Aperam BioEnergia

Aperam BioEnergia is an established Brazilian company in the forestry and renewable energy sectors. Aperam runs a ~420.000 ton/year charcoal operation with emissions control in the northeast region of Minas Gerais in Brazil derived from ~126.000 ha of FSC-certified planted and native forest. These forests have important biodiversity and economic impacts on local communities. Previously, waste from Aperam's forest was left to decay, now, with Aperam's first biochar project, that same material is brought to one of Aperam's 6 production units and it's transformed into Biochar through pyrolysis and applied to the soil, where it not only serves as a durable carbon removal from the atmosphere but also acts as an important natural component for soil reconditioning and improvement. This change is only possible due to CO2 removal certificates.
Aperam BioEnergia's plan for the future includes scaling biochar operations, not only to promote carbon sequestration but also to promote forest productivity improvement by improving soil properties, production process efficiency and local social and economic development. Currently, Aperam BioEnergia has capacity to produce ~40.000 tonnes/year of carbon removal.

Biochar applied as a soil amendment improves important soil properties such as organic material, fertility, forest productivity increase, soil cohesion, among others. The addition of biochar increases the retention of water in the soil for a longer period, thus reducing fast water evaporation from the soil and allowing a controlled replenishing of surrounding water courses. Aperam BioEnergia gives biochar to local social development programs, an initiative that is bringing productivity increase in crops of local farmers, with a strong impact in social development.