BEST Pyrolysis – Renewable Energy and Agrichar
Garnaut Climate Change Review Submission
Land use - Agriculture and Forestry
18/01/2008
Dear Prof. Garnaut,
BEST Energies would like to make a submission to your review to highlight how our
slow pyrolysis technology, for the production of renewable energy and Agrichar
(biochar) from agricultural residues, can play a role in;
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climate change adaption,
greenhouse gas mitigation,
carbon sequestration,
resource use efficiency,
biomass waste management,
energy security,
renewable ‘green’ energy production,
and agricultural sustainability.
Please see the attached Technology Brief for an overview of the benefits of the
technology and how, given the right circumstances, it can make a difference on a
climate changing scale.
Current barriers to the large scale commercial roll-out of the technology include:
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Uncertainty about carbon off sets, especially how abatements will be
calculated. As these projects need to generate off sets to be economically
viable, the volatility in the value of the off sets but also the way in which they
are calculated means that these projects find it difficult to get project finance
through conservative conventional sources. Accreditation processes need to be
able to guarantee emissions factors for at least 5 years, for off sets to be
considered a bankable income stream for new project feasibility.
Lack of framework for carbon sequestration in biochar. As the carbon in
biomass is considered to return to the short term carbon cycle, preventing this
carbon entering the atmosphere as CO2 is not currently a recognised
abatement, hence no incentive is provided for sequestration via this route.
There is opportunity for agricultural soils to sequester huge amounts of carbon as
biochar, which is a permanent, low risk sink. Carbon in biochar is not only very stable
but also easily measurable, and therefore auditable and tradeable. Unlike other carbon
sequestration pathways, biochar adds value down the line, by increasing the
productivity of agricultural systems. Hence, farmers want to put biochar in their soils
for the soil health and water management benefits. The adoption of slow pyrolysis
technology for climate change mitigation can therefore add value to the economy at
the same time as delivering broad reaching solutions.
As part of our submission we would also like you to consider the attached letters of
support.
We thank you for your consideration and would be more than happy to answer any
questions that may arise.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Downie
Managing Director
BEST Energies Australia Pty Ltd
56 Gindurra Road, Somersby, NSW 2250 Australia
Phone: +61 2 4340 4911
Fax: +61 2 4340 4878
Email: [email protected]
ACN 003 443 918
BEST Pyrolysis for
Renewable Energy and
Agrichar
“I think this is one of the most exciting and important new technologies
out there, in terms of stabilising our climate” Tim Flannery
Author of The Weather Makers on Pyrolysis and Agrichar production. May 2007
2007: Adriana Downie
A) Project Summary
BEST Energies slow pyrolysis technology is leading the world in carbon
negative (removing CO2 from the atmosphere) renewable energy. The technology
recycles waste biomass such as animal manures and greenwaste to produce renewable
energy (displacing fossil fuels) and a very stable form of carbon which can be
sequestered beneficially over the long-term in soils (natural, low-risk sinks). Experiments
have demonstrated that the high carbon Agrichar product can improve several soil health
indicators, increase crop yields, decrease fertiliser requirements and therefore enhance
agricultural sustainability. In addition, Agrichar decreases soil emissions of the potent
greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, a significant global warming contributor.
Figure 1: Overview of how BEST pyrolysis technology achieves resource recovery of
waste biomass and beneficially cycles it in the economy to produce renewable energy
and an Agrichar product to sequester atmospheric carbon and improve agricultural
productivity.
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B) Project Description
BEST Energies was started in Australia in 1985 by innovative engineers who saw the
need to provide technologies for the greenhouse challenge. Through years of experience,
research and development work, BEST assessed a full range of renewable solutions. With
a moral commitment to the environment and mitigating climate change at the forefront of
their minds, they prioritized which technology would best achieve this and yet provide
the most attractive economic drivers. Their answer – slow pyrolysis.
The slow pyrolysis process is essentially the thermochemical decomposition of organic
material (biomass) at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen. The feed material
is dried and fed into a heated kiln. As the biomass passes through the kiln, it reacts to
produce an off-gas (syngas), which is continuously removed from the kiln and utilized for
its energy value in much the same way as natural gas or liquid petroleum gas (LPG).
Depending on feedstock and process conditions, between 25 and 70 % by weight of the
dry feed material is converted to a high-carbon char material, which is a product in its
own right as a soil amendment (Agrichar), fuel or filtration medium. The carbon in the
Agrichar material is far more stable than it was in the original biomass, therefore in this
form it has the potential to act as a long term store for carbon in soils
BEST Energies over the past decade have taken on the significant risks and made the
significant investments required to develop slow pyrolysis technology to a scale that can
make a globally significant impact on removing CO2 from the atmosphere. As proof of
concept BEST Energies has a fully operational demonstration plant that has the capacity
to take 300 kg/hr of biomass. This design has been scaled up into 48 and 96 tonne/day
(dry feed basis) commercial modular units. BEST Energies is actively working with
several clients who are interested in building these units both in Australia and overseas.
Figure 2: BEST Energies fully integrated, continuous slow pyrolysis pilot plant.
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Slow pyrolysis has distinct advantages over other technologies in that it combines
solutions for biomass waste management and resources recovery, with the production of
renewable ‘green’ energy, the increased sustainability of agriculture, increased energy
efficiency in industry, carbon sequestration and rural development. Each solution
potentially brings its own income stream, contributing to the overall feasibility of a
project. The potential of this technology to mitigate climate change can only be realised
with the large scale commercial uptake of the technology, hence the feasibility of running
of pyrolysis plants as a business is considered essential.
Figure 3: BEST Energies places priority on educating the public, industry and
policy makers around the world, increasing the profile of pyrolysis technology to
ensure its potential is realised.
