What does a biochar consultant do? Biochar is a range of biomass-derived high carbon content chars with very high surface area per unit weight that are used as soil amendments or as water/ground remediation agents. Biochar is the rediscovery of the Amazon indigenous peoples’ practice of burning the forest and incorporating the resulting char into previously poor soils to achieve long-term fertility. High-fertility US prairie soils may be a similar result of burning prairie grasses. Biochar is a rapidly growing business, driven by continuous demonstration of improvements in plant growth, resistance to drought, amendment of depleted and infertile soils, and removal of pollutants from water, wastewater, and contaminated soils. As this demonstration drives the US biochar market at 25 – 40 % CAGR, significant changes in the production, distribution, and marketing of biochar are occurring. The original pioneers of backyard biochar production are adapting to high volume, carefully controlled biochar systems to support their growing markets.
Biochar is often promoted as ‘closing the loop’ on the use of a sustainable and renewable raw material. While activated carbon is traditionally made from coal and often must be landfilled when spent, used biochar may have enough fuel value to be burned. Biochar manufacturers are often interested in promoting their products in traditional activated carbon applications. To be successful, one must generate interest in evaluating biochar in areas such as oil and gas applications, wastewater, potable water, and aquarium water.
A biochar consultant is someone who has a significant background in this area, through education and/or experience. An expert in biochars has a wide range of expertise in the technologies and businesses concerning the production and upgrading, analysis, and field testing, of a range of biochars produced from renewable resources. The biochar expert would be someone with knowledge and experience with both products and their properties in order to meet an end user’s treatment needs. These experts may assist investors in selecting the right biochar technology & application experience, and in preparing due diligence/feasibility studies and loan/grant applications. The Biochar expert will advise on the suitability of existing biomass conversion plants as sources of marketable biochar. Alternatively, they may assist owners of existing operating biomass conversion facilities to determine the technical and commercial options for entering the biochar market. The biochar expert will also provide procedures development, training, and product quality management to assist biomass/biochar plant owners to make their plants run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. The biochar expert will advise on feedstock selection, plant growth trials, remediation studies, and the selection of appropriate biochar for a given application from the dozens available. The consultant may serve as an expert witness.
Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms certainly have experts in biofuels and renewable fuels, biomaterials, biomass and biomass power, biotechnologies, and feedstocks, like agricultural waste, algae, biochar, biogas, co2, construction waste, cooking oils, energy crops, fermentation waste, forest products, glycerin, hemp, lignin, municipal solid waste (MSW), palm waste, railroad ties, sludge, solid recovered fuels, and wood waste. These groups will likely also have experts in specialized areas like activated sludge, agbiotech, animal nutrition, biopharmaceuticals, cannabis, carbon capture, cell-based meats, energy markets, greenhouse gas, methane expert, plastics, polyethylene, polymers, polyurethane, renewable hydrogen, project finance, waste management, emerging renewable technologies, forestry biomass, green diesel, jet fuels, low carbon fuel standards, marine biofuels, MSW, renewable jet fuel, renewable natural gas, aviation fuel, syngas, synthetic biology, advanced biofuels, activated carbon, anaerobic biogas, bio-based chemicals, biocatalysis, biomass technologies, biopharmaceuticals, Fischer Tropsch, gasification, and renewable diesel.
With over 150 consultants worldwide, Lee Enterprises Consulting has the diverse experts and geographical reach to assist in virtually any bioeconomy project. Our highly qualified teams bring a unique integration of technical, scientific, regulatory, and hands-on experience to any project. Look at our experts and the services we provide. Most of our experts are also available to advise and serve as expert witnesses in bioeconomy litigation matters. For the larger projects, we specialize in putting together full-service, interdisciplinary teams with one point of contact. See a video about LEC here. Call us at 1+ (501) 833-8511 or email us for more information.
