Three year study on biochar & bamboo in Indonesia

The following news was posted to the IBI February newsletter:

"A good deal of research on biochar comes from Indonesia, but much of it misses mainstream academic publications. A new three-year project is underway led by Ghent University, Belgium to help the Indonesian scientific community obtain better worldwide standing using their bamboo biochar industry as a sample case."

From the website:

"This networking project in essence addresses the problem of low soil fertility and related food security issues in Indonesia by harnessing the potential of bamboo derived biochar for soil improvement. Given the high scientific and societal impact of biochar research, notably in soil science, the production and use of bamboo biochar (in a limited number of field experiments) will allow us to address probably the main challenge in academic research in Indonesia, namely the limited international impact. Within this project, biochar will be used as a case study to very significantly increase the international impact of the participating universities, through the organisation of workshops on hypothesis testing, on experimental set-up and on scientific writing with impact, through bringing the Indonesian partners into contact with non-Indonesian research institutes with internationally successful biochar research, and through the sharing of experiences and the learning process over the entire project duration. The inclusion of diverse universities from Java, Bali, West Sumatra and Aceh will maximize the overall project impact.ic community obtain better worldwide standing using their bamboo biochar industry as a sample case."

 

Converting Smoke to Biochar - Warm Heart Worldwide

Converting Smoke to Biochar - Warm Heart Worldwide *

Check out the label link below to other articles on Warmheart work with biochar.

Biochar project funding opportunity - extended deadline

CfP-8 Proposal Preparation Support the deadline for submission of proposals of CfP-8 has been extended to 31 August 2017. Please contact us at your convenience if you require guidance and assistance in preparing your project proposal in a a professional way. CALL-FOR-PROPSALS - CFP-8 EEP Mekong Programme The Energy and Environment Partnership Programme with the Mekong Region - EEP Mekong, funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, aims to improve access to sustainable energy in the EEP Mekong partner countries Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. This Call-for-Proposals (CfP-8) is aiming at both Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and private sector companies in clean energy to propose projects.  CSO can propose pilot projects on a smaller scale whereas private sector projects should be close to commercial maturity and have potential for scaling-up. Minimum project value for both applications (CSO and private sector) is Euro 250,000. CSO projects can be funded (grant) of up to 60% of project value. Private sector projects can receive project grant support of up to Euro 1,000,000 depending on the project size and the level of verifiable self-financing of the project developer. EEP Mekong is inviting CfP applications in only one step as Full Project Proposals. To be eligible, projects have to be implemented in one or more of the EEP Mekong partner countries - Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The programme developers have to be registered in one or more of the above partner countries or Finland. Interested project developers are requested to submit their Project proposal online through the link provided at EEP Mekong website www.eepmekong.orgon or before 31 August 2017, at 16:00 hrs, Vientiane time. For detailed information about EEP Mekong programme and how to apply for project funding (CfP-8), please visit www.eepmekong.org or contact Bernhard Meyhöfer, Programme Manager    bernhard.meyhofer@eepmekong.org or Cosme de Arana, Business Development Expert  cosme.arana@eepmekong.org

http://www.eepmekong.org/

Bana grass project in Philippines mentions biochar

$10-M bio-charcoal facility to be built in Nueva Ecija

Published July 18, 2017, 10:01 PM

By Robert R. Requintina

Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija – A $10 million bio-charcoal facility will be built here later this year that is expected to be a major source of renewable and sustainable energy, and will provide more employment in the province, according to the MacKay Green Energy, Inc. (MGE).

“It’s European standard. So no emissions,” said MGE Chairman James R. MacKay when asked about the safety of the facility, during ground-breaking ceremonies for the newest plantation in this province recently.

The newly acquired three hectares of land where the new bio-charcoal will be put up is expected to hire more than 1,000 people when completed. “In this facility, you will have charcoal, methane, bio-char, and bio-oil.”

MacKay also said that the energy firm is getting closer to its goal in helping the country become more environment-friendly.

“You don’t have enough biomass in the Philippines. So at some stage, the market will come to a point when it will have to purchase,” MacKay explained.

MGE, he said, has secured the best technologies.

“It has superior qualities to fossil based coal and can be co-fired in existing cola power plants without the need to make drastic changes. It is a key factor for power plants since the Greenhouse Gas Emissions can be directly reduced,” said Mackay.

The whole project will be dedicated to MacKay variety Bana Grass, which is a crop imported by MGE that can be turned into fuel to produce energy.

