chipping the material in the field and transporting it to a biomass power plant for processing into biochar and renewable electricity represents one of the best available pathways from a regional air pollution emissions standpoint.” Given these advantages, Pacific Biochar plans to use its experience to partner with several plants in the next few years.
Climate Change Solution That Reduces Forest Fire Risk & Improves Soils
Catastrophic wildfires in California have made clear the urgency of forest management efforts that reduce risk and improve forest health. These federal, state, and private efforts result in copious amounts of forest biomass. In partnership with biomass energy plants, Pacific Biochar can give a portion of the forest biomass a second life by stabilizing the woody carbon into biochar and applying that biochar to farmlands where the benefits of improved soil health will be realized for generations to come.
"The Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc. (RFFI) applauds Pacific Biochar's pioneering efforts to sequester carbon through the production of biochar," said Mark Welther, President and CEO of RFFI. "And their registration of carbon offset credits is an important next step toward addressing climate change and making sustainable forestry more economically viable."
Pacific Biochar sells its biochar, unadulterated or enhanced, to farmers who realize numerous benefits from adding carbon to their soil, including improved water and nutrient conservation, increased microbial support and stable organic matter. This is a good thing because most agricultural soils have lost between 25% and 75% of their soil carbon in the past few decades.
Pacific Biochar is already able to offer its products direct to farmers, who can realize long-term improvements to soil health and crop yield with biochar inputs. In one multi-year study, Pacific Biochar’s products increased pinot noir grape yield by an average of 1.2 tons per acre over two years of harvest, paying back the cost of biochar application in just the first year. With carbon credits to offset cost, a larger portion of the farming community will be able to profitably apply biochar.
“We’ve been making biochar for over a decade, supported purely by it’s agronomic value and driven by a passion to put massive amounts of carbon back in the ground,” says Josiah Hunt, Pacific Biochar founder and CEO, “and we’ve always believed that one day our biochar would be valued in carbon markets as well, an inflection point that would allow this carbon drawdown pathway to realize it’s full potential. It appears that time has arrived, and we’re excited to get going.”
24 WESTERN PALLET
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