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To process plant residues into biochar, we use state-of-the-art pyrolysis technology. The pyrolysis process also generates regenerative, climate-neutral surplus energy. We offer this energy to companies or municipal utilities in the form of heat-as-a-service partnerships. This means that we take care of designing the right heating solution, building the pyrolysis plant, and continuously operating and feeding the heat into the existing heating network. We can provide the heat as hot water, warm water or process steam.

Probably the biggest barrier companies face in making the switch to carbon-neutral heat is the large capital investment that must be made. Our heat-as-a-service solution allows businesses to access renewable heat without having to make the initial investment. In addition, there are also no maintenance and servicing cost and the heat can be offered at stable prices with long-term contracts! This aspect is also highlighted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): “Decarbonizing heat through a heat-as-a service-partnership is a great way to reduce dependence on gas, especially as energy prices are rising sharply globally and are expected to continue to fluctuate”.

Biochar is produced through the thermal carbonization of biomass, for which we use state-of-the-art pyrolysis technology. In the pyrolysis process, the biomass is not incinerated, but first gently degassed at 500 – 700 °C and then carbonized through the targeted insertion of air. In addition to high-quality, EBC-certified biochar, this also produces regenerative, climate-neutral excess energy.

This is achieved using a self-sustaining process in which the only energy required to maintain the pyrolysis process, originates from the biomass itself. The process gas from the input biomass is separated from the material inside the reactor. It is cleaned from the dust by an automated process gas filter and finally burned at a temperature of 1,000 °C through flameless oxidation (FLOX® burner) inside the separated combustion chamber. The hot flue gases from the combustion chamber are then directed into the outer jacket of the reactor, to support drying, degassing and carbonizing of the biomass. This produces excess energy that can be fed into heat networks and used for heating, for example.

A pyrolysis plant such as the one we use in our Carbon Removal Park Baltic Sea (PX 1500 from Pyreg) can generate 4,500 MWh of industrial waste heat per year, which is equivalent to the consumption of around 180 average households. We generally operate several pyrolysis plants in our Carbon Removal Parks: on average, we produce 18,000 MWh of green heat per site, which we can make available to companies and municipal utilities as hot water, warm water or process steam.

The combustion and carbonization of biomass are two different processes that produce different results. During combustion, biomass is burnt with the addition of oxygen. This takes place in an oxidizing environment, whereby the organic components of the biomass are completely converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Depending on the conditions, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) may also be produced. Combustion is used to generate energy, while the CO2 is released back into the atmosphere.

During carbonization, biomass is heated in the absence of oxygen. This process, called pyrolysis, is used in the production of biochar in our Carbon Removal Parks. By heating the biomass in a low-oxygen environment, volatile organic compounds are broken down, leaving behind carbon in the form of biochar. Depending on the biomass and temperature, up to 95% of the CO2 from the biomass can be stored in the biochar. The use of biochar, e.g. as a soil conditioner in agriculture, creates permanent carbon sinks.

To summarize, when biomass is burnt, organic materials are converted into heat energy by adding oxygen, which releases CO2, whereas during carbonization (pyrolysis), biomass is heated in an oxygen-poor environment, producing heat energy and biochar, which stores the carbon from the biomass in the long term.