Fieldays Forestry Hub: ‘Biochar Fixes Carbon'
Biochar Network New Zealand is delighted to be part of the Forestry Hub again at Fieldays 2025. Giving visitors the chance to explore the many aspects of forestry and wood processing in NZ, the Forestry Hub will showcase the sector's vital roles in agriculture, construction, energy and carbon management.
Made by pyrolysis of woody biomass or plant residues, biochar is one of few negative emissions technologies (NETs) recognised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Biochar safely stores up to half the carbon in its source material for hundreds - and even thousands - of years. Biochar is the world's leading carbon dioxide removal (CDR) method (https://www.cdr.fyi/leaderboards)
In New Zealand and internationally, biochar made from forestry residues is used for a variety of regenerative agriculture applications, saving farmers money, and increasing productivity.
BNNZ Chair, Phil Stevens, is an advocate for biochar research, production and application. 'Biochar turns forestry byproducts into a high-value commodity. As well as building soil carbon, biochar captures nutrients, holds water, mitigates emissions, and improves soil fertility.' Phil also points to the thermal energy released when making biochar, and its potential in generating electricity or providing process heat for industry: 'A timber processing business could very easily get three significant revenue streams from a pyrolysis plant: electricity, biochar, and carbon credits on the international voluntary market.'
BNNZ has seen a lot of progress since the 2022 Fieldays with commercial production and sales of biochar expanding around NZ. Southland Carbon have donated a 1000L bag of their premium biochar for a lucky prize winner and BiocharTP will have their new Air Curtain Burner on display.
BNNZ will be demonstrating the principles of pyrolysis & gasification for biochar production over the four days and some of the residual heat will be directed at Forestry Hub sausages. The BNNZ team will also be presenting in the G80 Forestry Hub main stage on biochar production and its applications to agriculture and the natural environment (the presentation schedule is on the BNNZ calendar).
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