Biochar for resource efficient horticulture
The EU-funded (REFERTIL) project converted local organic biowaste and by-product streams into safe biochar products produced under market competitive and economical conditions specifically for soil and soilless horticultural applications. These products are designed to be affordable, environmentally sustainable and in accordance with strong policy and food safety regulations informed by rigorous scientific and technical data from proven field demonstrations.
ABC is recovered organic phosphorus fertiliser and a renewable Phosphorus source that can substitute the increasingly scarce mineral phosphates. ABC having high concentrated (30% P2O5) pure Phosphorus and Calcium (40% CaO) content with sequenced release P-fertilization effect. ABC is a highly macroporous, formulation optimized for significant enhancing of soil microbiological life, having high water holding and macromolecular organic nutrient retention. Field trials demonstrated that animal bone char showed a good fertilization effect on crops, while plant based biochar had few effects on the yields and results.
During pyrolysis and other thermal treatment processes PAHs are the main indicator contaminants, its limit value has been defined as 1 mg/kg PAH 19 for biochars. With various biochar processing conditions it has been verified that the technology influences the quality of the product. Comprehensive and accredited laboratory evaluations made for all the material streams.
The REFERTIL BIOCHAR and PHOSPHORUS RECOVERY project (2011-2015, http://www.refertil.info) has been successfully completed and November end final reported to the EU Commission. The project was coordinated by and key technology designed by Edward Someus who is the original source for the “3R” zero mission pyrolysis invention and biochar specific advanced technology and product system. The 3R biochar was invented in the 1980’s, pilot demonstrated 1990-1995, field demonstrated 2004-2015 and interconnected to several large scale EU RTD biochar projects 2002-2015 in ten EU countries.
Based on the +30 years biochar experience from science into industrial practice and the REFERTIL BIOCHAR united results, biochar standardization and EU28 law harmonization has been developed with interconnection to the EC2003/2003 Fertilizer Regulation revision. The Fertilisers Regulation revision aims at establishing a regulatory framework enabling production of fertilisers from recovered bio-wastes and other secondary raw materials.
All biochar manufacturing, importing, placing on the market and use above 1 t/y capacity must be mandatory EU/MS Authority permitted and have Extended Producer Responsibility certificate as well. In this context voluntarily biochar certificated has no legal effects and validity in the EU. The following biochar permits and certifications are needed in the EU:
a) Member State Authority permits for biochar production.
b) Member State Authority permits for biochar applications. Valid for issuing MS only. EC 2003/2003 Fertilizer Regulation revision is under progress to include biochar, EC BIOCHAR valid for EU28.
c) REACH registration (in 2015 >10 t/y, from 2018 >1 t/y).
d) Extended Producer Responsibility certificate.
In order to demonstrate the industrial and market viability of the REFERTIL BIOCHAR science and technology applied research results in practice, in 2016 3R biochar industrial replication and EU BAT/BREF model will be set with economical medium throughput capacity 20,800 t/y for market competitive industrial production and agricultural applications of several types of biochar.
For more information:
Edward Someus (biochar S&T senior engineer)
Terra Humana Ltd.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Skype: edwardsomeus
www.refertil.info
www.3Ragrocarbon.com