As a renewable energy solution, this technology is remarkably flexible and is suitable for
implementation in rural and remote communities. For example, agricultural wastes,
instead of presenting an environmental risk, can be used as a resource and converted to
energy in rural areas where conventional energy sources are stretched and expensive. The
syngas stream can be converted to electricity and/or thermal energy which can then be
used either by industry or domestically. The energy efficiency of several industries can be
increased significantly through producing their energy requirements from their waste
biomass resources which are currently sent to landfill.
Agrichar is attracting significant interest from soil scientists, agronomists and land
owners around the world because of its connection with the ‘terra preta’ phenomenon.
It’s believed that the highly fertile Amazonian dark earths, or terra preta, were created by
pre-Columbian populations thousands of years ago through the addition of charred
organic matter. In the Amazon today, these highly fertile soils are prized, and despite
being intensively cultivated they remain staggeringly productive even without the
addition of fertilisers. The possibility that such productive soils could be sustainably
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man-made presents a huge opportunity, and challenge, for agricultural land users, whose
current systems cause soil degradation.
Figure 4: Corn on the left shows the benefits of Agrichar addition, whereas the
corn on the right was grown in this poor soil with no Agrichar and failed to
produce a crop.
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) has formed a research
partnership with BEST Energies to investigate Agrichar products as agronomic
amendments to increase the productivity and sustainability of agriculture. They are also
investigating Agrichars vital role in climate stabilisation through sequestering carbon and
reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils. As part of a collaborative
research program partly funded by the Department of Environment and Climate Change
(DECC), Agrichar was found to increase agricultural productivity and fertilizer use
efficiency by restoring organic carbon and enhancing the physical, chemical and
biological soil properties. The results from initial pot trials were so successful, with some
char amended treatments yielding 266% of the controls, that field trials have been
initiated. This work has also confirmed findings from other international research groups
which have reported improvement to soil health factors including: water holding
capacity, soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and tensile strength.
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Figure 5: Field Trial on BEST Agrichar, conducted by the NSW DPI.
The BEST Energies have also engaged carbon dynamics experts from NSW State Forests
to make a Life Cycle Assessment across the whole process. They have found that when it
comes to mitigating greenhouse gases and sequestering carbon this technology comes out
in front. Besides the direct sequestration benefit, there is evidence that Agrichar provides
further mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions through reduction in nitrous oxide
emissions from soil. Furthermore, Agrichar has been demonstrated to reduce fertiliser
requirements, thus reducing indirect greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer
manufacture. The syngas produced is a renewable energy source, that can provide
additional greenhouse mitigation benefits through displacement of fossil energy sources.
In essence, pyrolysis of biomass to produce Agrichar that is used as a soil amendment is a
process that captures atmospheric carbon and stores it safely in the soil, providing
additional greenhouse gas mitigation benefits along the way. U.S. researcher Johannes
Lehmann from Cornell University estimates that by the end of this century, terra preta
schemes and pyrolysis programs could store up to 9.5 billion tons of carbon a year.
Figure 4: Agrichar Product, a stabilised form of carbon which can be sequestered
beneficially in soil.
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It is widely accepted by soil scientists that loss of soil carbon is linked to declining
agricultural productivity. Widespread land degradation caused by soil structural decline
and erosion is associated with cultivation and over-grazing. The Agrichar products
produced from renewable biomass sources via the BEST pyrolysis process contain a
stabilized form of carbon that has potential to generate a sustainable increase in soil
carbon which is sorely needed in depleted, carbon-poor agricultural soils. Biosequestration through Agrichar has the potential to facilitate the regeneration of soil
carbon levels in agricultural soils to pre-agricultural levels.
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Address all communications to:
AUSTCANE LIMITED
ABN 41 109 765 997
THE SECRETARY
PO Box 588 Ayr Q 4807
Phone (07) 4783 2111
Fax
(07) 47835136
Email [email protected]
16/01/2008
Garnaut Review
To Whom It May Concern,
Austcane is a company supported and funded by regional cane farmers in
the Burdekin delta region of North Queensland formed to investigate the
feasibility of building a “sugarcane to ethanol” factory in the Burdekin
region.
We are keen to incorporate as much green technology with value adding
opportunities to our planned factory as possible. Slow Pyrolysis and
Agrichar production is a looking to be a valuable adjunct to our proposed
ethanol plant.
We whole heartedly support the BEST Energies submission as we see the
benefits to be gained by the implementation of slow pyrolysis and the
potential use of the resultant combustible gases to provide the energy for
the process and the use of any excess combustible gas in the boilers of
our factory, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the
subsequent use of Agrichar to improve soil health and sequester carbon in
the farms supplying sugar cane to the factory.
The advantage of the system as we see it is its ability to provide easily
measured and audited carbon off-sets as required.
This company asks that in your deliberations you give the BEST Energies
submission due attention.
Yours faithfully
…………………
R Schultz
Secretary
ABN: 33 120 830 918 www.avongro.com.au Mr Robert Downie BEST Energies Australia 55 Gindurra Road SOMERSBY NSW 2250 14.1.2008 RE: letter of support, submission to the Garnaut review Dear Robert It is with great pleasure that I provide you with a letter in support of your submission to the Garnaut review. You are aware that AVONGRO sees bioenergy as a significant opportunity for tree crops in our region. We are particularly keen to see the development of slow pyrolysis and biochar/agrichar for our soils. We are strong advocates of revegetation for carbon sequestration and see this as a major catalyst for large scale revegetation that can act as carbon sinks while addressing land degradation in our large catchment. We feel strongly that tree crops, integrated with our broadacre agriculture, will bring significant benefits to our region. We need to find innovative uses for the large amount of biomass we can produce and bioenergy, particularly slow pyrolysis with the added benefits of agrichar for our poor soils, is a major focus for us. We wish you all the very best with your submission, please keep the Avon in mind for any trials or partnerships in the future. Yours sincerely, Monica Durcan, Executive Officer AVONGRO Wheatbelt Tree Cropping Incorporated
Executive Officer, Monica Durcan 56 Broadway Road BICKLEY WA 6076 Phone/fax: (08) 9291 8249 Mobile: 0418 934 870 Email: [email protected] Secretariat:
7 Grassmere Road
Killara NSW 2071
Phone/fax: 02-9416-9246
Email: [email protected]
www.bioenergyaustralia.org
17 January 2008
Robert Downie
BEST Energies Australia
56 Gindurra Road
Somersby NSW 2250
Dear Robert
Emailed
Letter of Support for BEST Energies Australia’s Garnaut Review Submission
Bioenergy Australia, a government-industry forum of some 60 member organisations
fostering the development of biomass for energy and related products, is pleased to provide
this letter of support for BEST Energies Australia’s submission on biochar to the Garnaut
Review.