MacKay said that Bana Grass is a perennial hybrid variety (pennisetum purpureum X pennisetum americanum) which is highly tolerant to drought and typhoons, pest-resistant and is also non-allergic.

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/18/10-m-bio-charcoal-facility-to-be-built-in-nueva-ecija/

Climate change, developed world v. developing world and biochar

Climate change, developed world v. developing world and biochar [link to article]

Dr. D. Michael Shafer

Director, Warm Heart Foundation, A.Phrao, Chiang Mai

"Because we are among the world’s 1.2 billion rich people and not its 5.4 billion poor, it is easy to think about the climate crisis, solutions to the climate crisis and sustainability in terms of developed world actions and initiatives. Given the focus of diplomatic, media, policy, and scientific attention, this is entirely understandable. It is also entirely wrongheaded. If you ask, Where can we most easily improve environmental outcomes? Achieve sustainability? Reverse climate change? To say nothing of where can we alleviate the most suffering and promote the greatest good? The answers are all found in the developing world. Environmental action in the developing world by and for the 2.54 billion of the world’s poorest people, very small farmers, can do more right now and at less cost to advance our shared interest in global sustainability than anything else imaginable.

What is to be done? Train billions of small farmers in the developing world to turn their crop wastes into biochar instead of burning it. ..."

Conclusion

"The conclusions that follow from this extended argument should be encouraging for the developed world reader not attempting to commercialize biochar. Stated a boldly as possible: (1) Because the climate change calamity falls largely on the developing world, it must mobilize to solve the problem, not merely postpone it. (2) Unlike the developed world, where much depends on intergovernmental and even inter-nongovernmental organization coordination – a huge task – the remedy required in the developing world requires no coordination and little government action. (3) Developed world efforts to reverse climate change are nascent and decades from ramp up, the technology and project required to remove billions of tons of CO 2 from the atmosphere is ready and waiting in developing world. (4) The developed world winces at the cost of development assistance, but two critical details recommend the proposed program: it clearly serves the interest of the developed world and it will reduce future spending on such financial black hole programs as health and food aid. (5) Finally, because the proposed program works by creating incentives for the world’s poorest to help themselves, it is an investment in reducing climate change’s most salient political challenge: how to manage the hordes of hunger refugees who will storm the borders of the developed world?"

SkillCult on Biochar Catch Pits

100 Projects for the Climate

This French initiative is helping support a number of biochar related projects. Three projects in the SEA region are revealed from a search on 'biochar' (nine in total)...
http://www.100projetspourleclimat.gouv.fr/en/#filters

Philippines: cook stoves
http://www.100projetspourleclimat.gouv.fr/en/projects/543-biocharintegratedsystem

Vietnam: gasifier technology
http://www.100projetspourleclimat.gouv.fr/en/projects/461-cu-khoi-guava-gasifier

Philippines: Project Eden
http://www.100projetspourleclimat.gouv.fr/en/projects/36-project-eden

They can all benefit from your votes...

Vietnam B4SS Project

A visit to the Starfish website (http://starfish-initiatives.org/) lead me to Biochar for Sustainable Soils (B4SS) Project  and then on to two projects is SEA:


VIETNAM – B4SS PROJECT PROFILE

INDONESIA – B4SS PROJECT
(profile coming - working with an existing network of 1,750 small-scale women farmers with dryland cropping systems to improve soils affected by the 2004 tsunami).

CHARdays: June 18-21

This in from Kathleen Draper at the Biochar Journal... do we have the momentum in SEA to get some events planned in time? I see Sri Lanka (and now Philippines) are in...

An invitation to join us for CHARdays: June 18 - 21

Hello biochar community -

We'd like to invite all of your to join us for the first (hopefully annual) CHARdays event from June 18 - 21st. Location: your backyard or at your company location or anywhere you choose. The idea is to build awareness for biochar by hosting charring events around the globe. For those interested in participating, we are working on a way to help you advertise your event though social media and the Biochar Journal.

We don't have a baseline goal for how much carbon we think the biochar community could help sequester in these 4 days but would love to hear what you all think.

Hope you will join us in spreading the word!

http://www.biochar-journal.org/en/ct/60-CHARdays-2015

We have commitments from Australia, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and the US so far which is great.  There will be at least 100 Swiss and German 'charmaniacs' participating as well and some have asked us about posting live video - we are checking into that.

If you'd like us to help advertise your event, feel free to send the relevant information to Maddie Brown(brown@ithaka-institute.org) . You can use your own flyer or just send us the details and we'll put them in this simple format and post to our CHARdays Pinterest board.

