The REFERTIL project is co-funded by the European Union, Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement number 289785. 2011-2015. R E F E R T I L N E W S L E T T E R Issue: March 2014 - Biochar Policy Edition [email protected]www.refertil.info Sign up to the Newsletter 1 REFERTIL WWW.REFERTIL.INFO In This Issue The REFERTIL project is providing advanced solutions to the added value transformation of the organic bio-waste streams from Europe’s agriculture and food industries. In this context, the REFERTIL project is improving the current compost systems and developing new generation zero emission industrial scale biochar technology for safe, economical and ecological nutrient recovery process, most importantly Phosphorous, for conservation agriculture. The targeted high quality output products aiming to reduce the use of mineral fertilizers and intensive chemicals in agriculture; enhancing the environmental, ecological and economical sustainability of food crop production; reducing the negative footprint of the cities and overall contributing to climate change mitigation, while creating new bio-economy. Moreover, the REFERTIL project provides strong policy support to the European Commission for the revision of the Fertiliser Regulation, that will standardize and law harmonize the safe biochar and compost products use as organic P-fertilisers and/or soil improver products. ▪ Science and technology RTD for definition of improved and safe compost & biochar standards in the EU 28. ▪ Providing strong policy support to the European Commission for revision of the Fertiliser Regulation (Reg. EC No. 2003/2003.). ▪ Economical scale industrial transformation of the organic bio-waste streams from Europe’s agriculture and food industries towards zero emission conversion performance into proven safe compost & biochar products. ▪ Improvement of advanced, safe and economical bio-waste treatment and nutrient recovery industrial process for compost & biochar products. ▪ Bridge over biochar applied science into industrial engineering, economical and environmental industrial practice, for the benefits and interest of the SME farmers and consumers. ‘ABC’ - Animal Bone bioChar Page1 ▪ Refertil in brief ▪ Refertil partners ▪ The key objectives Page 2 ▪ Biochar definition ▪ Biochar types ▪ Biochar feedstocks Page 3 ▪ Biochar policy support ▪ The proposed mandatory parameters for biochar ▪ Biochar standardisation Page 4 ▪ Biochar technology development - the key drivers ▪ Rationale for limit values and quality criteria ▪ Coordinator contact
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The REFERTIL project is co-funded by the European Union, Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreementnumber 289785. 2011-2015.
The REFERTIL project is providingadvanced solutions to the addedvalue transformation of the organicbio-waste streams from Europe’sagriculture and food industries. Inthis context, the REFERTIL projectis improving the current compostsystems and developing newgeneration zero emission industrialscale biochar technology for safe,economical and ecological nutrientrecovery process, most importantlyPhosphorous, for conservationagriculture. The targeted highquality output products aiming toreduce the use of mineral fertilizersand intensive chemicals inagriculture; enhancing theenvironmental, ecological andeconomical sustainability of foodcrop production; reducing the
negative footprint of the cities andoverall contributing to climatechange mitigation, while creatingnew bio-economy. Moreover, theREFERTIL project provides strongpolicy support to the EuropeanCommission for the revision of theFertiliser Regulation, that willstandardize and law harmonize thesafe biochar and compost productsuse as organic P-fertilisers and/orsoil improver products.
▪ Science and technology RTD for definition of improved and safe compost& biochar standards in the EU 28.
▪ Providing strong policy support to the European Commission for revisionof the Fertiliser Regulation (Reg. EC No. 2003/2003.).
▪ Economical scale industrial transformation of the organic bio-waste streamsfrom Europe’s agriculture and food industries towards zero emissionconversion performance into proven safe compost & biochar products.
▪ Improvement of advanced, safe and economical bio-waste treatment andnutrient recovery industrial process for compost & biochar products.
▪ Bridge over biochar applied science into industrial engineering, economicaland environmental industrial practice, for the benefits andinterest of the SME farmers and consumers.
‘ABC’ - Animal Bone bioChar
Page1▪ Refertil in brief▪ Refertil partners▪ The key objectivesPage 2▪ Biochar definition▪ Biochar types▪ Biochar feedstocksPage 3▪ Biochar policy support▪ The proposed mandatory parameters
for biochar▪ Biochar standardisationPage 4▪ Biochar technology development - the
key drivers▪ Rationale for limit values and quality
In thiscontext the biochar is soil improver and/ororganic fertilizer or both. The REFERTIL isstrongly recommending that only one gradeand minimum, but high enough,environmental quality biochar type is to bedefined for conservation agricultureapplication.
Wide range of organic feed stocks can beused for biochar production.
not competing with humanfood, animal feed and plant nutritionproduction and supply; and originating fromenvironmental and climate protectionsustainable source and supply.
The biochar must be well defined andcontrolled quality, that is processedunder reductive thermal conditions, andapplied to improve the soil physicaland/or chemical and/or biologicalproperties or the soil activity and/orconsists of organic materials of biologicalorigin.
“PBC”:Plant based biochar
with relatively high water holding,nutrient retention and C-sequestrationcapacity , but almost no soil fertilizationeffects with economical value.
Plant biochar is produced from plantbiomass materials between 450°C –550°C reductive thermal processingnegative pressure conditions with zeroemission or near zero missionenvironmental performance.
.
ABC is produced from food gradecategory 3 animal bones between 600°C– 650°C reductive thermal processingand negative pressure conditions withadvanced zero emission environmentalperformance.
Having low carbon contentand as high as 30% P2O5 nutrientcomposition with sequenced release P-fertilization effect. ABC is highlymacroporous, formulation optimized forsignificant enhancing of soilmicrobiological life, having high waterholding and macromolecular organicnutrient retention.
“3R” Zero emission pyrolysis equipment for ABC biochar production
Food grade category 3 bones feedstock for ‘ABC’ production
▪(approx. 30 % for PBC and 50% forABC), and the rest is oil and noncondensable gases, for whicheconomical and environmental friendlyutilization strategy is key important.
▪ As biochar production can beconsidered as a small scale chemicalindustrial installation, therefore
▪ Towards ascombined environmental andeconomical incentive.
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Disclaimer: The author is solely responsible for the content of this newsletter, which does not represent the opinion of the European Community.
I. There should be no overall adverse environmental, ecological and humanhealth impact from the use of biochar products in the open soil environment. Thelimit values set for PAHs, potential toxic elements and pollutants with biocharquality criteria should promote the production of higher quality and safe biocharproducts under market based economical conditions in conservation agriculture.
II. The limits and biochar quality standards should excludethe poor quality carbon products from the fertiliser and soil improver market, thoseare usually missing the environmental and human health measures during itsobsolete charcoal production schedules. Biochar products made from biomassby-products and regulated under mandatory EU Regulations are proposed to bemutually MS recognized products. Biochar made from waste material streams underWaste Framework Directive/End-of-Waste criteria, is proposed to be additionarylaw harmonized by the Member States as well.
III. : beyond the availability of the Authority permits forproduction and use of biochar over one ton per year production capacity (REACH),the Authority permit, control and continuous follow up are important elements. Byselection of full and transparent up to date informationon biochar production and product quality required, such as
▪ application indicator.
▪ Target pollutants. Product and environmental quality key indicator.
▪ target pollutants and key indicators.
▪ Contamination indicator also for PCDD/F.
IV. The Refertil ABC/PBC product quality criteria,application and follow up of the new EU/MS industrial, agricultural andenvironmental regulations encourage the best practice of biochar production andsupply of safe biochar. The Refertil ABC/PBC criteria also providing a legal,technical, economical and market platform for sustainable biochar businessoperations, including an important legal element to support the users andconsumers interest, such as producer’s biochar product responsibility, insuranceand guarantee, same way as for any other commercial products.
REFERTIL provides rational, realistic and commercial marketdemanded economical scenario for all biochar stakeholders from sustainable feedmaterial supply, through production and conservation agricultural safe application,while equally importantly the environment, the climate protection and social aspectsare also on the win side with equal importance.
Edward SomeusBiochar S&T senior [email protected]://www.agrocarbon.com
