More SEA TLUD development work (Vietnam)

The fuel pellet industry could re-think its global distribution focus and start thinking local. There are plenty of good reasons why this type of stove should occupy every home in the future.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22013094/Paper/Summaries/Gasification.docx

The parts of the 150 gasifier:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22013094/150%20Gasifier/Jpegs/JP6/150%20Gasifier%20Parts.pdf
"If you open Bookmarks in 150 Gasifier Parts, you will find a description of each part."

Co/ Paul A. Olivier PhD
27C Pham Hong Thai Street
Dalat
Vietnam
Louisiana telephone: 1-337-447-4124 (rings Vietnam)
Mobile: 090-694-1573 (in Vietnam)
Skype address: Xpolivier
http://www.esrla.com/

PlanetStove: Hybrid Biochar Cooking Stoves

Check out this program for TLUD in China...


Video presentation: http://www.indiegogo.com/PlanetStove?c=home

Biochar success in Hawaii

This video has interviews with a number of biochar users in tropical Hawaii. Their success (in what I assume to be rich volcanic soils) points toward even greater agriculture opportunities with poorer tropical soils.

Rubber wood industry research on Biochar from Sri Lanka

Included in the July IBI newsletter ...

"... However, Rubber research Institute of Sri Lanka (RRISL) pioneered systematic scientific research on biochar in Sri Lanka. Scientists at RRISL initiated few experiments in 2009 by producing biochar from firewood used in raw rubber manufacturing factories and applying them into rubber nurseries and field plants. They have found that biochar improves the fertility of rubber growing soil, reduce fertilizer usage, reduce leaching losses of plant nutrients and improve the growth of the rubber plants. They also produced biochar from several organic materials available in and around rubber plantations. In addition to this, scientists in the Dept. of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Peradeniya has produced a slow release urea fertilizer using biochar. In this year several institutions in Sri Lanka have initiated small scale experiments to investigate the effect of different types of biochar on soil quality, crop growth and yield, stability of biochar carbon in soil. The outcome of these studies will be known in the coming years. ..."
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=56301

More reports on biochar research in SEA from IBI

IBI have profiled on their website, work being led from Norway that includes collaborations with researchers in SEA...

Profile: Biochar Field Trials in Zambia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nepal as well as New Biochar Characterization Research from a Team in Norway

"Field trial work in Indonesia began in January 2012 with several sites set up in collaboration with the Indonesian Soil Research Institute and UN Development Program. They are based in Sumatra (acid ultisol; corn, dry and wet rice), Kalimantan (acid sulphate soil; wet rice), West-Timor (alfisol; corn), and Sulawesi (sandy, acid soil; corn and cacao).

In June 2012, the team will establish field trials in Malaysia on degraded sandy soils using biochar produced from rice husk. Rice husk is one of the main waste biomass materials in the area and it will be produced at local rice mills (where the pyrolysis heat is used for drying the raw rice) and then compared to a material produced in a more controlled system based on the Belonio stove (a different stove model). The Malaysian partners include the University of Kuala Lumpur and the Malaysian Agricultural Institute (MARDI). The university of Kuala Lumpur has experience with producing biochar and possesses small scale equipment including a biochar experimental kit (BEK) which can produce a “designer biochar”.

http://www.biochar-international.org/profile/Zambia_field_trials_and_research?goback=.gde_2446475_member_135381937

Application of char products improves urban soil quality

Dr Subhadip Ghosh, researcher from Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology of National Parks Board, Singapore has conducted a research on using local char materials for urban soil management. Following is the abstract of the paper published in ‘Soil Use and Management’. This paper reports on the 1st phase of biochar related research from Singapore. Phase 2, utilising Black Earth biochar imported from Australia, is also completed and further larger scale research plans are in place.
"Abstract:
Urban soils are a key component of the urban ecosystem but little research has considered their quality and management. The use of char or partially combusted char products as a soil amendment is becoming popular worldwide because of perceived benefits to fertility and the potential for increasing carbon sequestration. In this study, we assessed the effect of applying coarse and fine char material on the quality of four different types of soil-based root-zone mixes typically used for turfgrass and general landscaping in Singapore: clay loam soil, approved soil mix (ASM, 3 soil:2 compost:1 sand), 50:50 (sand ⁄ soil) and 75:25 (sand ⁄ soil). Char briquettes made from sawdust were mixed thoroughly at rates of 25, 50 and 75% by volume with the soil mixes. Results showed that addition of char (both coarse and fine) significantly enhanced the carbon content of the mixes, with the largest increase being associated with the 50% and 75% additions. Soil nutrients (total N, extractable P, K, Ca and Mg) and mean weight diameter of aggregates were also significantly increased following the application of char. The clay loam and the 50:50 and 75:25 soil mixes were more responsive to the addition of char than was ASM."

