why biochar?
Biochar is a carbon-neutral material with a wide range of uses across industries, allowing companies to improve their processes and unlock new opportunities. Biochar acts not only as a value-add material for companies, but also allows them to greatly improve their sustainability metrics. Biochar has emerged as a multitalented material and a natural alternative to many hazardous substances in various industries. For example, its properties make biochar well-equipped to be used as a soil amendment, feedstock additive or advanced building material.
Are you interested in a carbon removal certificate?
How is biochar produced?
The industrial pyrolysis process converts large amounts of biogenic residues into a carbon-intensive substance. With the exclusion of oxygen, the carbon contained in regional biomass is sequestered and bound. Once it has been buried or used in other long-term applications, the carbon is withdrawn from the natural cycle for centuries. The corresponding LCA of the product includes all emissions from the process and the biomass treatment, and proves the CO2-neutral status of our biochar. If you are interested in a removal certificate, you can purchase it separately from us.Â
Are you interested in a carbon removal certificate?
Who is Biochar for?
Biochar shows its worth across several markets, from purely industrial uses right down to daily-use consumer products. These include: agriculture, building materials, water treatment, air purification and the medical and pharmaceutical sectors among many others. As the benefits of biochar are proven in more instances, we will see the use cases greatly increase, consequently enabling low carbon and net-zero circular economies.
Are you interested in a carbon removal certificate?
Why Novocarbo?
Passion meets Expertise: Novocarbo Group
The Novocarbo Group brings together a breadth of knowledge and experience to lead the way in Europe's push to develop a strong and sustainable Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR) industry. The biochar market is deeply connected and conditioned by the carbon removal market – as selling the carbon removal brings costs down to allow the wide application of the carbon-neutral material biochar. At the same time, the removal only happens permanent, if the right conditions are ensured. Years of experience in biochar production, site development and applications, as well a pioneering role in carbon certificate trading and developing Europe's first carbon removal parks, made Novocarbo a key player of the industry.
Novocarbo is all about carbon removal. In 2020, we became one of the pioneers in trading carbon certificates based on BCR. Our origin stems from a fascination for biochar and its applications. Today we are proud to leverage that knowledge to offer one of the first scalable Carbon Removal Solutions on the European market.
Novocarbo Biochar is at the frontier of the biochar space. In recent years, we have become one of Europe’s largest distribution networks and a trading platform for biochar, as well its derivatives. The carbon-neutral material is used for a variety of applications, ranging from industrial feedstocks, agriculture and water treatment to decarbonizing building materials. We are working with companies and research institutes around the world to develop new use cases.
Swiss Biochar stands at the forefront of the global biochar movement. 10 years of experience has shaped the portfolio of Swiss Biochar, resulting in unique, high-quality substrates, such as our Swiss Terra Preta™ and biochar products – suitable for horticulture, households and blue-green infrastructure.
What we do with Biochar
Novocarbo Biochar’s platform is advanced and well suited to serve multiple sectors – we take biochar made from industrial by-products that may otherwise be discarded and put it in the hands of industrial players who can benefit from the advanced material. Our team of industry experts has been working on optimizing biochar and the integration of it into various industrial processes for many years. At the same time, we are eager to explore the value of biogenic additives in many sectors such as textiles, performance polymers and the building sector.
Being an established producer ourself gives us the means and knowledge to offer you the right product for your needs. Our sister company in Switzerland Swiss Biochar, offers not only long-standing expertise, but also rare, unique substrates. On of them, „Swiss Terra Preta“ holds the potential to reverse current trends like declining soil fertility and associated desertification.
Enabling blue-green infrastructure in the building industry
Swedish construction giant Skanska is already taking steps to bring climate neutrality within reach. Biochar has long held a place in its sustainability strategy, helping to bring its carbon footprint to zero. As a natural oasis in the Swedish city of Lund, “Nobelparken“ combines all the advantages of the city with the peacefulness of nature. Here, biochar was applied as compost and now contributes to the growth and preservation of the 236 different plant species spread over 3.8-hectars. Additionally, Skanska is building its first climate-neutral office building in Hyllie, Malmö, and biochar is playing an important role. The twelve-story building, scheduled to open in 2023, will include planted terraces utilizing biochar – contributing to water absorption, storm water treatment, biodiversity, and the well-being of tenants.
