Biochar talk - Western Australia (Manjimup)

[bazman]

Warren Catchments Council is hosting a workshop where Barry Batchelor, Director of BlackEarth Products will outline the benefits of biochar and trace the history of industry development. He will also questions from those seeking detailed information. Mr Batchelor is well placed to respond as his company produces both biochar and the production technology.
Registration information about the 11th April lunchtime workshop, to be held in the Manjimup Community Meeting Room, can be obtained from Warren Catchments Council on 97718180


I will also be on site at Perth Garden Week (Friday afternoon, Saturday & Sunday) 7 - 11 April, 2011, Perry Lakes Reserve, Floreat. I will be on the Green Life Soil companies stand if you want to talk Biochar with me. I'll have my Biochar t-shirt on.


Warren Catchments Council, press release:



BIOCHAR is the buzz word on the east coast. Organic waste is burned in an oxygen deprived pyrolysis unit to create energy and a valuable soil amendment product, biochar. These tiny porous carbon particles absorb moisture and nutrients and provide a safe habitat for soil micro-organisms. A beneficial symbiotic relationship develops between plants and the fungi and microorganisms embedded in the biochar.


Extensive trials and research is being conducted, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales to determine the effectiveness of biochar as a soil amendment. Dr Paul Blackwell, Department of Food and Agriculture WA, has undertaken successful trials in a broadacre context in the Midwest near Geraldton.


A Manjimup group interested in biochar includes farmers from a variety of contexts: orchardists, avocado growers, horticulture, graziers, feed lots, poultry growers. Interest in biochar is not limited to farmers. Sawmillers and agriforesters are keen to discover how their waste can be turned into profit through the production of biochar, energy and/or fuel production. The carbon sequestration benefit is another potential income stream.


Warren Catchments Council is hosting a workshop where Barry Batchelor, Director of Queensland based Black Earth Products will outline the benefits of biochar and trace the history of industry development. He will also questions from those seeking detailed information. Mr Batchelor is well placed to respond as his company produces both biochar and the production technology.


Registration information about the 11th April lunchtime workshop, to be held in the Manjimup Community Meeting Room, can be obtained from Warren Catchments Council on 97718180

[Michaelangelica]

I saw them making charcoal in open fires in WA.
Are they still doing that?

[purecajn]

Seems the process of making the biochar is not worth the pollutants that are distributed into the air.

[Erika]

Hi,
Biochar making can be very polluting, mitigating CH4 and NOx. BUT vhen made properly it can offer great benefits. The important thing is to take care of the pyrolysis gases. They have to be burnt. The heat can be used to generate electricity or to warm buildings.
This is an informative link: http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal...comms1053.html

And Cornell university, lots of links: http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/l...ocharmain.html

Small versions and one you can build on your site: http://worldstove.com/products/

A good demonstration of the above "everything nice stove": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ys5IUE2Xg0

I'll build a TLUD this summer. Will try to document how, and then post it here somewhere.

Regards from Erika

[bazman]

Hi Guys

Let's not class charcoal as Biochar please.

Biochar is a horticultural grade product developed as a beneficial soil improving product. Biochar produced at my companies plant has extremely low emissions, we capture and scrub all emissions prior to cleanly flaring inside our furnace which self fuels our process. We capture smoke liquid condensates and produce excess clean syn-gas co-generation energy. Our Biochar is produced at the optimal temperature in an extremely controlled environment. While most charcoal producers still use earth pits with little to no emission controls, quality controls and no idea of what the chemical make up of the product is, why would they as it's made to burn in BBQ's, not as a soil improver.

The benefits of well produced Biochar far out way any small emissions produced in production, reduced fertiliser use, reduced nutrient loss and run off into water tables, reduced need for irrigation, increased grow rates, increased soil carbon (fixed carbon), increase fungal and microbial habitat, converting low value or difficult biomass feed stocks in value added products, plus the long term sequestration of a fixed carbon.