S. Ghosh, D.Yeo, B.Wilson & L.F.Ow
1 Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology, National Parks Board, Singapore 259569, Singapore,
2 School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia,
3 Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore, and
4 Office of Environment and Heritage, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
Soil Use and Management (In Press). doi: 10.1111/j.1475-2743.2012.00416.

Do Anthropogenic Dark Earths Occur in the Interior of Borneo? Some Initial Observations from East Kalimantan

Two new articles covering a new publication on ADE in Kalimantan, dug up by Erich Knight...
"Tiem, Punyuh & Tanah Hitam ; It's all TP to me, but Anthropogenic Dark Earths (ADEs) are popping up all over.
As I reported May 15, about new TP soils in Borneo, (below), now we have new find in Malinau [East Kalimantan]
Charred lands: fertile grounds for sustainable agriculture in Kalimantan?
http://blog.cifor.org/8929/charred-lands-fertile-grounds-for-sustainable-agriculture-in-kalimantan/#.T_fYQvVmPPp

TP in Asia,... Indonesian Anthropogenic Black Earth; Now along the lines of the African traditions of  both the African Ankara system and Batibo technique and no dough more akin to the Malaysian char practice Malay tanah hitam (black soil), we have Borneo Black Soils;
Terra preta found in Asia
http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0514-hance-terra-preta-borneo.html#

"Abstract: Anthropogenic soils of the Amazon Basin (Terra Preta, Terra Mulata) reveal that pre-Colombian peoples made lasting improvements in the agricultural potential of nutrient-poor soils. Some have argued that applying similar techniques could improve  agriculture over much of the humid tropics, enhancing local livelihoods and food security, while also sequestering large quantities of carbon to mitigate climate change. Here, we present preliminary evidence for Anthropogenic Dark Earths (ADEs) in tropical Asia. Our surveys in East Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) identified several sites where soils possess an anthropogenic development and context similar in several respects to the Amazon’s ADEs. Similarities include riverside locations, presence of useful fruit trees, spatial extent as well as soil characteristics such as dark color, high carbon content (in some cases), high phosphorus levels, and improved apparent fertility in comparison to neighboring soils.  Local people value these soils for cultivation but are unaware of their origins. We discuss these soils in the context of local history and land-use and identify numerous unknowns. Incomplete biomass burning appears key to these modified soils. More study is required to clarify soil transformations in Borneo and to determine under what circumstances such soil improvements might remain ongoing."

Biochar: Can it put the tea industry back in the black?

Here is another report from Sri Lanka on biochar in the tea industry...
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120624/business-times/biochar-can-it-put-the-tea-industry-back-in-the-black-3850.html
This follows on from my previous report in December 2010...
http://sea-biochar.blogspot.com/2010/12/rejuvenation-of-tea-plantations-dilmah.html

IBI June Newsletter

Some SEA news within...

• Asia Development Bank seems to be developing a greater interest biochar. They helped supported a biochar study that I worked on with Bryan Hugill in 2010 (http://sea-biochar.blogspot.com/2010/12/biochar-project-proposals.html). One of their staff is also now on the IBI board. Hopefully, this can lead to better support for regional research activities.
• UPM have forged links with the Leibniz Institute of Agriculture... "Biochar in Agriculture - Perspectives for Germany and Malaysia" http://www.biochar-international.org/profile/ATB_Germany
  



The Philippine Biochar Association (PBiA) and the Federation of Irrigators Association – Bucao River Irrigation System (FIA-BRIS) are conducting training programs to help people start their own biochar businesses.

http://www.biochar-international.org/newsletter

I can also advise the Biomass-SP have tentative plans to support some biochar industry capacity building in Malaysia. More about that as things develop (but if you are interested in participating or supporting this initiative, then please get in touch).

The dark side of the green economy: 'Green grabbing'

I draw your attention to this article. For me, it provides a good perspective on some of the issues that need to be considered in our rush toward 'green' resource utilisation. It does mention biochar is a derogatory way (and I'm sure the Carbonscape reference is poorly researched and referenced) but it is certainly more balanced and without the BS coming from Biofuel Watch.