There has been considerable interest in the use of biochar in the past years. The science
indicates that biochar offers considerable opportunities for providing long term carbon
sequestration, while simultaneously providing a soil amendment to stimulate the growth of
additional biomass, which through its growth absorbs additional atmospheric carbon dioxide.
This concept provides huge opportunities for Australia to address its generally depleted soils,
and a technology for large scale greenhouse gas mitigation.
BEST Energies Australia is recognised as one of the leaders of the development of biochar in
Australia through its slow pyrolysis technology and the resulting product. This technology is
linked to the simultaneous production of renewable energy for driving the process and also
for possible export.
I commend BEST Energies Australia work in this area, and the recognition of its importance
to the Garnaut Review, as part of the suite of future technologies for addressing climate
change.
Yours Sincerely
Dr Stephen Schuck
Bioenergy Australia Manager
Burdekin Regional Advisory Group
Sugar Industry Reform Program 2004
10 January 2008
C/- Sugar Executive Officer
North Qld Area Consultative Committee
[email protected]
PO Box 500
Townsville Qld 4810
Professor Ross Garnaut
The Garnaut Climate Change Review
Dear Professor Garnaut
Letter of Support – Best Energies Australia
Slow Pyrolysis and Agrichar
Regional Advisory Groups were formed in 2004 with members being appointed by
the Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries to assist in the implementation of
the Sugar Industry Reform Program 2004 and to develop strategic plans for their
regions.
The eight members of the Burdekin Regional Advisory Group (RAG) represent a
wide cross section of the region including sugar cane farming, sugar milling and
harvesting, local government and the environment.
The sugar industry has been under increasing economic pressure for the last 6 years
to improve its viability while meeting community and environmental expectations. For
the Burdekin sugar industry to become sustainable (presently many farms are not
viable) alternative value-add uses for sugar cane must be found.
The Burdekin produces over 8 million tonnes of sugar cane annually which generates
over $370m for the region, the majority of which is burnt prior to harvest. Many other
sugar regions harvest their cane green and leave the cane trash on the ground as a
mulch. For many valid reasons including the use of furrow irrigation, crop size and
soil type this is not practical or economical in the Burdekin and therefore 2m tonnes
of green cane trash is burnt and lost to the atmosphere each year. To be able to
convert 2m tonnes of what is now a waste product into agrichar shows significant
potential in the Burdekin.
The Burdekin RAG in partnership with the local community natural resource
management group BBIFMAC (Burdekin Bowen Integrated Floodplain Management
Advisory Committee) has supported personnel from Best Energies Australia, the
Earth Sciences Research Group Department of Primary Industry NSW and other soil
scientists to speak at community information meetings on the benefits of agrichar.
Many in the Burdekin are convinced that if alternative means of using the green cane
trash was found many farmers would convert to cutting green.
Through the information presented at these functions and reviewing information
available from overseas, the sugar industry has become aware of the other potential
benefits of slow pryolysis and the use of agrichar in soils including:• the potential for significant carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas
mitigation,
• the delivery of renewable energy solutions especially the potential to produce
and sell electricity back into the grid,
• the benefits of easily measured and audited carbon off-sets which could
provide the farmer with an alternative income and help in some way to reduce
the increased costs of harvesting green,
• Being in close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef Burdekin cane farmers are
implementing strategies to reduce the impact of water runoff on the reef. The
potential of agrichar once incorporated into soils to improve crop production
and reduce the run off of irrigation water is further inducement.
Recently the Burdekin and RAG and BBIFMAC gathered financial support from sugar
industry groups, local government and the regional NRM group Burdekin Dry Tropics
to send various sugar stockfeed samples to Best Energies Australia for charring.
The samples are now being analysed by the Earth Sciences Research Group
DPINSW. The testing will also include greenhouse gas emission trials. Depending
on the analysis, local on-farm agrichar trials will be conducted and a Burdekin
Pryolysis Industry Feasibility Study completed.
The RAG is encouraged by the Government’s initiative to conduct the Garnaut
Climate Change Review and is hopeful that initiatives such as a slow pryolysis
industry will be given the support it needs to ensure a sustainable future for
Australia’s farmers.
Yours faithfully
Russell McNee
Chair
th
17 January 2008
Mr Robert Downie
Managing Director
BEST Energies Australia
56 Gindurra Road
Somersby NSW 2250
Dear Robert,
BEST involvement in Slow Pyrolysis and Agrichar
BEST has been a pioneer in many areas of renewable energy for the fifteen or more years
that I have known and dealt with the company. Your focus in recent years on slow pyrolysis
and agrichar now sees BEST an acknowledged international expert in this field.
Although all of the mechanisms by which the benefits derived from the application of agrichar
to soils are not fully understood, I believe that there is significant carbon sequestration and
greenhouse gas mitigation potential in the wide-scale adoption of slow pyrolysis technology.
