Ancient wisdom combined with modern industrial production and engineering innovation!!

PROBLEM

Planet Earth is in danger of becoming too hot to support human and most forms of life as we know it.  The delicate balance that allows life to flourish is highly contingent on our four most precious attributes; ozone protection, atmosphere, fresh water, and productive soil.  All of these are now threatened by global climate change, pollution, and widespread bio mass depletion.  The overwhelming consensus of scientists and general population now agree that the human race is a major contributing factor in the shifting balance of nature that faces the global population. 

The effect of humans has been greatly accelerated by the industrial revolutions thirst for energy and the exponential growth of human population and their need for energy.  The major source of energy that has powered the planet has come from fossil fuels that cause massive emissions of greenhouse gases.  These gases ( CO₂, methane) have been identified as a primary cause of global warming.  The majority of the energy that has fuelled and does fuel the earth’s population and industry has come from the burning of fossil coal.  In fact, even today with multiple sources of energy available in the marketplace, fossil coal is responsible for the production of almost 40% of the world’s energy. 

Over the past 200 years the burning of fossil coal has expedited the process of global warming and negatively affected climate change.  With global populations continued to grow, the industrialization of the developing world, and global trade and consumerism the demand for power continues to climb.  Coal plants are in operation the world over and still in production to meet the global energy demand, despite the evidence of coals negative effects on the environment. 

Coal is the most pollutive of fuel sources, emitting about 2.2 tons of CO₂ per ton of coal burnt along with SO₂ and other toxic chemicals.  A close second in greenhouse gas emissions is the methane and CO₂ released into the atmosphere from decaying bio mass left to rot after the logging and clearing of forests.  In addition, forest fires, increase in arid or desert areas, decreased bio mass absorption, and auto emissions all contribute to the greenhouse problem. 

The blue planet that sustains us is drying up its supply of clean water, arable land, and depletion of the ozone layer that enables life to exist!!

Humans are causing increases in CO₂/methane emissions and reducing the areas of bio mass capable of absorbtion/sequestration of CO₂.  The symbiotic relationship between flora and fauna of CO₂ and oxygen exchange is unbalanced.  It has become vital that we stop emitting CO₂ and other greenhouse gases as soon as possible without making radical changes or disruptions in energy supply that could adversely affect the global population, while we search for 21^st century solutions.

Historically, CO₂ levels have been balanced by sequestration of CO₂ in the growth of all bio mass.  However, as populations and emissions have drastically increased, the world’s bio mass has been radically reduced through deforestation and the destruction of the natural habitat to create space for development and agriculture.  The depletion of earth’s arable land and productive soil is equally devastating as it takes almost a millennia to build an inch or two of soil but less than 40 years on average to strip it through farming practices focused on yield and not sustainability of fertility.

Almost 1/3 of all farmland in the world has been degraded since World War II, with annual soil erosion equivalent to the loss of 12 million hectares of arable land (1% of all arable land).  The land that remains in use for agriculture has become less productive despite the use of technology and chemical fertilizers aimed at boosting production.  Agriculture has become dependent on cheap oil that facilitates the production of nitrogen fertilizer as well as fuel for the machinery and processing necessary to reach distant markets.  Agriculture now accounts for 20% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention the massive pollution issues from runoff that are plaguing groundwater, waterways, aquifers, and even the disruption of the tourism industry.  We need to increase bio mass by improving growth rates and returning logged, arid, and unproductive land to forests and agriculture.  Thus increasing greenhouse absorption rates, reducing the need to clear land for agriculture, reducing fossil fuel dependence, and fuel used for transportation to non-productive markets. 

SOLUTION

The only readily available fuel that could replace coal/oil/gas is Bio Carbon made from waste bio mass.  The emissions from this waste wood when left to rot/decay in the forests is estimated to be millions of tons of CO₂ and methane.  When processed into Bio Carbon this waste wood is now carbon neutral and the methane is prevented from being emitted altogether.  The Bio Carbon can be used as a partial or full replacement for fossil coal, metallurgic coal, as well as other carbon based products and even as a replacement for environmentally harmful chemical fertilizers. 

This can be achieved with the use of Bio Carbon fertilizer (Bio Char) to aid in water retention and organic stimulation of growth.  By replacing the pollutive chemical fertilizers with an organic bio char the benefits are numerous and multi-faceted.  Not only does the Bio Char absorb nutrients and water preventing runoff, but greenhouse gases are sequestered into the soil and the soil is enriched and made productive for generations to come.  Using new technology and the pyrolysis process to mass produce Bio Char and replenish the soil, we would be relying on the same principles used by our pre-colombian era ancestors when they fertilized the Amazon basin.  Organically fertilizing the soil and improving water retention, vastly improved production and stemming agricultural pollution, while drastically reducing emissions and affecting global climate change.  Research now shows that the rich black soils of the Amazon (Terra Preta), often credited with the birth of civilization and the amazingly rich ecosystem that evolved in the region, were intentionally manufactured by our ancestors with the use of a Bio Char component.  Hundreds of thousands of acres deliberately fertilized for the purpose of cultivation, giving rise to permanent settlements.  Bio Char projects and trials around the world in recent years have yielded tremendous results and proven growth rates far higher than chemical fertilizers and the ability to sustain growth in arid areas that were previously unproductive. 

