, John Miedema, Biological Carbon. Presenters, High Carbon Wood Ash, Session, 2013 US Biochar Initiative North American Biochar Symposium, Oct 13-16, 2013, Amherst, MA. http://scholarworks.umass.edu/biochar/2013/Scale/7/ Wilson Biochar Associates 15 Is there another way? • Could taking a process approach provide a more effective and more affordable quality assurance framework than frequent product testing? • BQM – Biochar Quality Mandate – attempts to develop such a framework for dioxins Wilson Biochar Associates 16 BQM - Biochar Quality Mandate v1.0 • Intended for UK implementation • Draws on both IBI and EBC • Expanded sustainability scope – provides guidelines for full biochar system analysis • Still in discussion draft • http://www.britishbiocharfoundation.org/?page_id=2045 Wilson Biochar Associates 17 BQM Approach to Toxicants • BQM proposes to certify clean feedstocks (low chlorine) and thereby avoid dioxin testing • Questions (from the BQM, p22): • Is this idea of exempting certain biochars from expensive testing requirements going to be acceptable to regulators? • If so, what level of evidence must be provided? e.g. elemental analysis of feedstock; or literature values for feedstock? Wilson Biochar Associates 18 Process Approach – are there existing control points for QA? Waste control regulations EPA boiler tune up rules Compost, fertilizer regulations Wilson Biochar Associates 19 Are Standards & Certification Programs Meeting Needs? 1. To standardize characterization for research purposes 2. To keep unacceptable biochar products out of markets through testing and certification 3. To assist in market development by providing the means to match products to applications Wilson Biochar Associates 20 What Do Markets Want? Wilson Biochar Associates 21 What are markets being told? Potentially certifiable biochar claims in US markets* From Easy to Hard to Certify: • pH or liming • Sorption properties • Surface area • Surface activity • Sustainability • Organic approved • Sustainable feedstocks • Climate Benefits • Stable carbon • Carbon Negative • Assurance of agronomic effectiveness • Increased soil water holding capacity • Less fertilizer use • Boost to soil life • Better crop growth, seed germination, brix, etc. *From a quick online survey of biochar retail product labels Wilson Biochar Associates 22 Can we develop new tests to certify: 1. Increased soil water holding capacity? 2. Less fertilizer use? 3. Boost to soil life? 4. Better crop growth, seed germination, brix, etc. Wilson Biochar Associates 23 New biochar tests proposed in BQM* Suggested Property Unit Method % of dry Soil column leaching Release dynamics of nutrients (P,K,N) mass or experiments mg/kg size Impact on soil aggregation To be confirmed declaration Soil water potential (available water g/g or g/ Tension table and content) cm3 pressure plate *From Table 2B: Optional properties for quality biochar (p24, BQM). Wilson Biochar Associates 24 What are researchers looking at? Number of Papers adsorption agronomic effects GHG emissions characterization system sustainability pyrolysis microcial impacts engineered materials physico-chemical changes in soil nutrient cycling composts and blends bioenergy soil water impacts toxics in biochar 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 I made a quick and dirty characterization of keywords in IBI’s biochar bibliography from 2014 papers as of Oct. 8 (total of 428 papers) Wilson Biochar Associates 25 Research-Market Intersections Number of Papers adsorption agronomic effects GHG emissions characterization system sustainability pyrolysis microcial impacts engineered materials physico-chemical changes in soil nutrient cycling composts and blends bioenergy soil water impacts toxics in biochar 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Where should we look for new tests that can verify biochar properties of greatest interest to markets? Wilson Biochar Associates 26 Biochar Impact on Soil Physical Properties and Soil Water Potential Recent studies point the way: • Peake, L. R., Reid, B. J., & Tang, X. (2014). Quantifying the influence