In addition, this technology has the potential to deliver distributed renewable energy solutions
that could be economically viable if developed as part of an integrated business.
Slow pyrolysis technology offers the prospect of many potential benefits to local communities,
farmers, and as a source of renewable energy for us all. One very important benefit is that it
could provide carbon offsets that can be easily measured and audited.
My understanding of this subject has been gained from my role on the management
committee of Bioenergy Australia and before that, my experience as the Electricity Program
Manager at the Energy Research and Development Corporation.
Given the potential for this technology to deliver significant benefits in many diverse areas, I
am happy to support the implementation of slow pyrolysis and the use biochar/agrichar in
soils.
Yours sincerely,
Griff Rose
Technical Director
CVC REEF Limited
ABN 98 093 173 749
CVC REEF Limited is advised by
CVC REEF Investment Managers Pty Limited
ABN 51 087 646 946 AFSL 260387
Level 42, AAP Centre
259 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
T 02 9087 8000
F 02 9087 8088
www.cvcltd.com.au
www
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.e nviro fe rt.c o .n
“SUBMISSION TO THE GARNAUT CLIMATE CHANGE REVIEW”
SUBMITTED BY ENVIROFERT LTD NEWZEALAND
Paper one ‘Climate Change: Land use - Agriculture and forestry’
BACKGROUND ON ENVIROFERT:
Envirofert Limited is a New Zealand-owned company operating a large scale;
fully resource consented waste disposal and recycling operation at Tuakau in
South Auckland. We are at the forefront of our industry meeting stringent
environmental consent conditions.
The operations currently consist of a 40 acre (15 hectare) cleanfill site and a
100 acre (40 hectare) greenwaste site. As most of the property is not in use
for the greenwaste and cleanfill activities at any one point in time, normal
farming activities (and particularly pastoral farming) are also undertaken. The
property is fully resource consented and is the largest greenwaste composting
site in New Zealand.
Envirofert actively encourages and implements the principles of reuse and
recycling of waste materials in a beneficial way. We only accept materials that
will not damage the environment. As new opportunities arise each product is
carefully evaluated with the help of our highly skilled team through scientific
analysis, engineering design, regulatory requirements and financial viability.
Our aim has been to create a waste disposal, recycling and reuse operation
that nestles into the rural farming environment in which we are located.
Wormi-Composting:
Envirofert is New Zealand’s leading producer of wormi-compost (or vermicast)
products. Operating from a 6.5 hectare vermiculture composting facility
within a 40 hectare consented greenwaste handling site at Tuakau, all
Envirofert garden and cropping products are manufactured from selected
green-waste materials using a natural composting process.
Envirofert Limited P O Box 72-477, Papakura 2244, Office 09-910 0050 Mob 0274 961 870
Winner of the 2006 Franklin Business of the Year, Innovation in Agriculture and Environmental Awards
www
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.e nviro fe rt.c o .n
Slow Pyrolysis Technologies:
-
Envirofert is currently evaluating the option of establishing large scale
commercial Pyrolysis plants in New Zealand.
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Envirofert supports the implementation of slow pyrolysis and the use of
biochar/agrichar in soils.
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We believe there is potential for significant carbon sequestration and
greenhouse gas mitigation benefits from the use of slow pyrolysis technology.
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We believe there is substantial potential for slow pyrolysis to deliver
renewable green energy solutions and is investigating pursuing this as a
favoured option within our waste recycling operation
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We see slow pyrolysis technology offering the benefits of easily measured and
audited carbon off-sets.
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We at Envirofert support whole heartily the efforts being made by Best
Energies in their quest to have the Pyrolysis technologies that they have
developed put to full use.
Gary McGuire
Managing Director
Envirofert Ltd
New Zealand
Envirofert Limited P O Box 72-477, Papakura 2244, Office 09-910 0050 Mob 0274 961 870
Winner of the 2006 Franklin Business of the Year, Innovation in Agriculture and Environmental Awards
10 January 2008
Mr Robert Downie
Managing Director
BEST Energies Australia
56 Gindurra Road
Somersby NSW 2250
Dear Robert
RE: Garnaut Review
The purpose of this letter is to record our company’s interest in pyrolosis technology, as part of your submission to the
Garnaut Climate Change Review.
The Great Southern group of companies holds and manages extensive interests in forestry, livestock, farming and
horticulture. For this reason our company maintains a process for monitoring and researching new developments in
technology. In the past eighteen months Great Southern has researched pyrolosis technology to the extent that we
have now installed two of the world’s largest agrichar trials, and have been invited to speak at an international
conference on the subject.
The application of 21st Century manufacturing technology to the ancient practice of charcoal production will provide
the farming and forestry sector with an additional tool for the mitigation and even sequestration of greenhouse gases.
A large body of scientific knowledge has accumulated over the past thirty years that concludes charcoal can provide
increased crop yields, reduced fertiliser losses, and a very long term carbon sink. Therefore the application of new
manufacturing processes that make charcoal more widely available at a lower price is in the interests of not just the
agricultural and forestry sectors, but the broader community.
While scientific knowledge and manufacturing technology has progressed, the regulatory framework that will
encourage the growth of a pyrolosis industry needs development. Carbon offsets for the avoidance of emissions from
decomposing biomass, plus offsets for carbon captured in recalcitrant charcoal, need to become available and
tradeable.
We would welcome more widespread recognition of these issues and recommend that you bring them to the attention
of the Garnaut Climate Change Review.
