A team of researchers from Pontevedra is carrying out pyrolization tests on forest and agricultural remains to obtain biochar, carbonaceous material that can be used as a soil amendment and improve its fertility and structure and contribute to carbon capture among other uses.
The project, promoted by Luis Ortiz, Antonio Vázquez, Juan Luis Rodríguez Somoza and Óscar González Prieto from the Energy Technology Research Group of the University of Vigo, aims to offer a viable option for the sustainable management of forest remains and reduce the risk of fires forestry, a recurring problem in the region.
A pyrolytic oven was used to carry out the tests. of own design based on a double grid system previously patented by Ortiz. From the tests carried out with three materials, a high quality biochar has been obtained with a fixed carbon concentration between 76% and 78%.
Pyrolysis takes place inside the oven, a thermal decomposition process in the absence of oxygen that allows biomass to be converted into biochar without generating emissions. The device uses forest remains to generate heat and, in another version, uses butane gas for more precise control of the temperature in the rector.
The biochar obtained contributes to mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon and, if available on the ground, improves soil quality, increasing its capacity to retain water and nutrients.
In addition, the possibility of using biochar is being explored in applications that require materials with high buoyancy and absorbent properties, similar to those of activated carbon. This opens opportunities to develop filters capable of trapping heavy metals and liquid contaminants.
The production of biochar offers another solution to sustainably manage forest and agricultural remains and can generate new economic opportunities in rural areas.
The next edition of Expobiomasa, the reference fair for the biomass sector in Spain held in Valladolid, from May 6 to 8, 2025, will dedicate an exclusive space to this technology.