Cheers, Kathleen

Project report from Thailand

Jay White has produced a great report on his work with TLUD's and biochar in Thailand. The project was located at two sites in Chang Mai in January and February this year.
[click title to link to report - 3.5MB]

Promotion of Clean Emissions Charcoal Production and Use of Biochar

"PROJECT GOALS

"The PCV discussed these observations and research with the agricultural specialists at the Sub-district Administrative Organization (SAO) of Tambon Soppoeng and the Mae Lod Royal Agricultural Project. Both parties expressed interest in promoting the TLUD kiln technology and the use of biochar in the community. The PCV and staff of the SAO and Royal Project agreed that before promoting these technologies the organizers of this project needed to become practiced with the operation of the TLUD kiln and with it test pyrolysis of different locally available feedstocks. The primary goal of this project was to promote continued use of biochar and the TLUD kiln among community members. The testing of TLUD kiln use on different feedstocks was a secondary outcome necessary for achieving the primary goal.

 PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS
The project’s design had three objectives to meet the goal of promoting the TLUD kiln and biochar use.

• Objective 1: Build two TLUD kilns with counterparts in the SAO and Royal Project and test their use on five locally available feedstocks. These feedstocks were hardwood waste from fruit trees, bamboo, corn cobs, rice husks, and rice straw.
• Objective 2: Promote the TLUD kiln design and the production of biochar in two trainings, at the Sao and the Royal Project, open to the local public and select 10 participants from the most interested attendees.
• Objective 3: Provide free TLUD kilns and personal training for the 10 participants in the use of their TLUD kiln and in the incorporation of resulting charcoal into organic fertilizer. "

EcoFarm - biochar activity in Vietnam

IBI feature article that links Vietnam with Australia and Hawaii on a biochar project.

EcoFarm: Facilitating an international collaboration to install biochar technology in Vietnam

Biochar demonstration projects in Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam

This job advertisement identifies existing biochar demonstration projects in Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam. Closing date is 23Feb so still time to get your CV in! It is not clear what organisation is running this program. If you have some idea, please let us know - it would be nice to know more about these SEA projects.

Project Director - Sustainable Land Management

Job Summary

This innovative not-for-profit organisation has a proven record in supporting regional sustainability throughout Australia and beyond.  They are excited to be working on their largest initiative to date and seeking to appoint a passionate, capable and suitably qualified Project Director to lead this important global project. 

The purpose of the project is to demonstrate and promote the adoption of sustainable land management practices involving the use of innovative organic amendments, based on biochar. Funded by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Global Environment Fund (GEF), the project's duration will be 2.5 - 3 years commencing early 2015.

Reporting to the Executive Director with accountability to a Technical Steering Committee, you will lead the project working with six existing biochar demonstration projects in the developing world locations of:  Peru, Myanmar, Aceh, China (Henan, Hunan, Anhui and Jiangsu), Kenya, Ethiopia and Vietnam.  Your responsibilities will include evaluation of the role and potential of biochar in SLM; building awareness, knowledge and improved understanding and establishing knowledge management dissemination systems – particularly for small landholders and farming groups; establishing local and international networks of demonstration sites and farming groups and providing training in the use of bochar.  Further aiding your success will be your strengths in coordinating and delivering in a complex project arena and establishing strong relationships and working effectively with a broad range of stakeholders including the six in-country partner organisations, the UNEP and GEF, agricultural landholders and farming groups.

 

Urban biochar project model

Coming to a city near you in SEA soon (hopefully)...

Stockholm, Sweden: Biochar – for a Better City Ecosystem
"Stockholm, like many global cities, is confronting the effects of climate change. Stockholm will create a citywide program that activates citizens as front-line change agents to curb this escalating problem. Together, the city and its residents will produce biochar, an organic substance that increases tree growth, sequesters carbon, and purifies storm water runoff. Citizens will bring their green waste to locations across the city for conversion to biochar and, ultimately, redistribution."
http://soilcarbon.org.nz/1million-euro-for-stockholm-biochar-project/

Not-to-be-missed new video on simple biochar production

Kon-Tiki - open burn deep cone kiln for biochar

There's a bit of a buzz in the biochar community over these type of cone kilns (TFOD) and 'Moxham' kilns. Backyard biochar has led the way on this... http://backyardbiochar.net/

Although not stated, I think this video has been put together by Hans-Peter Schmidt at the Ithaka Institute in Switzerland during a recent visit by Paul Taylor.