Yours sincerely
David Bryant
Fund Manager
Rural Opportunities Fund
LOCKED BAG 150 KINGSTON ACT AUSTRALIA 2604 • LEVEL 1 PHARMACY GUILD HOUSE 15 NATIONAL CIRCUIT BARTON AUSTRALIA 2600
TELEPHONE 1800 026 665 • FACSIMILE 1800 625 518 • EMAIL [email protected] • WEBSITE www.great-southern.com.au
GREAT SOUTHERN FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD ABN 65 077 492 838 AFSL 226701
Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd
ABN 76 104 485 289
Level 5, 141 Walker Street
Locked Bag 6503
North Sydney NSW 2060
Australia
Tel: +61 2 8907 9000
Fax: +61 2 8907 9001
www.hyderconsulting.com
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
BEST Energies Australia
56 Gindurra Road
Somersby NSW 2250
For the attention of: Ms Adriana Downey
Your Ref:
Our Ref:
Direct phone: 02 - 8907 9131
Dear Adriana,
Garnaut Climate Change Review
I’m writing to document my support for the recognition of Agrichar as a potentially providing a
significant contribution in addressing a number of the environmental challenges faced today.
The challenges to be confronted by climate change will necessitate innovative approaches if the
issues are to be addressed. In my opinion, Agrichar is such an approach because, while not in
itself new (Amazon Indians used it hundreds of years ago), today it represents new thinking with
the potential to contribute a solution to three critical environmental issues:
o Climate change. There is significant potential for greenhouse gas mitigation through carbon
sequestration. Additionally, this would be readily measured and audited.
o Waste management. Agrichar would provide a ready market for much of the urban and
agricultural green waste stream which presently is either surplus to the needs of compost
or unsuitable for compost production (eg woody or contaminated).
o Soil quality. Agrichar has the potential to remediate poor quality carbon depleted soils with
obvious flow-on benefits for agriculture.
The commercial production of Agrichar will require the implementation of a cost effective and
reliable slow pyrolysis technology. An additional benefit of this technology is its ability to produce
renewable energy, further contributing to greenhouse gas abatement.
I wish BEST Energies every success in developing the Agrichar market and creating an awareness
of the potential benefits it can bring..
Yours sincerely
Dr Ron Wainberg
Team Leader, Sustainability - Waste and Resources
Environmental Services Group
C:\Documents and Settings\rwaz0764\My Documents\Hyder - Opportunities\Agrichar\BEST Letter 16 Jan 08.doc
Registered office:
Level 5, 141 Walker Street, North Sydney NSW 2060, Australia ABN 76 104 485 289
ISO 14001
Lic CEM20444
SAI Global
AS/NZS 4801
Lic OHS20101
SAI Global
ISO 9001
Lic QEC20863
SAI Global
The Remediation Group Pty Ltd
PO Box 7712, St Kilda Road
Melbourne 3004 Victoria, Australia
Ph: (03) 9592 7856 Fx: (03) 9592 7839
ABN 17 110 148 037
Reference: Pyrolyis feasibility with Boundary Bend
January 17, 2008
Att: Robert Downie
Best Energies
56 Gindurra Road
Somersby
NSW 2250
Dear Robert,
Re: Garnaut report
Thank you for the opportunity to provide some thoughts with respect to your submission to the
Garaunt Report.
By way of background I have been involved with Best Energies slow pyrolysis technology for
around 4 years now having first looked at pyrolysing a combination of sawdust from a timber mill
and waste sludge from a dairy factory.
Since then I have identified an opportunity within the Olive Oil Industry; in particular with a
company called Boundary Bend. In recent times I have been in discussion with John Allison
from Boundary Bend looking at the merits of pyrolysing both the pomace waste material from
the pressing process and the prunings from the groves. There is significant interest and desire
within this organization to undergo a feasibility study into the merits of applying the technology
to their operations. The perceived potential benefits include:
1. improved soil health if the Agrichar is returned to the groves;
2. reduced fertilizer consumption due to efficiency gains as a result of Agrichar application;
3. use of Agrichar as a potting mix material;
4. improvement in waste handling from the oil pressing process and grove pruning;
5. enhanced corporate environmental credentials due to sequestration of carbon;
6. reduced greenhouse gas emissions that currently occur through the composting of
prunings and the disposal of pomace; and
7. carbon credits for carbon sequestration.
In spite of the potential benefits above Boundary Bend are reluctant to proceed due to three key
concerns:
1. The unknown value of the carbon credits and general uncertainty as to how trading
systems may operate;
2. Whether or not carbon sequested through this process will be ratified for carbon credits;
and
3. What risks are associated with accepting funds for carbon credits if further down the
track it is deemed that this method of sequestration is no longer accepted. Ironically this
concern ought to be more of an issue for those planting trees as carbon sinks that could
in time be destroyed through fire.
More generally, the introduction of this technology would represent a significant capital
investment on Boundary Bends part and at present the uncertainty with respect to the key
variables that drive return make it difficult to justify.
Best Energies Garnaut report letter
Page 1 of 2
The Remediation Group
In order to make slow pyrolysis more viably commercially, greater clarity in the value of carbon
and the mechanism for trade needs to be achieved. Additionally, greater government support
through R&D tax concessions, grants or special greenhouse gas abatement programs would be
welcome to help get these sort of projects off the ground in the early stages. Longer term, there
is great potential for market development for Agrichar as a product that will help to improve soils
generally, sequest carbon and improve agricultural output.
From my observation it is generally accepted that the technology is absolutely sound and offers
enormous potential to combat the greenhouse effect. There also seems to be great enthusiasm
within industry to contribute to the solution to supporting corporate intent as well as satisfy
personal ambition and ethos.
I look forward with interest to reading Mr Garnaut’s report.
Yours sincerely,
Jon Miller
Managing Director
The Remediation Group Pty Ltd
Form: TRG letter of support.doc
Page 2 of 2
Women for Change Alliance
www.wfca.org.au
13th January 2007
PO Box 944
Woollahra
NSW 1350
Re: The Garnaut Review
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to endorse the work of BEST Energies Australia and the
role they are playing in providing clean energy technologies and
carbon sequestration through soils.
