As the biomass industry continues to evolve, so do the pathways, markets and standards shaping its future. In this issue of Biomass Magazine, we examine how renewable carbon is being defined, deployed and scaled—from pyrogenic biocarbon standards and orchard waste solutions to the accelerating role of renewable natural gas in transportation. Collectively, the feature articles we’ve delivered underscore a central theme: biomass is moving away from a niche solution, emerging as a critical tool in the broader energy and carbon-management transition.In “Developing Pyrogenic Biocarbon Standards” on page 20, Associate Editor Katie Schroeder explores the growing urgency around clear definitions and standardized testing for biochar, biocarbon and biocoal as these materials move from pilot projects to commercial markets. Through insights from Myles Gray of the U.S. Biochar Initiative and Chris Wiberg of Timber Products Inspection/Biomass Energy Lab, the article explains how standards are essential for investor confidence, global trade and safe handling—particularly as industrial demand for low-carbon materials accelerates. As interest from sectors like steelmaking and construction grows, this feature highlights why consistent terminology and ISO-aligned frameworks are foundational to the next phase of biocarbon growth. And hopefully, it serves as a resource in regard to the commonalities and differences among pyrogenic biocarbon, which is the broad term encompassing these materials.Our biochar coverage continues with “From Burn Piles to Biochar” on page 14, by contributing writer Keith Loria, which takes a deep dive into California’s San Joaquin Valley as it completes the final phase of its agricultural burn ban. With open burning no longer an option, growers are navigating higher costs, limited infrastructure and mounting volumes of ag residue. Loria examines how localized biochar and biomass solutions—such as the Sitos Group and Treehouse California Almonds pyrolysis project—could offer a viable alternative, while also outlining the regulatory, economic and logistical hurdles that still stand in the way of large-scale adoption. It’s a timely look at how policy, agriculture and bioenergy intersect on the ground.&nbsp;Rounding out our feature article lineup is “Fueling the Future” on page 26, by contributing writer Caitlin Scheresky. The story profiles OPAL Fuels and the rapid expansion of renewable natural gas as a transportation fuel, tracing OPAL’s evolution from landfill gas-to-power roots to a vertically integrated RNG producer serving heavy-duty trucking fleets across North America. Against a backdrop of shifting policy incentives, depressed D3 RIN prices and growing international interest, the article illustrates why methane abatement and RNG infrastructure are increasingly viewed as some of the most practical and impactful near-term decarbonization tools—especially for hard-to-electrify sectors. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Together, these feature stories reflect an industry at an inflection point—one where definitions matter, local solutions are critical and scalable projects are beginning to reshape how biomass contributes to a lower-carbon future. Also complimentary to this theme are our contribution articles, which focus on sustainable aviation fuel’s potential, feedstock dynamics in the wake of SAF and maritime mandates, and lessons learned in material handling design and execution.&nbsp;2025 was ripe with challenges, but we’ve also seen many successes and have been fortunate to help tell these stories. As we move into the year ahead, we wish everyone across the biomass value chain a year defined by progress, resilience and success. From project development and policy clarity to market growth and deployment, Biomass Magazine looks forward to telling the stories that shape the industry’s future.Author: Anna Simet&nbsp;&nbsp; Director of Content &amp; Senior Editor&nbsp;&nbsp; asimet@bbiinternational.com&nbsp;

2026-01-06 - From Niche to Necessary (Biomass Magazine)

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In this issue of Biomass Magazine, we examine how renewable carbon is being defined, deployed and scaled—from pyrogenic biocarbon standards and orchard waste solutions to the accelerating role of renewable natural gas in transportation. 

