00:00:00 – 00:35:00
In the video “Biochar in the US: Status and Prospects,” the speaker discusses the current state of biochar production and markets in the US, including the use of biochar as soil amendments in agriculture and forestry, environmental applications such as wildfire debris recovery and mine reclamation, and innovative uses in CMU blocks and sodium ion batteries. Despite some past failures and fraudulent activities involving biochar, the market is slowly expanding, and new market opportunities for hazardous fuels and residues are opening up, helping prevent fires. Additionally, the speaker talks about the potential use of biochar in developing countries and the difficulty of obtaining high-quality biochar from bed ash in the US market.
00:00:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the US Biochar Initiative, which was established in 2009 and hosts conferences, workshops, provides newsletters and has a website with learning center and directory, and is also active on social media. The vision of the initiative is to leave fertile soils and sequestered carbon by increasing the utilization of biochar through collaboration with organizations involved in the production, application, and research of biochar. The potential in the United States is huge with the Department of Energy estimating that there is a billion tons of biomass available, which could contain about 500 million tons of renewable carbon, and from that, 250 million tons of biochar could be produced, which would sequester 625 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. The action and interest in the biochar community are the new carbon markets with three US companies now participating, and more are interested in becoming certified.
00:05:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the current state of biochar production and markets in the US. The biggest production of biochar in the US currently comes from recovering carbon fractions from fly ash in California and Oregon. The retail garden, landscape turf, and horticulture markets are the lead consumers of biochar, and many producers are finding that selling the black stuff alone is difficult. However, biochar-based compound fertilizers and biotic soil amendments are growing steadily. Environmental markets such as mine reclamation, oil field remediation, and stormwater and water treatment are also showing interest in biochar. Lastly, the speaker highlights that biochar is being used as carriers for beneficial supplements and activated biochar is increasingly gaining attention due to its electrochemical properties.
00:10:00 In this section, various applications of biochar products in agriculture and forestry are discussed. The Andersons, a large soil amendment company, is using biochar as a carrier for their humic acid products. Biochar products are also available in liquid forms from different suppliers that are being used in no-till procedures to address issues related to acid toxicity. It has been found that using biochar in organic fertilizers for pasture improvement leads to improvements in germination and growth. Biochar products are used in vineyards and are found to be drought-resistant. Biochar is also being recovered from air curtain burners and other flame cap kilns used in forested areas where it is found to be effective in producing a relatively low char yield.
00:15:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the various environmental uses and applications of biochar. The speaker explains how biochar has been used to recover from wildfire debris, reduce wildfire fuels, as well as to increase the germination of grasses, particularly in hydroseeding. Arborists have also been using biochar as a soil additive to increase soil porosity and establish trees, as well as using it as a carrier for microorganisms. The speaker also touches on the structural applications of biochar, such as in CMU blocks and asphalt, and emerging electronic uses in sodium ion batteries.
00:20:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the state of biochar in the US, including how it’s slowly being integrated into animal barns for its benefits. However, the food and drug administration has requested evidence that biochar is safe and has nutritional benefits before it can be used legally. There are currently 140-150 producers and resellers of biochar in the US, with the largest concentration in the west. Biochar is produced from boilers, gasifiers, and pyrolysis, with modular systems such as the RT Char being developed for easier use. Additionally, there are efforts to create innovative systems for working on biosolids, manures, and digestates, and there is interest in greenhouse applications. The speaker also highlights international biochar projects such as the Rainbow Bee Eater Hollow Fresh Project.
00:25:00 In this section, the speaker talks about the potential use of biochar in developing countries, including a successful project in Africa where biochar is combined with manure for increased yields in corn crops. China is also a significant producer of biochar-amended fertilizers that positively influence biochar promotion in the US expansion market. While the production systems and quality of biochar are improving, consistent quality and reliable delivery at reasonable prices remain a significant challenge. The speaker also mentions the failure of a company that accumulated tars and oils from pyrolysis, leading to a Superfund site and costing roughly a million dollars in cleanup. Despite some past failures and fraudulent activities involving biochar, the market is slowly expanding, and new market opportunities for hazardous fuels and residues are opening up, helping prevent fires. The speaker also mentions that the air burner incinerator can be used to produce biochar, and some companies are commercially doing that.
00:30:00 In this section, the video discusses the benefits of air curtain burners and their ability to minimize pollutants and emissions. The Air Burner Company has been testing and working with the Environmental Protection Agency for over 20 years to perfect their technology. Biochar varies in price depending on location, ranging from $80 to $100 per cubic yard. The price increases with transportation costs and lower availability. The high carbon fly ash coming out of the cyclone depends on the consistency of the fuel and the fuel preparation, with the carbon content up to 80%. The sale of biochar amended products has helped drive sales as well.
00:35:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the process of making biochar from bed ash and the difficulty of obtaining high-quality biochar from great ash in the US market. He also mentions the standard for labeling biochar products in the US, which requires a minimum of 60% bio carbon. The speaker notes that this standard resulted from misguided past practices, which led to any product labeled as biochar having to meet this standard. Despite this, some products include biocarbon, but not biochar, to bypass this threshold.