This type of simple, low cost, versatile and relatively clean biochar production may be the way forward for many home biochar production scenarios. It looks particularly suitable for unprocessed woody biomass. It may even offer a better solution than 200L TLUD's for my suggested haze reduction project.

I will be visiting the Ithaka Institute later this month and hope to progress biochar plantation trials later in the year. The plantation companies will want to see some economic validation for biochar before there is any investment in biochar production or large scale support for developing plantation biomass to biochar projects.

Biochar in Agriculture - Perspectives for Germany and Malaysia

The above image links to a website dedicated to a research project that includes participation of University Putra Malaysia (UPM) who have been quietly undertaking biochar research for a number of years.

"Aims of this project are research activities on the use of charred biomass material (biochar) in agriculture to provide a better understanding of economic and environmental potentials of biochar. A special focus is set on the GHG mitigation potential of biochar use and its economic costs. The holistic challenge will be analyzed in a consortium led by the Leibniz-Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam-Bornim e.V. (ATB) in cooperation with the Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape (Zalf), the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Technical University of Berlin (TU), Humboldt-University Berlin (HU) and the University of Putra Malaysia (UPM)."

Note the two newsletters that are available from the website. These provide project status information for July 2013 and March 2014. The latest newsletter reports the following...

"Pot Experiment on N-Fertilizer Leaching and Crop Uptake 

Azni Idris, Rosenani Abu Bakar, Tinia Idaty Mohd. Ghazi, Mohd Amran Mohd Salleh, Sherwin Lee Chan Kit (University Putra Malaysia)  

The aim of our study is to determine the effects of oil palm  empty  fruit  bunch  (EFB)  biochar  on nitrogen (N)  fertilizer recovery,  crop uptake,  and N  leaching using 15 N  labelled  fertilizer. A pot experiment was conducted  under  a  rain  shelter using maize as the test crop and soil type used for planting was clayey sandy soil. The experimental design was random complete block (RCBD) with 6 blocks and treated with four rates of EFB biochar; 0 (control), 5, 10, and 20t/ha. After incubating the soils in the pots for 2 weeks, EFB biochar was  applied at the top 20 cm of the soil and only one maize  was planted per pot. The maize plants were fertilized at 10 days old with ammonium sulphate [(15NH4)2SO4]  labelled  with 15N, triple superphosphate (TSP), and  muriate of potash (MOP) at the rate of 30:30:30. The  same fertilizer rate was applied again when the maize reached 20 days old and final fertilization at the rate of 20:20:20 was applied at the age of 35 days old. Induced leaching was started 2 days after the first fertilization and continuously done once after every 4 days until silking stage of the maize. The total leachate was measured while ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) concentration in leachate was analyzed using steam distillation method with MgO and Devarda’s alloy, respectively (Bremner, 1965). At silking stage (56 days  old),  tissue  sample was harvested  to  be analyzed for dry matter weight, N content, total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, while pot soil will be analyzed for 15N content, total N, C, P, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and exchangeable cations (K, Ca, and Mg). From the results obtained so far, EFB biochar has the ability to increase water holding capacity (Laird et  al., 2010) and reduces leaching. Hence, the volume and frequency of watering can be reduced and lesser nitrogen (N) fertilizer will be lost due to leaching. The biochar acts like a cache for water and indirectly holds more soluble plant nutrients, especially N. This could be the reason why maize that were treated with EFB biochar have greater biomass than the control (Figure 3). Future work of analyzing 15N in the maize tissue and pot soil using isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) will support this theory. "

CoolPlanet related press release - Malaysia

"Asia Bioenergy Technologies Bhd (AsiaBio), via associate Nexfuel Ltd, is targeting to construct up to three fuel production plants costing US$70mil (RM230.9mil) each, and securing the offtakers by the first half of the year. The plants will have a capacity of 10 million gallons each.AsiaBio is in talks with a couple of plantation companies and is hoping to construct two plants in Johor and one in Pahang. The first plant is targeted to be set up by 2016"

"We will secure the offtakers before tying up with the plantation companies to set up the plant. We intend to put biochar into our existing product, a microbe we have branded under the name ‘Artisan’."

http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2014/02/21/AsiaBio-aims-to-build-3-new-plants-It-is-in-talks-with-plantation-companies-first-project-likely-by/

Philippine Biochar Association signs MoA in Quezon City

"GMA Network recently inked a Memorandum of Agreement with Sagip Ilog Pilipinas Movement (SIPM), Philippine Biochar Association (PBiA) and Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) to undertake a water pollution reduction and livelihood program dubbed the Clean River Zone Biochar Community Project.
Through its Kapuso ng Kalikasan, an environment-focused CSR platform, GMA is set to support the program by organizing community engagement activities with its corps of employee volunteers, the GMA GIVES.
The Clean River Zone Biochar Community Project involves the use of Bokashi balls to reduce the pollution of the estero in Block 5, Daang Tubo, Diliman, Quezon City and create an alternative livelihood for the residents in the said community."

