New Biochar Facility Set to Assist Wales’ Climate Change Effort

Wales is set to benefit from a unique new biomass waste recycling facility which will help to transform the way the country tackles climate change.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Academic Expertise for Business programme (A4B) is providing nearly £180,000 to Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) for the purchase of a purpose built facility which will produce ‘biochar’ from both locally and nationally produced dry organic waste.

Biochar is a porous, charcoal-like substance which is created by burning biomass with minimal oxygen in a process known as pyrolysis. It is being hailed by many ‘green’ experts as a technology which could assist in climate change mitigation and has been dubbed by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) as a “breakthrough technology” in tackling climate change, and a “win-win for climate and communities.”

It is currently receiving considerable interest because of its use as a carbon-intensive soil conditioner (it provides a solid environment for the microbes beneficial for plant growth) and its role as a ‘carbon sink’ in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and locking carbon back into the soil to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions.

There is also considerable scope for the development of biochar products for use as feedstocks or intermediate products for subsequent biorefining into high value commodities.

The new A4B funded facility, which is anticipated to be completed in 18 months, will also incorporate recent technological advances which will make the biochar process even more environmentally efficient and sustainable.

Unlike traditional charcoal production systems, the facility is also designed to operate on a ‘closed-loop’ system, whereby the energy-rich hydrocarbons produced as a bi-product of pyrolysis are captured and recycled to provide heat to fuel the process or be exported for use elsewhere.

The facility could therefore in principle be used in conjunction with a number of other A4B projects underway at IBERS including the Grassohol project, which creates organic acids and bio-fuels from grasses, and the Biomass processing project which includes a pellet mill and a system of turning energy crops such as oats into liquid transport fuels.

Dr Edward Hodgson, IBERS Research Scientist, said the funding for the project will help forge links with and transfer knowledge to Welsh enterprises and organic waste producers as well as the bio-refinery industry to demonstrate and promote the economic and environmental benefits of biochar production and utilisation in Wales.

“This project presents a huge opportunity to extend links between the Aberystwyth University, businesses and the bio-refinery industry to look at the market potential to create fuels from waste materials in an environmentally-sensitive way. Knowledge transfer between the university and business is very much a part of this project and we are particularly keen to interact with small and medium sized enterprises in Wales to improve their operations.

“We want to stimulate demand for bio-energy products and processes and it is essential to promote innovation in waste management and bio-energy conversion by improving organic waste production and management in Wales. This will be a demonstration project which interacts with SME’s to develop business opportunities and maximise areas of development.”

Once built, the facility will be used to hold demonstrations and participation events to engage with charcoal and organic waste producers in Wales as well as other enterprises to improve their awareness of the technology and the potential added value the facility could offer their businesses in terms of the integration of sources of renewable energy generation and new strategies for organic waste management, sustainable land management and climate change mitigation.

Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said: “This is an exciting development that further highlights the impact that the A4B programme is making throughout Wales.

“The Biochar Facility helps place Wales centre stage in the field of climate change innovation.”

“By tapping into the expertise and world-class facilities in our universities, it also offers an exciting opportunity for Welsh businesses to gain a real competitive edge.”

The location of the facility is currently under consideration but when opened it will provide Welsh scientists and companies with huge scope to develop and utilise the innovative energy source even further.

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18 December 2009