These are big issues that the biochar community can't solve. Maybe international agreements and regulation are part of the solution along with solving political corruption in the developing world (easy huh).
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/06/201261885431273708.html

Philippine Biochar Association

New Philippine Biochar Association announcement...

"We are a relatively new organization that we formed a year ago in March 2011. We organize farmer members of the Irrigators' Associations in the Philippine countryside to produce and use biochar on riceland. We create a collaborative network at the town or municipal level between the Local Government, a local NGO, and the Irrigators' Association, and we ask them to measure and record each soil integration of biochar, issuing a certificate for every 1.1 tons of biochar integrated in riceland. We use these certificates to issue carbon offset credits in the local market for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and ISR (Individual Social Responsibility).
 
Currently we have two biochar networks in the province of Zambales with about 1,000 farmer members each. The biochar is made by the farmers from rice hull which is plentiful in the Central Luzon rice growing areas. We have the first network in the town of Botolan, training the other network in the town of Palauig. The Botolan network has a production capacity of 3 tons of biochar per day during production period, and has issued 35 biochar integration certificates to date. We have already sold the carbon credits from those certificates as ISR in the local market. 60% of the proceeds are given to the town network.

Please check out our website at www.philippinebiocharassociation.com."

Recent Research on Biochar’s Potential in Soils

The following link leads to an article from Thayer Tomlinson, published by the Ecological Landscaping Association.
http://www.ecolandscaping.org/05/biochar/recent-research-on-biochar%E2%80%99s-potential-in-soils/
"... Until recently, it was believed that biochar’s beneficial soil impacts were seen primarily in soils with significant constraints, but two recent publications examine its impact on more fertile Midwestern agricultural soils, showing that biochar can benefit even healthy, fertile soils..."

Grow More Food & Fight Climate Change: Black Revolution

A few things can be high-lighted from this link to Re-char...

• nice little video on biochar
• Jason is an great example of young entrepreneurial talent, emerging from the biochar community
• they seem to be getting great results in tropical soils
• kickstarter seems to have worked well for their small-scale funding needs - I wonder if small project funding is possible in SEA?

Rice husk charcoal marketing from Vietnam

For those interested in biochar market development and pricing, Tom Miles has posted the following at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/message/13370

“We producing rice husk charcoal in large quality want to find buyer. Our product can be formed in every shape as we make it as powder.
Please let us know if you want to have sample. Our EXW price fix at USD 450/ton. main port Haiphong”

There is currently no established market yet for biochar in SEA so pricing can either be set by international demand (the target of the marketing effort, above) or by other existing market values for the products of pyrolysis. The value of charcoal in SEA can vary a lot depending on,

• type of biomass used (& its location and value)
• biomass pre-processing (cost of drying, grinding, chipping, palletizing, etc)
• pyrolysis production system (& the quality of the resultant charcoal)
• charcoal form & post-processing (lump, natural, powdered, briquette, pellet)
• target market (retail, fossil fuel offsetting, industrial carbon such as reduction processes, activated carbon, specialist markets and applications).

I suggest that the most conservative valuation you can currently place on biochar (when you want to value it for commercial scale project economics) is to value it for is energy content. Charcoals should have similar CV to coal, so I suggest that the least you could ever value biochar is the equivalent price /tonne for local coal. In Malaysia, this is ~US$200 /T.

I believe its value to agriculture and the environment will prove to be much higher in the future but this is still to be demonstrated in the field(s).

Indonesian biochar application research - Recent publication

The Effect of Biochar on the Growth and N Fertilizer Requirement of Maize (Zea mays L.) in Green House Experiment

Widowati, W. H. Utomo, B. Guritno, L. A. Soehono

Abstract

Greenhouse experiments were carried out to study the effect of biochar and other organic amendment (Chicken Manure, CM; and City waste compost, CW) using on the growth and N fertilizer requirement of maize. The first experiment was carried out to study the effect of biochar application to maize growth, and then continued to study the residual effect of biochar. The second experiment was carried out to study the effect of biochar application on nitrogen fertilizer requirement. The results show that the first season of maize biomass of organic amendment of treated soils did not significantly different from no organic amendment. However, organic amendment improved soil fertility status, especially increasing C-organic, N, K and CEC. The biomass of the second season maize of biochar of treated soil was higher compared to the other treatments. The second experiment shows that biochar application decreased N fertilizer requirement. To produce 3.23 Mg ha^-1 biomass, it required 90 kg ha^-1 N for 15 Mg ha^-1 CM biochar treated soil, and 160 kg ha^-1 for the non treated soil.
http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jas/article/view/16140