Plans have been revealed for the UK’s largest biochar production facility in Wiltshire, which will stop local organic waste going into landfill.
Biochar is black carbon produced from biomass like wood chips and agricultural waste through a process called pyrolysis.
Now climate tech catalyst A Healthier Earth has announced its biggest project to date: a new facility.
The British firm has teamed up with German specialists PYREG to scale up biochar production.
The operation will produce up to 9,000 tonnes of biochar a year, sequestering up to 17,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, which is the equivalent to the annual emissions of over 5,500 conventional gas-powered passenger vehicles, or over 28m hours of standard definition Zoom calls.
A Healthier Earth will use local organic waste, preventing it from ending up in landfill or incineration. The site is set to be operational from the beginning of 2025 and will produce circular biochar, using PYREG’s pyrolysis technology.
The company says their process has multiple global uses and secondary environmental benefits – from soil remediation to water filtration and decarbonising construction materials.
Biochar is a form of captured and sequestered carbon, which is recognised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as an important carbon removal technology. Biochar is created from end-of-life plant material, through a process called pyrolysis – heating the feedstock to over 500°C with little or no oxygen. This results in a porous particulate, made of up to 90% durable carbon, which was originally captured by the plant matter, and is now stored in the biochar.
Experts believe the use of biochar to lock carbon away could be a significant contributor in meeting the Paris Agreement of 1.5°C, with research suggesting it can store carbon for thousands of years.
A spokesman says A Healthier Earth’s work is underpinned by rigorous research, backed by its Scientific Advisory Board, made up of experts specialising in climate science.
The company’s biochar production will be ramped up over the next three years to produce up to 9,000 tonnes a year. The climate tech firm will then sell high-integrity biochar carbon credits, in long-term sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere.
Chief R&D officer Alastair Collier said, “Biochar has the potential to have a huge impact in tackling climate change, but it currently isn’t being sufficiently scaled to reach it.
“We’re excited to be the launch customer of the PX6000 so we can build the UK’s largest biochar operation in Wiltshire. As a subsidiary of Pure Data Centres Group, this marks our next stage of growth to find and develop climate solutions which be scaled into profitable projects.
“The data centre industry faces a real challenge in decarbonisation. Cutting emissions should always be the first step, but carbon removal projects like biochar are the climate solutions we need now to have real impact in minimising the effects of unavoidable emissions and ultimately protecting the planet.”
A Healthier Earth and PYREG have entered a long-term partnership, reserving the first PX6000 pyrolysis machine in production, with preferential options on a further three PX6000 machines allowing A Healthier Earth to rapidly scale its carbon capture biochar solutions.
A Healthier Earth has appointed Aberdeen-based engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning specialists PD&MS Group, as their system designer for the project. The project will be led by PD&MS’ in-house low carbon business, Synergie Environ Ltd.