The use of Bio Char is already established and well documented in a number of markets, but the small number of producers and low output make it too expensive for most farmers and markets.  The same is true for Bio Carbon fuel (Bio Coal) as most plants are demonstration size and limited in their production capacity.  The production costs of each ton of Bio coal or Bio Char is not competitive with the price of fossil coal or chemical fertilizer, and the combined volume not sufficient to make an impact.

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

Our  (design) of plant can produce in excess of 360,000 tons of Bio Carbon per year at a cost competitive with fossil metallurgic coal.  The only restriction on output of Bio Carbon is fiber supply. 

Numerous Bennett Bio Carbon plants operating close to the fiber supply will be able to supply demand for bio coal and replace the less effective and more costly white wood chips.  British Columbia Canada alone has approximately 30,000,000 tons of waste fiber available per year. 

While the demand for Bio Carbon from coal fired power plants, steel manufacture, and cement plants will be very strong for the next 2-3 decades (especially to comply with the Paris Accord), the long term market and global climate solution is Bio Carbon fertilizer (Bio Char) and the Terra Preta mix.  Not only would we increase global bio mass organically, prevent pollution of fresh water, but sequester CO₂ and other harmful greenhouse gases for extremely long periods of time and make them available to plants for absorption. 

Just as Terra Preta helped promote the growth of civilization in South America, Bio Carbon fertilizer can help restore the fertility and productivity of our soils and save our dwindling supply of clean water.  Thus enabling the sustainability of agriculture for the future, and restoring the planets ability to absorb greenhouse gases with growth of bio mass. 

Furthermore, by enabling growth in arid areas and reducing the amount of water lost to over irrigation, we are providing economic opportunity to drought plagued regions around the globe.  In an age where everything is focused on technology and bigger profits, this invention is a perfect balance of indigenous ancient practices proven over thousands of years and modern technology to solve a global crisis.  By utilizing waste that is currently harmful to the environment when left to decay and as a forest fire risk, we are reprocessing it into a stable, useful resource to power the planet.  Reducing emmissions, curbing pollution, boosting agricultural production, eliminating chemicals in our food and water supply, and meeting energy demands using the existing infrastructure, we are geo engineering our planet to help slow global climate change.  With subsidies available for Bio Carbon fuel (Thermal Bio Carbon) and the ability to produce competitive products for metallurgic carbon and commercial fertilizer this is the all-encompassing and cost effective solution to global climate control the planet desperately needs.

  The waste fiber will be supplied from existing waste wood piles, waste from the forestry industry, beetle kill and fire damaged timber, agricultural waste, and drift wood from the shores and beaches.  The drift wood is contaminated with salt and not suitable for lumber or pulp and is an eyesore at this time.  Other fiber sources could be utilized if production rates and demands require additional supply (sugarcane, bamboo, nut shells, corn, or any biological waste…).  Our unique process eliminates salt and contaminants, thereby adding all of the additional waste material to the 25,000,000 tons of waste fiber already left behind by the forestry industry in British Columbia each year.  This is prevalent globally in other timber regions. 

We are focused on scaling operations to meet the need for fossil coal replacement, so have focused on the worlds prime fibre waste regions initially.  However as the wolrd generates of 100 billion tons of organic fibre annually, there are significant waste fibre resources available in every region.  Our ability to process a wide range of feedstocks will allow us to optimise production in each region based on the fibre source.

The plant design will convert the waste bio mass into the following products at a rate of up to 45 tons per hr for each individual plant;

Bio Carbon Thermal (Bio Coal) to replace fossil coal in power plants, or be used in combination with fossil coal to meet environmental standards.

Bio Carbon Metallurgic to be used for steel manufacture, cement manufacturing and other industries that utilise metallurgic fossil coal.

Bio Carbon Ag (Bio Char) to be used in agriculture to retain water and feed plant growth.  The Bio Char can be activated, ph balanced, and nutrient spiked to meet soil or crop demands.

Activated Charcoal to be used for water filtration, pollution control, and waste water treatment.

Terra Preta (organic enriched soil mixture with Bio Char) to be used in both small scale and large scale agricultural applications.  This proprietory mixture is a modern day recreation of the rich soils of the Amazon region.  All the benefits of Bio Char combined with a blend of organic nutrients and soil component that can be catered for optimal performance.