From Niche to Necessary

As the industrial pellet sector enters 2026, it does so with momentum built over the past year and a clear understanding that continued progress requires sustained engagement. Demand for low-carbon power, industrial solutions, advanced biofuels and carbon removals continues to grow, but success for industrial pellets will increasingly depend on favorable policy frameworks, opening new markets, and deeper collaboration. For USIPA, the year ahead will be guided by strategic priorities that build on recent progress and position the industry for continued growth.Policy Engagement: Building Support at Home and Abroad&nbsp; Throughout 2025, USIPA expanded its policy engagement in Washington, D.C., laying important groundwork for continued advocacy. Strong engagement with the United States government plays a critical role in shaping both foreign and domestic markets for industrial pellets. By ensuring policymakers have a clear, fact-based understanding of the sector, USIPA helps enable effective U.S. advocacy in overseas policy discussions while also supporting the development of domestic markets with long-term potential.Over the past year, USIPA engaged with multiple agencies across the administration, including meetings at the White House and with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, continued to work closely with the Foreign Agricultural Service, and held multiple meetings on Capitol Hill. These efforts focused on advancing and protecting the industry’s interests on trade policy, market access and the potential impact of tariffs on pellet exports.USIPA also maintains a strong focus on European policy, where regulatory decisions directly affect U.S. producers and global trade flows. A top priority will be engagement on the European Union Deforestation Regulation as implementation and simplification discussions move forward. While the EUDR delay achieved in 2025 provided breathing room, ensuring the regulation is implementable remains essential.At the same time, USIPA is actively engaging with the European Commission as it looks to undertake a review of biomass rules under the Renewable Energy Directive. While RED III is in force, many Member States are still implementing key provisions, including the controversial “cascading principle.” Revisiting the framework during this phase risks regulatory uncertainty, reinforcing the importance of policy stability as a core focus of USIPA’s European engagement.New Markets: Expanding the Decarbonization Conversation&nbsp; As interest in decarbonization accelerates across clean technology, carbon capture, sustainable aviation and maritime fuel, and heavy industry, USIPA has taken an active role by engaging industry trade associations and attending conferences and technical forums. This outreach has revealed a consistent challenge—many stakeholders remain largely unaware of the industrial pellet sector and the capabilities it has developed. There is often limited understanding that the industry has solved the practical challenges of sourcing, processing and transporting sustainable woody biomass at scale. Once stakeholders understand the rigor of existing sustainability frameworks and the reliability of pellet logistics, conversations tend to shift quickly from curiosity to serious consideration. These moments underscore the importance of continued education and transparent engagement.A clear example of this progression is USIPA’s engagement with the National Lime Association. USIPA recently presented to the NLA Sustainability Committee, engaging senior representatives from leading lime producers and NLA leadership. The presentation covered pellet production fundamentals, emissions performance, carbon accounting, material handling considerations for lime kilns, and sustainability frameworks governing biomass supply chains, particularly in Europe. The discussion generated strong interest and substantive follow-up questions, signaling a move toward deeper technical dialogue. By leading with education, data and real-world experience, USIPA is helping new sectors evaluate biomass based on facts.Coalition Building: Strength Through Partnership&nbsp; Coalition building will remain a central priority for USIPA. The challenges facing the industrial pellet sector increasingly span jurisdictions, industries and regulatory frameworks, making coordination and alignment essential.In 2025, USIPA worked closely with allied forestry and biomass associations across the U.S. and Europe. These partnerships were instrumental in achieving meaningful policy outcomes, including EUDR delay, and demonstrated the value of presenting aligned positions across the forest products sector.USIPA occupies a unique position as a bridge between the U.S. and EU forest products sectors. Representing U.S. producers serving primarily European markets, the association maintains active dialogue on both sides of the Atlantic, coordinating positions, translating policy developments, and sharing information in real time. As European policy decisions continue to shape U.S. operations, investment decisions and trade flows, this role has become increasingly important.Looking ahead, USIPA will deepen coordination with forestry, biomass and renewable energy partners while extending engagement to new industrial end users, carbon capture stakeholders, and other climate-related sectors.&nbsp;As the industrial pellet sector continues to evolve in 2026, USIPA remains focused on turning opportunity into progress. With growing interest from new markets, deeper engagement from policymakers, and stronger alignment across the forest products value chain, the industry is well positioned to play an expanded role in decarbonization.Author: Darrel Smith&nbsp; Executive Director, U.S. Industrial Pellet Association&nbsp; darrell@theusipa.org

2026-01-06 - Industrial Pellets and the Work Ahead: Priorities for 2026 (Biomass Magazine)

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As the industrial pellet sector enters 2026, it does so with momentum built over the past year and a clear understanding that continued progress requires sustained engagement.

