Biochar 2018: Policy, Markets, and Standards
The Foundation highlighted five presentations with information relevant to the TX Biochar Initiative.
Getting to 260 —- Albert Bates Slide 6 covers climate change at an accelerating pace; regional climate extremes (greater heat, drought, fire in dry regions, greater rain, floods in wet regions / times. Also will impact economics because >half non-household labor is outdoors. The longer we fail to act, the greater will be the need to drawdown carbon (sequestration). Presentation cover mechanisms to do so, including biochar production and use.
The Paradigm Shift —- Wayne Teel A presentation on unlocking wider use of biochar for agriculture, forestry and carbon sequestration.
The Great Plains Biochar —- Heather Nobert. This exceptional presentation by the Nebraska Forest Service describes this Public-private Partnership (NE, KS, High Plains Biochar (WY), Wilson Biochar Associates) and their stated goal to improve biochar awareness and market development in the Great Plains. The short presentation covers Eastern redcedar encroachment in forest and grasslands, making biochar from the redcedar, and an impressive education & outreach campaign https://nfs.unl.edu/great-plains-biochar-initiative
A techno-economic evaluation —- Jenny Frank. This study adjusted technical inputs in 5 different scenarios (slide 8) to determine best economics for creating biochar. There are 4 key conclusions: Scenario 1 (fast pyrolysis to biochar) has the lowest baseline minimum carbon price; Scenario 5 (slow pyrolysis to biochar and methanol) has the highest baseline minimum carbon price at $642.40/Mg.; Based on the scenarios modeled, it is possible to achieve a lower baseline minimum carbon price for a slow pyrolysis pathway over that of a fast pyrolysis pathway; the carbon price point where the slow pyrolysis pathway is equal to the fast pyrolysis pathway falls in the range of $123.49-$182.02/Mg.
State Registration & Labeling —- Ron Alexander (NC) This presentation is a plethora of information one needs to know in producing and marketing biochar, including standard definitions, product registration options, and (slide 16) “Key Steps for the Registration
and Labeling of Biochar”