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/343102/cbb/gma-network-joins-water-pollution-reduction-program

NZ project funding for Eastern Indonesia (biochar project opportunity?)

The following announcement is currently on the NZ Government Electronic Tender System GETS. This looks like a great opportunity for a biochar related project... maybe based around TLUD stoves or community scale equipment such as Adam Retort. Please get in touch if your organization is interested or you know of a groups with the credentials and possible interest. I hope to be able to assist with finding local or NZ collaboration partners.

Design and implementation of an agriculture activity in Eastern Indonesia

"The New Zealand Aid Programme, acting through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is seeking registrations of interest (ROI) from suitably qualified and experienced organisations to partner with MFAT on the design and implementation of an agriculture activity that:
• improves economic opportunities for marginalised communities; and
• increases economic returns through improved agricultural productivity and/or agribusiness development
in one or more provinces in eastern Indonesia (Papua, West Papua, Maluku, North Maluku, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Nusa Tengara Barat).
MFAT’s indicative budget for this Activity is NZD4.5m over 3 years. Interested organisations will need to demonstrate experience of managing projects of this scale and MFAT will carry out due diligence during its procurement process to ensure that applicants have the capacity and capability to manage New Zealand government funding.
Further details on the work required and background on this Activity are contained in the attached ROI document.
Questions relating to this ROI must be received in writing to the official contact person by 12:00pm (NZ time) on Friday 12 July 2013."
Response date is 16 July - please let me know if you want a copy of the ROI document from the GETS site.
http://www.aid.govt.nz/where-we-work/asia/indonesia

Biochar Project Registration: Help IBI help you!

Submitted by thayer on Fri, 09/30/2011 - 15:30

Date: Thu, 09/29/2011

Contributor: Thayer Tomlinson

Are you starting a biochar production company? Are you a researcher looking for funding? Are you a teacher wanting to network with other schools doing biochar science projects? Are you a philanthropist or investor looking for interesting projects? The IBI Project Registry is for you!
IBI staff members get requests for information and help every day. Being in at the center of this information flow has allowed us to help a number of projects get connected to resources and partners, like the National Geographic funding opportunity. Help us connect your project to others by letting us know about your work and your needs. We invite you to fill out the IBI Biochar Project Registration form online:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/581013/IBI-Biochar-Project-Database

Report from the May 2011 IBI newsletter...

"World Bank Study of Biochar Projects in Developing Countries Nearing Completion

IBI and Cornell University have been working since October 2010 on a study of developing country biochar projects for the World Bank. The IBI network has played a critical role in the study by providing information on projects in various stages of implementation through two surveys of IBI members and subscribers. IBI wishes to thank everyone who participated in the surveys and who submitted project information. Through these efforts we have learned a great deal of valuable information about biochar feedstocks, technologies, and applications. A follow-up survey helped identify potential barriers and incentives for implementing household and village scale biochar projects in the developing world.

The final report will include a Life Cycle Assessment of four biochar projects. The report is scheduled for completion by the end of June 2011 and the World Bank plans to make it available to the public. Earlier this month, IBI presented the survey results to the World Bank at a review meeting in Washington DC, where IBI board chair, Johannes Lehmann, also presented a current summary of biochar research that will be included in the final report. Thea Whitman, from Cornell University, presented a system dynamics model used to evaluate the climate change impact of biochar cook stoves in Western Kenya, and Kelli Roberts, also from Cornell, presented preliminary results from the Life Cycle Assessment case studies that will appear in the final report. The survey data from 150 biochar projects located in 38 developing countries is available now on the IBI website at: http://www.biochar-international.org/sites/default/files/IBI_Survey_5-11-11_online.pdf."

My review of the SEA biochar related project development scorecard is...
Indonesia  12
Thailand     6
Vietnam     5
Philippines  4
Malaysia    4
Laos          2
Cambodia  2

The full report is due end of June - it will be very interesting to see more details about these projects & plans.