Industrial Pellets and the Work Ahead: Priorities for 2026

Mid-South Engineering operates at the forefront of engineering for the biomass and forest products sectors, distinguished by a strong commitment to clean air initiatives and sustainable practices. With a strategic focus on advancing bioenergy and biomass projects, Mid-South Engineering closely tracks critical industry trends, identifying key areas of opportunity essential to client success. In response to recent advancements in drying technologies, the company has supported clients in upgrading their operations with modern, energy-efficient equipment that improves productivity while reducing environmental impact.&nbsp;Over the past year, biochar has emerged as a significant area of industry interest. Recognizing its potential, Mid-South Engineering has leveraged its extensive expertise to conduct numerous feasibility studies tailored to individual client needs. These studies examine the viability and potential applications of innovative projects, including the production of biochar, torrefied pellets and graphene. Research efforts span a wide range of feedstocks, such as woody biomass, old corrugated containers (OCC), bagasse, municipal waste, and biochar initiatives linked to renewable diesel and biodiesel production. This broad experience enables Mid-South Engineering to deliver comprehensive insight into current best practices and available technologies.&nbsp;Another key focus area is the development of combined-heat-and-power (CHP) biomass plants. When clients pursue the construction and operation of CHP facilities, Mid-South Engineering applies advanced modeling techniques to thoroughly evaluate project requirements. This approach helps align available feedstocks with appropriate equipment, allowing clients to make informed, data-driven capital investment decisions. Throughout the process, the firm provides expert guidance and consistent support, helping clients navigate the complexities of project development and execution.With more than five decades of experience, Mid-South Engineering brings a deep reservoir of industry knowledge to every project. Its commitment to mentorship and the professional development of young engineers underscores a long-term investment in the future of the industry. Mid-South Engineering is dedicated to educating the next generation of engineers while sharing its expertise with clients to support successful, sustainable project outcomes.

2026-01-06 - SPOTLIGHT | Mid-South Engineering: At the Intersection of Engineering and Bioenergy Innovation (Biomass Magazine)

Mid-South Engineering operates at the forefront of engineering for the biomass and forest products sectors, distinguished by a strong commitment to clean air initiatives and sustainable practices.

SPOTLIGHT | Mid-South Engineering: At the Intersection of Engineering and Bioenergy Innovation

As California’s San Joaquin Valley completes the final phase of its agricultural burn ban, growers are confronting a mounting woody waste dilemma with few easy answers. The Jan. 1, 2025, phaseout of open burning has forced orchard operators to abandon a long-standing disposal method and turn instead to costlier, logistically complex alternatives, from chipping and soil incorporation to emerging bioenergy and biochar pathways—just as biomass infrastructure continues to shrink and orchard removals accelerate across the region.The shift has arrived as California grapples with declining biomass infrastructure, rising orchard removals driven by water and market pressures and mounting volumes of woody material with nowhere obvious to go. “The district has seen a tremendous reduction in agricultural open burning in recent years through the ongoing phase-out, including the most recent and final component that kicked in at the beginning of this year,” says Jaime Holt, chief communications officer for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.The San Joaquin Valley’s restrictions are unique in that it’s currently the only region in California and the nation with stringent requirements to phase out agricultural open burning.Phase-Out Impacts&nbsp; The phase-out’s roots trace back almost two decades to Senate Bill 705 and the District’s Rule 4103. The most recent milestone came in 2021, when the district, in collaboration with the California Air Resources Board, adopted a final phase-out strategy that eliminated most remaining agricultural burning by the end of 2024. Through the implementation of the final phase-out strategy, the amount of agricultural material being open burned through the district’s smoke management system process has continued to decrease.“The impact has been dramatic,” Holt says. “Agricultural material open-burned in the [San Joaquin] Valley dropped to approximately 30,000 tons in 2025, down from 99,000 tons in 2024, representing more than a 95% reduction compared to over 1 million tons burned per year historically. The reductions in agricultural open burning and use of alternatives mark record levels for the Valley since the institution of agricultural burning restrictions, highlighting the success of the district’s agricultural open burning emission reduction strategy.”Gabriele Ludwig, director for sustainability and environmental affairs for the Almond Board of California, notes while the burn ban is specific to the San Joaquin Valley, other growers around the state are keeping a close eye on what’s happening because of past events. She explains that as burning restrictions tightened, growers increasingly relied on alternatives that have since narrowed.&nbsp;“For tree removals, growers used to send material to cogeneration facilities, which helped offset removal costs because the plants paid for the biomass,” Ludwig says. “When those facilities shut down, growers lost the primary alternative and burning pressures increased again.”Today, only one biomass power plant remains in operation in the San Joaquin Valley and its capacity is limited. “We used to be able to ship that material to biomass plants or landfills,” says Roger Isom, president and CEO of the Western Tree Nut Association. “Now, there’s only one operating biomass plant left in the Valley, and it can take very limited volumes.”As a result, most growers have defaulted to chipping and soil incorporation. “For most growers, the only option left is to chip the material and incorporate it back into the soil,” Isom says. “In some places that works well, but in others it’s extremely difficult—especially if the material isn’t broken down finely enough to decompose in a reasonable timeframe.”Because of that, costs have increased considerably. Chipping an almond orchard runs about $1,600 to $1,700 per acre, walnuts can be closer to $2,200 per acre and incorporation can add another $600 to $700 per acre, according to Isom. “This problem has been compounded by several things happening at once,” he says. “SGMA [Sustainable Groundwater Management Act] implementation, low walnut prices pushing orchards out of production, and a wave of vineyards being removed. At the same time, the biomass plants disappeared, and the burn ban took effect.”The result, he says, is visible across the Valley. “There are piles of material sitting in fields because growers either don’t want to incorporate it or simply have nowhere to take it,” Isom says.Opportunity Landscape&nbsp; Biochar solutions may be one answer. For instance, there’s a project in Tulare County that many are watching which could serve as a potential template for the future. The Sitos Group, working with Treehouse California Almonds, is developing a biochar production facility centered on almond shells, considered an abundant but historically undervalued coproduct of almond processing. “Our primary feedstock for the project is almond shell, which comes directly from Treehouse California Almonds’ harvesting and shelling operations,” says Jessica Bronner, director of business operations for the Sitos Group. “Historically, those shells were sold into secondary markets like livestock bedding or other uses, but now they’re being diverted as the main feedstock for our biochar production.”The $9 million project is centered on slow pyrolysis, a thermal process distinct from combustion, and will feature three side-by-side slow pyrolysis units operating as one, along with a fully integrated drying system with emissions and dust control, and Organic Rankine Cycle generators to repurpose heat energy from the pyrolysis units into clean electricity that will support the local power grid. “At full scale, the facility is designed to process about 24,000 tons of almond shell per year, producing roughly 8,000 tons of biochar annually,” Bronner says.Another plus is that the conversion ratio results in reduced trucking with fewer loads on the road compared to hauling raw shell material.“Right now, phase one is about proving the biochar market,” Bronner says. “The energy component is phase two, where we plan to capture and redirect that energy either back into the grid or into onsite operations.”The good news is that the biochar offtake is already secured, sequestered in agricultural settings. “One of our primary offtake partners is Monterey Pacific, a vineyard management company that has been using biochar in its soils for nearly a decade and has seen strong yield improvements and a return on investment within a few years,” Bronner says. “From an agronomic standpoint, biochar delivers multiple benefits. It improves soil health, increases water retention and locks carbon into the soil. For growers, adding stable carbon to the soil is almost always a net positive.”Lessons Learned&nbsp; Treehouse was interested in the collaboration as a way to create durable value from a material long treated as an afterthought. “When you harvest almonds, you really end up with four products,” says Joe Gardiner, vice president of business development with Treehouse California Almonds. “Everyone knows the kernel, but you also have hulls, inedible almonds and shells. Historically, the shell has been the forgotten coproduct.”This project stands apart because it aims to function without relying solely on public subsidies. “Grants and subsidies are helpful, but they’re ultimately Band-aids,” Gardiner says. “This is about building a sustainable, profitable marketplace for agricultural biomass.”While ultimately successful, the project has not been without its challenges. To date, permitting has been one of the most difficult hurdles. &nbsp;“We spent two years operating a pilot facility and working closely with air districts to explain how pyrolysis differs from combustion,” Bronner says. “Biochar is not ash or charcoal—the feedstock never touches the flame.”Finding the best locations have also been an issue. “One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that biochar projects need to be located where the feedstock is,” Bronner says. “Transporting biomass long distances increases costs and emissions. Ideally, the feedstock, processing facility and offtake should all be as close together as possible.”What’s more, she notes, is that it’s not enough to just make biochar; you need a reliable feedstock supply and a secure offtake. &nbsp;“Flooding the market without demand can create serious problems,” Bronner says.Barriers and Bottlenecks&nbsp; Despite promising examples, scaling has remained difficult. While there’s interest in bioenergy and biochar, there’s also a lot of skepticism. “We’ve seen promising projects collapse after running into permitting challenges or strong opposition from environmental groups,” Isom says. “Our organization has met with more than 60 companies proposing alternatives—everything from biochar and pyrolysis to renewable natural gas, hydrogen and cellulosic ethanol. Only one or two are actually operating, and they’re taking very small amounts of material.”Ludwig noted air quality remains a defining constraint. “Even if an alternative produces far fewer emissions than open burning, if it adds NOX or PM2.5 in the San Joaquin Valley, it can be extremely difficult to permit,” she says.&nbsp;Economics also matter since growers often push back on business models that assume biomass should be free. “If there’s value created, some of that value needs to come back to the grower,” Ludwig says.Looking Ahead&nbsp; The Valley’s transition has been supported by strong incentives. Holt notes the Ag Burn Alternatives Grant Program has executed more than $226 million in grants, supporting alternatives across more than 310,000 acres. “Nearly 92% of material is incorporated into the soil,” she says. “Smaller shares are going to off-site reuse and air curtain incineration.”Still, funding is limited. Holt notes program funds are expected to be exhausted by mid-2026, and about $75 million per year will be needed over the next five years to maintain progress while building new infrastructure.The hope is that the Sitos-Treehouse project will be replicated, something it was designed to create. “This Treehouse project is really our showroom,” Bronner says. “We already have additional projects being evaluated, including one using hazardous forest biomass and another with a large Central Valley sheller. Even though Treehouse represents a small share of the almond industry, we’ve seen time and again that when something works at a small scale, it can be adopted widely.”For Isom, the stakes are clear. “We don’t need a single silver bullet—we need multiple solutions,” he says. “But we do need projects to actually reach the finish line.”Author: Keith Loria&nbsp; Contributing Writer, Biomass Magazine&nbsp;

2026-01-06 - From Burn Piles to Biochar (Biomass Magazine)

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Biochar and localized biomass solutions offer a new way forward for managing orchard and other ag residues in the wake of California open burning bans. 

From Burn Piles to Biochar

Companies are increasingly seeking renewable sources of carbon for energy use and sequestration, and one option consistently rises to the top for accessibility: biomass. With a wide range of feedstocks—including woody and agricultural residues, aquatic biomass and food waste—biomass serves as a versatile source of carbon, with potential use applications as diverse as the materials themselves. Fertilizer producers, cement manufacturers, farmers and steelmakers are among those benefiting from lower carbon-intensity scores tied to fossil-emission reductions and carbon sequestration.However, as biomass applications expand and specifications become increasingly important, so, too, do standards. The biomass industry’s product diversity is a strength, but it can cause confusion for future investors or offtakers as they seek to understand carbon-based products and applications. Industry experts Myles Gray, U.S. Biochar Initiative, and Chris Wiberg, Timber Products Inspection/Biomass Energy Lab, work to provide clarity regarding the differences among three seemingly equivalent terms—biochar, biocoal and biocarbon—as well as the overarching term pyrogenic biocarbon.In his role at USBI, Gray promotes the manufacture and utilization of biochar. His background in environmental science led him to an interest in the biochar industry. Through his experiences working for a biochar startup, he found that the biochar industry needs clearer definitions and standards to help maximize growth and explain the product’s value proposition to investors. “It was always such an uphill battle to even get someone to understand what biochar was,” he says. “And if you got past that threshold, trying to get them convinced that you could make the same product over and over again at large scale to hit certain metrics.”USBI is funded by the U.S. Forest Service, which views biochar as a strategy to reduce fire risk by providing another market for low-value wood. One of Gray’s first projects with USBI was a survey of the global and U.S. biochar industries, he explains, and he was surprised to learn that the industry identified standards as one of the key obstacles to biochar’s development. “From then forward, we really started pushing on standards, and those who really understand product to market, I think, are very enthusiastic about the effort,” Gray says. Standards are critical because they enable communication between seller and buyer. Currently, that communication “has been a mess,” he adds, as both parties are looking for different data.The terms biochar, biocarbon and biocoal are used by various sectors but lack standardized terminology. Serving as chair of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group for the International Organization for Standardization Technical Committee 238, Wiberg works to bring clarity through standardization. He also utilizes his extensive experience from working with Timber Products Inspection/Biomass Energy Lab, which involves inspecting and testing for compliance for solid biofuel- and biocarbon-based products. In a 2024 update, ISO TC 238 changed its title and scope to include “pyrogenic biocarbon,” which includes biochar, biocarbon and biocoal. In essence, this means the standards for this sector are now managed through ISO TC 238. Actual definitions for these terms are still being developed, Wiberg explains, but he believes these efforts will help differentiate how the terms biochar, biocoal and biocarbon should be used to describe various pyrogenic biocarbon products.Technical Details&nbsp; Understanding what pyrogenic biocarbon is and the differences between these products starts with understanding the basics of combustion and the components of biomass. Clean woody biomass, for example, consists of roughly 84% volatile matter (material that is liberated as gas when heated) and roughly 15% fixed carbon (the solid carbon material that remains after all volatile matter is released), with the remainder being the ash fraction. Charcoal is an example of a material whereby biomass has been heated to remove the majority of the volatile matter, with the fixed carbon and ash remaining. The process by which the volatile matter is removed, the type of biomass material used and the amount of ash can vary significantly. Therefore, the final product may better serve a specific end use (e.g., agriculture, concrete additive, steelmaking, etc.), creating a variety of product categories that may be referred to as biochar, biocoal, biocarbon, etc. In the past, waste biomass materials were typically utilized via combustion, creating renewable heat and energy. However, interest in sequestering carbon and avoiding emissions has led to interest in processing biomass through pyrolysis or gasification to yield high fixed-carbon-content materials that can be used to replace carbonaceous fossil fuels or to directly sequester carbon.Wiberg illustrates the process of combustion and the presence of volatile matter and fixed carbon using the example of a common campfire. When wood combusts in a campfire, the initial tall flames come from the volatile matter. As the wood is heated, the volatile matter off-gases and burns as an open flame, similar to a candle. As the volatile matter is depleted, the tall flames go away, but what is left is a very hot bed of coals. This is the high-energy-density fixed-carbon fraction. Smoke is essentially volatile matter that does not ignite and burn. “Any smoke is like the lost energy,” he explains.Woody biomass is transformed into charcoal through pyrolysis, which heats wood to the point that nearly all volatile matter is liberated, leaving behind fixed carbon. Charcoal is differentiated from other products because its primary feedstock is low-end biomass with high ash content; this works well for generating heat and grilling but is not well-suited for industrial applications where the material must be as clean as possible.The production process may not differ greatly from product to product, but there are differences. For example, wood shavings or sawdust could be used to make any of these three products, while biomass like sewage sludge or food waste is better used in biochar (e.g., agricultural applications) but would not work as a feedstock for biocarbon (e.g., steel manufacturing). “Not all feedstocks result in the ability to sell into all three markets,” Wiberg says. “It’s more like you can make pyrogenic biocarbon products out of a lot of different feedstock materials, but the end use may be more selective as to which ones are better or more appropriate for a specific end use.”Gray also emphasizes that the processes used to make biochar, biocarbon and biocoal are almost identical, but the quality of the feedstock often determines the ultimate end use.Biochar&nbsp; Made via pyrolysis, biochar’s main purpose is to sequester carbon for preferably hundreds of years. This could mean use as a soil amendment for marginal, low-quality soils or as a component in concrete. When added to soil, biochar improves water and nutrient retention, helping improve fertility. “If you mix it with a fertilizer, some of the fertilizer will be absorbed into the biochar, and it will allow for a more gradual dissipation of that fertilizer into the farm application,” Wiberg says.Biochar must remain in the environment for as long as possible; therefore, the biomass’ permanence constitutes the important metric rather than fixed-carbon content. Wiberg explains that data points such as random reflectance and hydrogen-to-organic-carbon ratio help predict how long the carbon will remain sequestered in the environment.Though it has been said there are 80 uses for biochar, according to Gray, only about 10 are economically viable, and his team actively promotes five of those. Alongside use as a soil amendment and fertilizer ingredient, biochar finds use in the horticultural substrate market, replacing expensive imported products such as peat, perlite or vermiculite.The concrete sector sees biochar as a potential additive to help reduce the product’s carbon intensity and increase its strength. “Small amounts of biochar can be added in, and that’s not much. It might be like 3 to 5 percent, but 3 to 5 percent of all the concrete we use would be an astronomical amount of biochar deployed. There’s just so much concrete in the world,” Gray adds.The two other applications his team explores are soil remediation and wastewater treatment, since biochar’s properties help remove pollutants and improve plant health in stormwater systems. A particle of biochar is 90% porous, with wood biochar in particular looking like a “crazy honeycomb,” Gray explains. When the cell wall structure of the wood is retained, it offers a lot of porosity and surface area inside biochar particles, allowing pollutants to be absorbed by the biochar. “I think of it as sort of like the poor man’s activated carbon as a product that can be deployed more broadly, in more systems where you might not want to put a bunch of very expensive activated carbon. You can use biochar instead,” he says.Currently, the largest market for biochar comes from farmers growing high-value crops on small acreage, such as vineyards and orchards. The agricultural sector will most likely continue to be biochar’s largest market, according to Gray.Biocarbon&nbsp; This substance offers itself as a lower-carbon-intensity option for industrial processes such as steel manufacturing. Coke or metallurgical coal helps reduce iron oxide into steel. Producers engineer biocarbon to be as similar to metallurgical coal or coke as possible, which means the product must be highly refined. Biocarbon needs a concentrated degree of carbon, so the feedstock is typically made of clean, high-quality wood, minimizing the amount of ash created. “They want to be very calculated as to how much volatiles they cook off so that it’s a very highly concentrated fixed carbon in the final product,” Wiberg says. “It’s kind of like charcoal, only it’s been engineered more precisely.”The carbon is still used up in this application, but it enables manufacturers to avoid coal usage. Gray explains that the carbon in biocarbon becomes consumed by the reduction process, while biochar stays in the ground for up to 1,000 years.Biocoal&nbsp; The term “biocoal” is used to describe a renewable alternative to coal. While it is made from a thermally treated material, biocoal does not require the same type of charring as other products. “[A] lot of the volatile matter is dissipated when you’re making the higher-quality biocarbon reductant material for steel or even biochar—since you’re trying to get it to be as permanent in the environment as possible—but biocoal is not as heavily thermally treated. You might try to retain a larger percentage of those volatiles,” Wiberg says.Typically, biocoal is produced using steam explosion or torrefaction processes that increase the energy density of the material. Biocoal finds use in power plants, cement production facilities, heating plants and anywhere coal serves as a source of heat or power.These product uses might vary widely, but ultimately, each of them brings value by utilizing waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil carbon, Wiberg explains. “There are different benefits, but all of them have some very nice carbon mitigation … properties and purposes, and hence the reason everybody’s trying to use them in any way they can to switch over from fossil carbon to renewable carbon,” he says. Championing Standardization&nbsp; Right now, the primary consequence of the lack of standards is confusion for buyers and sellers, but the challenges will grow with the industry. Although these products may be similar, defining each term is crucial, as the products serve different uses and may have different manufacturing methods.Wiberg lists some of the key elements the ISO seeks to standardize to help the industry speak the same language: “It’s sampling, sample prep, vocabulary, but then all of the individual test methods that go into testing these materials. You’ve got moisture, ash, volatile matter, physical properties, calorific value, metals, chlorine, etc. All the different techniques that are used to run the analysis of these materials are defined under ISO TC 238.”According to Wiberg, standards are already “late to the game.” As the industry grows and large-scale projects multiply, the necessity for clear standards becomes more urgent. Even as projects are underway, uncertainty remains regarding how these materials can be shipped, which measurements are required in testing and more. For example, the International Maritime Organization prohibits shipment of these materials unless special provisions are incorporated into the shipping process because they are believed to have the potential to be self-heating, posing a fire risk onboard ships. Research must be conducted to answer these questions and prevent any hindrances to the growth of these products.The interest in biocarbon expressed by the steel industry and the scale of research being executed into biochar applications cannot be ignored. “Even though most projects are still in the early stages of development, you can sense that they’re coming,” Wiberg says. “And as a result, we know that we’re on the cusp of a big boom.”Author: Katie Schroeder&nbsp; Associate Editor, Biomass Magazine