I became aware of the work of BEST Energies through my forestry
work in Tasmania. I have been a strong advocate and lobbyist to cease
the deforestation of Tasmanian native forests and to put in its place
more sustainable forestry practices. The work has been most
prominent in lobbying financial institutions to pursue more sustainable
investment and funding practices.
By way of history I am an ex investment banker and since August
2006 I have been a strong advocate of addressing Climate Change and
decarbonising our energy systems. I believe strongly that the
agricultural and forestry sectors have an immense and important role
to play, both in terms of carbon mitigation and sequestration, as well
as the necessary adaptation that will need to take place in the face of
climate change impacts to secure long term viability of the sectors.
I would like to endorse the work of BEST Energies slow pyrolysis and
the use of biochar/ agrichar in soils, as well as recognising that there
is a significant role for the use of this technology to assist with carbon
sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation. The technology also has
the scope to deliver renewable energy generation. The process has the
additional benefit of being easily measurable and offering the
subsequent audited carbon offsets.
The immense changes that will need to take place to decarbonise our
society will draw upon the work and technologies as presented by
BEST Energies. The need to resource our energy from carbon less
sources is imperative as is the need to sequester carbon from our
atmosphere. Thus I am very happy to endorse and support the work of
BEST Energies Australia as a means to providing some of the solutions
to the Climate Change problem.
Kind Regards
Danielle Ecuyer
Founder and President WFCA
www.wfca.org.au
www.votedani.com
EM:[email protected]
MO:0408 284226
Mr Robert Downie
Managing Director
BEST Energies Australia
56 Gindurra Road,
Somersby 2250
3 January 2008
Dear Mr Downie,
Please feel free to utilise the following letter in your submission to the Garnaut Review.
As the Australian node in the Zero Waste International Alliance, Zero Waste Australia is
an enthusiastic supporter of the use of slow pyrolysis systems for the production of
biochar or agrichar for application to Australian agricultural soils. As was recently stated
at the biochar conference in Terrigal by Dr Tim Flannery, Australian of the Year, he
could “not find fault with it”, and with good cause.
All research to date had indicated that the process will deliver significant carbon
sequestration with very significant greenhouse mitigation benefits.
In addition the benefits to agriculture will also include increased yield, reduced water use,
improved soil structure, reduced fertiliser use and reduced nitrous oxide production and
increased land value. These benefits will provide enormous social and financial profits to
agriculture in general and specifically to the stability of rural, regional Australia.
In addition to the on-farm benefits, the outputs of the pyrolysis process of renewable
energy and a measurable quantity of carbon, make it a very desirable technology in a
world afflicted with the dangers of Climate Change.
Given Australia’s situation of having enormous areas of degraded land and our potential
for carbon farming on a large scale, it would be hard not to agree with Dr Flannery.
Yours sincerely,
Gerry Gillespie
The Pig Pen Pty Ltd
P O Box 324
Euroa
Vic 3666
16 January, 2008
Submission for Garnaut Climate Change Review,
Issue Paper One: ‘Climate Change: Land use - Agriculture and forestry’
Letter of Support for Submission from
Best Energies Australia
1. I strongly support the implementation of slow pyrolysis and the use of
biochar/agrichar in soils.
It has taken two centuries of occupation by European settlers to recognise and accept that
Australian soils are dissimilar to European soils and are unsuited to the farming and
cultivation practices inherited from the western traditions.
In particular, the belief that the Australian soils were simply deficient in nutrients has led to a
long standing pattern of regular and significant applications of nitrogenous fertiliser in an
effort to make the soils more closely resemble the production profile of European soils.
This has had government endorsement from the first days of the Fertiliser Train, which was a
touring marketing and education strategy of State governments from the late 1920’s and
through the 1930’s to foster the uptake of this transformative farming strategy.
The effect of this continuing fertiliser use, together with increasingly significant water
applications to the soils, have in turn created what are now seen as almost intractable
problems of both salinity and acidification, with consequent major losses of productive
capacity in agriculture.
Salinity has been largely addressed by extensive tree planting, which I have been involved
with, and in leadership roles, from the commencement of the Landcare movement 22
years ago. It has involved a disproportionate amount of work for the degree of
amelioration when objectively measured. But it is currently our one generally agreed
strategy for salinity management.
Acidification of soils has proved much more intractable, and presently there are no
widespread agreed means of regeneration of acidified soils.
The recent inclusion of nitrogenous fertilisers as a Security Listed Chemical, with its
consequent management restrictions has added another layer of difficulty in the
management and administrative decisions for maintaining productive Australian
agricultural soils.
The research focus on soil productivity in recent years has come to recognise that both the
microbial subsoil activity and the carbon content of the soils are key drivers of healthy
soils. Both of these aspects of soil health are compromised in extensive areas of
Australia.
How to increase soil carbon effectively and significantly and how to encourage healthy
microbial activity has been the subject of much experimentation and enquiry in recent
years.
Generally, the results have been incremental improvements or highly constrained
experimentation. Almost all of the work has been done on farming land, because
conservation protocols do not accept the addition of any materials to native conserved
vegetation areas.
In cropping areas, farmers have worked to increase soil carbon by the increased retention of
dry stubbles, and the adoption of minimal till strategies. This results in a very small
increase in carbon inclusion in the soils, as the stubbles may be seen still on the surface
and almost intact more than one season after cutting. The minium till process also offers
little mechanical assistance to the incorporation of the carbon bearing stubbles into the
soil.
The substance known as agrichar is the best current means of reliably adding carbon to
agricultural soils. It also has the significant advantage that within the soils, its natural
structures are able to offer significantly improved sites for microbial development, which
in turn then supports the natural vitality and productivity of the soils.
And both of these advantages may be obtained without need to apply additional nitrogenous
fertiliser.
