Maine’s forestry sector has faced signi­fi­cant chal­lenges due to the decline of the paper industry, while the state’s agri­cul­ture industry contends with per- and poly­fluo­ri­nated alkyl subs­tances (PFAS) conta­mi­na­tion left after decades of spre­a­ding bioso­lids on agri­cul­tural land, affec­ting soil and water quality. Stan­dard Biocarbon (SBC), a clean­tech company based in Enfield, Maine, is tack­ling both issues by conver­ting sawmill resi­duals into premium biochar, thereby reju­ve­na­ting the local forestry economy and provi­ding a potent tool for the reme­dia­tion of agri­cul­tural land. The company expects to produce an esti­mated 16,000 cubic yards of biochar per year.

An Exis­ting Resource

Maine’s forests gene­rate over 2 million tons of low-grade wood annu­ally, inclu­ding sawmill resi­duals. Over the past decade, the state has expe­ri­enced signi­fi­cant vola­ti­lity in markets for these mate­rials, losing over 4 million tons of low-grade wood demand as paper and biomass power produc­tion has declined. SBC’s biochar faci­lity, colo­cated with Plea­sant River Lumber, offers a new use for resi­dual wood chips, incre­asing the effi­ci­ency of the local forestry sector where sustainable harvest prac­tices are strict, and no part of the tree can go unused. This part­ner­ship exem­pli­fies circular economy prin­ci­ples by utili­zing sawmill byproducts—wood chips, pins and fines—that would other­wise be trucked long distances to be combusted or made into paper. These resi­duals are now trans­formed into biochar, crea­ting a new revenue stream for forestry busi­nesses while ensu­ring healthy, produc­tive working forests.

Advanced Tech­no­logy

SBC’s biochar produc­tion faci­lity utilizes the first PYREG system for biomass installed in the United States. This two-story system comprises three main compon­ents: a reactor, dust sepa­rator and flame­less combus­tion chamber. The produc­tion process begins with the combus­tion chamber and reac­tors being preheated using external gas, such as propane or natural gas. Biomass is then fed into the pyro­lysis reactor. Once the reactor reaches a thres­hold tempe­ra­ture, the external gas is no longer needed, as the heat inside the reac­tors causes the wood chips to release synthesis gas (syngas), which passes through the dust sepa­rator and into the flame­less combus­tion chamber, where it is safely and effi­ci­ently inci­ne­rated at tempe­ra­tures of over 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit.

The combus­tion of the syngas gene­rates rene­wable thermal energy, which is moved over the reac­tors, thereby sustai­ning the auto­thermal process. This means that no further external energy is required. Further­more, the excess thermal energy from this process is directed to a heat exch­anger, whereby produ­cing hot water for drying the biomass and provi­ding heat for the site.

Inside the reactor, the biomass reaches around 1,200 F in a near oxygen-free envi­ron­ment, produ­cing biochar with 90% pure carbon content. The system became fully opera­tional in October 2024, with an ambi­tious goal of produ­cing 50 cubic yards of biochar per day. Fred Horton, co-owner of SBC, empha­sizes the precision and effi­ci­ency of the process. “Our PYREG tech­no­logy not only ensures the highest-quality biochar, but also allows us to scale produc­tion effi­ci­ently while maxi­mi­zing the value of resi­dual mate­rials,” he says.

Source: SBC

Biochar: a PFAS Reme­dia­tion Tool

One of biochar’s most promi­sing appli­ca­tions is its ability to address conta­mi­na­tion caused by PFAS. These “forever chemi­cals” are noto­riously persis­tent in the envi­ron­ment and have been linked to health risks such as kidney and testi­cular cancers. Maine, in parti­cular, has grappled with PFAS conta­mi­na­tion in farm­land due to sludge spread in past decades. Horton high­lights biochar’s role in comba­ting PFAS conta­mi­na­tion. “Biochar is very much like acti­vated carbon—it can filter out heavy metals, arsenic, lead and other toxins in the soil, inclu­ding PFAS,” he explains.

SBC’s high-carbon biochar, produced using PYREG’s tech­no­logy, is espe­ci­ally effec­tive due to its purity and high sorp­tion poten­tial. The biochar binds PFAS, preven­ting the chemi­cals from ente­ring crops and water systems. “While rese­arch is still ongoing to deter­mine how long biochar holds PFAS and how much is needed for effec­tive reme­dia­tion, the hope is that a single appli­ca­tion can inter­rupt the uptake perma­nently,” Horton adds.  This capa­bi­lity makes biochar a game-chan­ging solu­tion for regions dealing with PFAS conta­mi­na­tion, offe­ring farmers and commu­ni­ties a tool to restore soil health and safety.

SBC produces premium biochar with an organic carbon content excee­ding 90%, very high surface area, ash content below 2%, and a pH of appro­xi­m­ately 8. Bene­fits include a range of appli­ca­tions, inclu­ding the following: