refertil newsletter biochar edition march2014
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Refertil newsletter biochar edition, march 2014TRANSCRIPT
The REFERTIL project is co-funded by the European Union, Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreementnumber 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
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In This Issue
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
criteria▪ Coordinator contact
The REFERTIL project is co-funded by the European Union, Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreementnumber 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
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ABC and plant based biochar
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
‘ABC’ porous material
The REFERTIL project is co-funded by the European Union, Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreementnumber 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
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(Reg. (EC) No 2003/2003), and the
possible inclusion of biochar - as organic
fertilizer (ABC - Animal Bone bioChar)
and soil additive (plant biomass
byproduct based biochar).
When biochar is irrevocable applied to
open and complex soil ecological system,
there is also a direct interlink to
subsurface water systems, therefore only
qualified and safe biochar must be
applied. The aim is to ensure that the
proposed biochar quality and safety
criteria are fully consistent with EU-wide
Directives and Regulations for long term.
(limit values for
toxic substances) standard
from
potential toxic elements and organic
compounds for application of safe biochar
product in conservation agriculture. The
and revision of the Fertiliser Regulation
in 2012-
2014 for joint considerations.
Furthermore, wide range of European
and global biochar S&T groups have been
consulted for knowledge and experience
exchange in this new and complex
biochar case. Detailed policy support
report submitted to the Commission on
December 20, 2013.
The REFERTIL proposed analytical methodsfor organic pollutants
The REFERTIL proposed mandatory parameters for biochar (mg/kg)
PAH16
CEN/TS 16181:2013 * - Determination ofpolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by gaschromatography (GC)
PCB7EN 16167:2012 * - Gas chromatography withmass selective detection (GC-MS)
PCDD/FCEN/TS 16190:2012* - Gas chromatographywith high resolution mass selective detection(HR GC-MS)
* HORIZONTAL Standards (CEN/TC 400) Sludge, treatedbiowaste, soil and waste.
Potential toxic elements (mg/kg)
As 10 10Cd 1.5 1.5Cr 100 100Cu 200 200Pb 120 120Hg 1 1Ni 50 50Zn 600 600
Organic pollutants
PAH 16 6 6PCB 7 0.2 0.2
PCDD/F (ng/kg I-TEQ) 20 20
Particle size distribution ABC: 1-5mm, 90% PBC: 1-20 mm, 90%
Bulk density declaration declaration
Dry matter content >80% >60%
pH 6 - 10 6 - 10
Total Organic C declaration 20%
N and K total declaration declaration
Total P (P2O5) >25% declaration
Total Ca, Mg declaration declaration
Germination inhibition assay No inhibition No inhibition
Phytotoxicity No phytotoxicity No phytotoxicity
Agronomic efficiency Should be proved Should be proved
The REFERTIL project is co-funded by the European Union, Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreementnumber 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
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▪
▪
energy efficiency andemission performance.
▪(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.
▪
▪
▪
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
http://www.refertil.info