This in turn is a significant advance to support certified organic farming enterprises which are
not able to use chemical fertilisers. The organic farming sector is one that fosters
considerable price advantages and is an internationally growing food market strategy.
The recent development by BEST Energies of the slow pyrolysis process is the only reliable
and commercially ready process by which commercial quantities of a certifiable carbon
content material can be produced for agricultural soil amendment.
I recommend that the Garnaut Review support the adoption and use of this material,
and the fostering of its means of production.
2. There is potential for significant carbon sequestration benefits from the use of slow
pyrolysis technology.
The use of slow pyrolysis technology as developed by BEST Energies offers a very
significant opportunity for reliable carbon sequestration.
It offers a means of producing a highly durable carbon material, agrichar, which is
able to be included in soils where it has the double benefit of improving soil
productivity and also creating a an extremely stable carbon material which is
significantly more durable than the required 100 years for Carbon Sequestration
certification as presently developed.
It also offers the capacity to measure accurately the amount of carbon to be
sequestered (you test the sample of the batch to be used) and this will not change
over time in the soil, unlike the highly variable amounts estimated by the action of
growing trees to sequester carbon.
And it can never be removed (again unlike the harvesting of trees) because once in
the soil not even digging up the entire farm and sieving it would retrieve the
agrichar particles.
Once sequestered, this carbon stays sequestered.
And it is able to be added to soils in significant amounts (there are currently no
known limits to its addition to soils. Some South American soils are almost 40%
agrichar, and still amazingly fertile after centuries.)
Per hectare, compared to tree planting, agrichar has an almost unlimited potential for
carbon sequestration, together with a high degree of reliability in auditable
certification.
3. There is potential for significant greenhouse gas mitigation benefits from the use of
slow pyrolysis technology.
The greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are significant, and as Issues Paper 1 notes:
“” It is desirable for agriculture to play a part in the mitigation effort.”(p.2)
The reductions in agricultural emissions have so far been driven by “reductions in land
clearing and the planting of new forests.” (Issues Paper 1, p.2)
There is a limit to the enduring capacity of either of these strategies to drive further significant
emissions reductions in agriculture. Both of these strategies take land out of farming
production (moderated by the extent to which forest plantings are for agroforestry.)
As climate change impacts more on farming practices, particular areas of the Australian
farming zones will become unsuitable or very marginal for traditional production
strategies. Unless we can foster production methods which use much less land than in
the past, we will have to make some significant decisions about land uses which protect
farming land from non agricultural use.
At the same time, the change in climate in many areas will mean that certain kinds of
production will have to either invent very radical new production methods, or move to
areas becoming more suited to the production requirements of the particular industry.
This production mobility is already evident in both horticulture and vineyards.
As the world population grows, there will be a growth in the food production requirements,
both in Australia and for export to service growing populations overseas. And as some of
these populations become more affluent, they will also drive a demand, not just for
increased volumes of food, but for different types of food, particularly, the increase of
dietary animal protein.
And all this extra food production will also increase our agricultural emissions.
So we are going to need changed (and more intensive) use made of agricultural land, and the
emergence of new production. There will be new needs to manage production methods,
plant and animal health, biosecurity, and waste.
Slow pyrolysis technology not only offers exceptional capacity to sequester carbon for offset
purposes, but the actual production of that carbon also allows for the use of animal and
other agricultural wastes as the base material used in the pyrolysis process.
This then removes these materials from the waste steam where they have undesirable
environmental impacts and are net sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
The pyrolysis process can thus protect biosecurity and animal and plant health on farms,
remove an amenity nuisance in odours on site, and prevent waste materials going to
landfill where the emissions profile is only enlarged by their addition.
Since the pyrolysis process also creates energy, there is a net gain in that the potentially
damaging materials in the agricultural waste steam are removed from site and put to a
beneficial use in producing agrichar, which in turn allows for beneficial soil amelioration
and also secure, auditable carbon sequestration.
This process also creates valuable heat which can be distributed, and energy which can be
used or sold back into the grid.
So with slow pyrolysis technology we can create significant greenhouse gas emission
reductions without impacting on land use choices and availability, and leverage the
outcome of those reductions by creating a carbon sink amelioration tool with agrichar
itself.
4. Slow pyrolysis technology offers the potential for a valuable addition to the
portfolio of renewable energy solutions.
In the management of agricultural production, the role and character of all kinds of
infrastructure provision is quite problematic. Among these, energy infrastructure is now at
a acritical point.
Traditionally, energy infrastructure has been provided to agriculture in the form of Single Wire
Earth Return wire lines (SWER lines). These have been run out over the country as
farms have been created, and are generally low load bearing, and in many areas, now
significantly aging.
Each state has developed its own networks of these, and they have been differentially
th
managed under the various state systems. Up until the last part of the 20 century, this
form of provision was accepted as satisfactory, and most farm power services were
supplied ( and expected to serve ) as primarily a domestic supply. The use of power in
agricultural production has risen with the increase in farm size and the consequent
increased power use, or with a shift to intensive production techniques.
Emerging global markets increasingly not only require much higher volumes of product for
contracts, but also increasingly specify in fine detail the production requirements for
quality control and residue management etc.
This in turn means that production is increasingly dependent on reliable power supplies, and
on a constant basis. The production requires power – it is no longer a choice. And for the
most efficient usage, 3-phase power is the most suitable, but it is increasingly hard to
access, as the energy distribution companies do not find it economic to deliver 3-phase
power to widely separated customers.
And since extreme weather events, which are more common with climate change, almost
invariably see power outages, often for days, the agricultural enterprises which are power
dependent increasingly need to supply on site generation to assist with critical load
capacity or emergency management. And the old diesel generator won’t do, or else has
such a disastrous footprint that it is a last resort choice.