Unsurpassed tradition meets innovation
The Andresen family cultivates around 400 hectares of farmland with several hundred animals on the Barslund farm in Schleswig-Holstein Germany. The topic of regenerative agriculture has long played an important role. This is where biochar came into play, offering three major advantages: First, biochar is used as a detoxifying feed for livestock, it then binds nitrogen in the slurry biogas plant, which is then released back onto the farmland. The carbon binding in soil has a lasting effect and favors the build-up of nutrients and humus. The farm thus also saves on fertilizers, which they plan to phase out altogether in the coming years. While this is good for the environment, it also safeguards the land for future generations.
Designing the future of sustainable building materials
The construction industry is seeing impressive growth at the moment and sustainability has taken a front seat in the next wave of urban expansion. One of the most important aspects of this new pivot to sustainability has been building materials. At Novo Carbo we are excited to play a role in the development of new cost-effective building materials to make a more sustainable building sector a reality. Our biochar products have a number of properties that make them particularly well suited for the building industry. For example, biochar has fantastic insulative properties – making it well suited to insulate buildings. It can also be utilized as an additive in things such as bricks and cement, greatly increasing the sustainability while also providing improved insulation and humidity regulation. Ultimately, we see this as only the tip of the iceberg, and we are continually working on new solutions to green the construction industry through the use of sustainably produced biochar.
Industries / R & D
Multitalent Biochar
Decontamination and water treatment
Our products have outstanding decontamination and water treatment properties. Using the natural properties of carbon, we are able to successfully filter pollutants and toxins from soil and water.
Carbon Black
Carbon black derived from sustainably sourced and produced biochar can serve as a valuable additive in a number of products, including plastics, adhesives and paint. It is also an excellent conductor of electricity, making it well suited for a number of applications.
Activated Biochar
Our activated biochar is an activated carbon product produced on an industrial scale using plant carbon. It is based on European renewable raw materials. Due to the high profile properties it is ideal for filtration, food, medicine, cosmetics and special chemical applications.
Industrial Fillers
Biochar offers a number of benefits as a filler in industrial processes - our biochar products are already utilized in the carpet and flooring industry as a means of binding CO2. Using biochar in these processes ensures CO2 is properly, and permanently, stored in the resulting products. In addition, Biochar offers faster water absorption, long water storage, heat insulation and sound absorption.
Fertilizer Industry
Biochar from selected feedstock is high in nutrients and can be additionally charged with specific substances. Biochar inoculated with microbial cultures is a sustainable solution for targeted fertilizing and plant protection products.
Novocarbo Biochar is engaged with both small and large partners in research institutes, as well as industries pursuing meaningful R&D. This allows us not only to perfect our biochar products, but also to discover new use cases that can benefit from their application.
Climate change is a serious issue in both political and social spheres around the globe. There is no doubt that solutions must be developed across the board to ensure that numerous industries have a place in tomorrow’s society. In order to make a meaningful impact and avert the long-term consequences, it is critical to strive for change across a range of sectors.
We are committed to developing carbon reduction solutions, with the ultimate goal of giving industries the tools to operate sustainably and contribute to a prosperous future.
Knowledge
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about us
Our Story
Novocarbo Biochar is one of Europe‘s leading biochar providers. We offer high-quality products that provide significant benefits in terms of carbon reduction, as well as improved product characteristics and agricultural or industrial output. As the correlation between sustainability and profitability grows, we are excited to offer sophisticated biochar solutions to organizations focused on staying ahead of the curve.
Our team of industry experts has been working on optimizing biochar and the integration of it in various industrial processes for many years. We make it easy to find your perfect biochar solution, offering a wide range of products that can help you grow your business while at the same time becoming more sustainable.
Novocarbo Biochar’s main mission is to enable customers and partners to close material cycles and deliver more value to their products, farms or businesses.
