Biochar - Australia
Carbon Removal Information
Status of production : Audited
Unit of product volume : tonne
Embodied carbon in product : 2.88
Year or years of CORCs issued : 2021
Minimum amount to negotiate : 100
Avoided emissions (mention avoided emissions in tonnes) : Total avoided emissions per tonne of biochar 6.33 tonnes CO2-e. Stored in biochar 2.88.
Description
ECHO2 transforms green wastes from plantation forestry, agriculture, food and wood processing, that would otherwise end up as green-house gas emissions by being burned or landfilled, into bioenergy and biochar. Each tonne of biochar is over 80% pure carbon and removes 2.88 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of product, for centuries. The biochar is used for horticulture and agriculture. ECHO2 is the first Puro.earth-certified biochar producer outside Europe. For a detailed carbon footprint description email contact@puro.earth.How it works
Common practice in many regions of the world is to burn or landfill large quantities of agricultural and woody wastes. We estimate that over 20 million tonnes of accessible crop and woody wastes are burned or landfilled every year in Australia, and only a small percentage is recycled in any way.
ECHO2 was developed as a circular economy system that utilises low value organic residues such as city green wastes, plantation forestry residues, wood wastes from construction and crop residues, such as cereal straws. Biochar sequesters large amounts of CO2 in a useful way. It improves the performance of many products including fertilisers, animal feeds and building and construction materials.
The first ECHO2 commercial module converts recycled wood, that would otherwise be burned or landfilled, into biochar for the composted products producer Van Schaik's BioGro and into glasshouse heating for South Australian herb grower Holla-Fresh.
ECHO2 enables economic, environmental and social benefits by converting these low value organic carbon residues into renewable heat and electricity and sequestering the 'waste' carbon as stable biochar. It creates local jobs, sustainable air, soil and water eco systems while developing new circular economies and markets in the process.
Interview with Peter Burgess, CEO of ECHO2 where he answers:
- How did you start selling your carbon removals at Puro.earth?
- What will ECHO2 do with the income?
- What are ECHO2’s Future Projects and the challenges you face?
- What are the co-benefits?
Examples of usage
Van Schaik's BioGro have purchased all of the biochar from the Holla-Fresh ECHO2 module. BioGro adds the biochar to their large nearby composting process. The composted biochar is purchased by local farmers and wine growers to increase soil fertility and water holding capacity.
Co-benefits
Puro.earth CORCs only quantify the net-removal and storage of emissions, not reduced or avoided emissions, increased biodiversity or other positive benefits. Here are co-benefits self-reported by the removal supplier.
To make biochar, we only use biomass residues from sustainable sources such as plantation forestry residues, crop wastes or recycled wood which would otherwise be burned, land-filled or left to decompose. Those greenhouse gas emissions are avoided by ECHO2 stabilizing the carbon in the biomass into high carbon biochar for hundreds of years and generating renewable energy for heating, cooling, electricity. The biochar is used for horticulture and agriculture.
This approach reduces fire and other health risks, creates local employment and increases the drought tolerance and fertility of soils, reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers and other chemicals and stores large amounts of carbon which accrues benefits lasting centuries.
Explanation of avoided emissions
A Life Cycle Analysis of the Holla-Fresh/BioGro/ECHO2 system showed that 6.33 tonnes of CO2 eq. emissions are avoided for each dry tonne of biochar that we produce and that a net 2.88 tonnes of CO2 eq. is stored in the biochar. Over 95% of the energy in the incoming wood is utilised for drying the incoming wood, for heating the glasshouse or is captured in the biochar.
Economic acceleration impact
The revenue acquired by carbon removal suppliers propels their growth, compounding the climate effect and accelerating the carbon net-negative economy.
Each new ECHO2 module operating 24x7 has capacity to remove ~6,000 tonnes of CO2-e per year. We have projects with drawdown capacity of ~ 70,000 tonnes of CO2-e per year awaiting finance. Income from Puro CORCs allows us to finance the next ECHO2 projects. increase the capacity and reliability of the Holla-Fresh ECHO2 module and to develop new biochar and syngas commercial products.
Climate impact
1 tonne of ECHO2 biochar removes 2,88 tonnes of CO2 eq. from the atmosphere into long-term storage in the product.
Audit Information
ECHO2
Homepage address:https://www.rainbowbeeeater.com.au
Phone:+61407368231
Email address: peter.burgess@rainbowbeeeater.com.au
Contact person: Peter Burgess
Location: 3927 Somers, Australia