This is a significant driver of opportunity for renewable energy generation. And on farm,
bioenergy generation allows for the extra efficiencies of being able to use farm materials
as inputs, thus reducing the transport emissions which would otherwise attach to
providing the inputs for the system.
This also has the added benefit of being able to use materials which would otherwise have
been either a waste management issue for the farm or a biosecurity or health
management issue. This applies to both horticultural and livestock enterprises.
In the case of slow pyrolysis energy generation, there is also the very significant capacity for
an on-farm management strategy to avoid the environmental as well as biosecurity and
health issues which arise from the management of dead stock.
Traditionally, extensive farm livestock enterprises have left smaller stock such as sheep to lie
in the paddock, and have also done the same for cattle where burying them was difficult.
The potential water contamination from leachates from dead stock is a significant health
as well as environmental issue.
In the case of an outbreak, such as anthrax, the general strategy has been to burn the
carcases. Again, this is a far from adequate environmental approach, and is not even
secure as a disease management strategy.
Slow pyrolysis technology is a unique opportunity to support appropriate and secure
management of dead stock and, in modular systems, would be able to be brought in to
handle significant disease outbreaks on farm.
Since the transport of diseased and dead animals is the single greatest risk factor in the
spread of the disease, the on farm management of this issue is one of great importance
to the security and health status of our farm production
I strongly recommend the panel supports the development of the slow pyrolysis technology
energy generation system.
Director
The Pig Pen Pty Ltd
Claire Penniceard is the owner and Sole Director of The Pig Pen Pty Ltd.
The Pig Pen grows out pigs in North East Victoria, on contract to service specialist export
markets.
The enterprise has been designed and operated for eight years as a working model of
sustainable, Triple Bottom Line, accountable agriculture.
Water and energy use are a fraction of traditional operational requirements. Emissions are
negligible compared to other forms of agricultural production. The Pig Pen is a
continuing zero waste enterprise. The land footprint is tiny, and the enterprise is able to
regenerate, every year, a greater acreage of land than is required for all its operational
land in total, including land required for all the external inputs of the enterprise, such as
feed grain.
The enterprise showcases exemplary environmental, animal welfare and production
outcomes, and has a national reputation for excellence in the Australian pork industry.
The Pig Pen is innovative and successful in creating a truly sustainable model of 21st
century agricultural production.
In the last year Claire Penniceard has been the winner of three significant national
Awards.
In 2006, she was the Victorian winner of the Australian Pork Limited
Environmental Stewardship Award.
In 2006, she was the Victorian winner and a National Finalist of the Telstra
Business Women’s Awards in the Innovation category
In 2007, she was the only farming enterprise to become a national Finalist in the
whole of the Banksia Environmental Awards. She was a Finalist in the
Sustainability category.
Major project award:
In 2006, Claire Penniceard was awarded a DAFF National Resource Innovation
Grant. It was for a $600,000 research project which has been trialling and evaluating the
use of grape marc (the residue of skins and seeds after pressing grapes for wine) as a
possible bedding material for use in deep litter bedding piggery production systems such
as mine.
This is a project of national significance, in that it takes a very problematic waste
product from one intensive agricultural industry, uses it to beneficial purposes in another
unrelated industry, and then creates from it a valuable co–product much which is ph
neutral, friable, full of bio-dynamic soil enriching microbes, has high levels of soil
available carbon and has a nutrient profile not very different to superphosphate fertiliser,
which in Australia is now a security risk chemical.
Memberships of Victorian Government Bodies:
Essential Services Commission Business Customer Consultative Committee 2005-2007
I had to resign from this appointment to take up a position as
Goulburn Murray Water Authority, Director, 2007
Ministerial Swine Industry Projects Advisory Committee Member2006Ministerial Animal Welfare Advisory Committee Member 2006Victorian Pig Council
Member
2004Irrigation Futures of the Goulburn Broken Catchment Project,
Technical Working Group
Member
2004- 2007
Victorian Farmers Federation Policy Council member 2005Current Conferences and other presentations:
•
I was invited to make a poster presentation for the national Greenhouse 2007
Conference on the benchmarking and sustainability Life Cycle Analysis I have
developed for The Pig Pen.
•
I was a speaker and also a panelist at the inaugural Banksia Forum on
Sustainability in Sydney in November 2007.
•
I have been invited to speak at the Farming in a Changing Climate Conference
being held in February 2008 , a joint initiative of DAFF, through the National
Landcare Program, DPI and the East Gippsland CMA.
•
I am a speaker at a pig industry conference for Murray water users on Water use
efficiencies and benchmarking
•
I was a guest speaker in 2007 for the Directioneering Company Managers’
Business Forum on drivers of change.
•
I was invited to speak at Telstra’s own in house launch of the 2007 Telstra
Business Women’s Awards
Recent Articles and other publications:
Articles on The Pig pen have been published by The Financial Review, Business
Review Weekly, The Weekly Times, Stock and Land, The Age newspaper and
WME Environment Business Magazine, where The Pig Pen was the only farm
ever to make a cover story.
I have been interviewed by ABC Radio National for ” Bush Telegraph” and the
BBC for their World Business Radio program.
Some current roles:
•
I am a member of the national Pig industry’s peak body, Australian Pork Limited,
Technical Reference Group overseeing the implementation nationally of the
Commonwealth Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals (Pigs),
which was published by PIMIC in April 2007
•
I am currently an invited Victorian representative of the pig industry in an APL
national working group preparing the pig industry sections of the new National
Livestock Transport Code.
•
I have been consulted by the Australian Taxation Office as the pig industry
advisor for a major project determining Effective Life schedules for piggery
assets.
•
I was asked to make a personal presentation, as well as a written submission, to
the Victorian Parliamentary Biofuels Inquiry in 2007.
ENDS