2026-01-06 - Developing Pyrogenic Biocarbon Standards (Biomass Magazine)

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Experts discuss the crucial role standards play in scaling the adoption of biochar, biocoal and biocarbon.

Developing Pyrogenic Biocarbon Standards

Five years ago, OPAL Fuels stepped out of the private sector and emerged as an ambitious leader in the production and distribution of renewable natural gas.With major partners including NextEra Energy, UPS, CHS and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and more than 350 projects nationwide, OPAL has positioned itself at the forefront of the renewable energy transition. And just in time, it seems, as pressure to decarbonize increases. The United Nations’ COP30 climate summit, held in Brazil in November and the first post-U.S. withdrawal, stressed “the inherent connection between pursuing efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius and pursuing just transition pathways.”While the conference failed to agree on decarbonization regulations, 23 countries endorsed their commitment to Belém 4X, an initiative to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels by 2035. RNG serves as an easily applicable fuel source for industries looking to decarbonize while maintaining current infrastructure. And to OPAL co-CEO Adam Comora, RNG is the perfect place to invest amid current climate goals.In With the New&nbsp; Formed in late 2020 by Comora and co-CEO Jonathan Maurer, OPAL entered the public sector backed by decades of experience. “We got started in the business of capturing biogas and trying to find a productive use for it 25 years ago,” Comora says. “A lot of folks were noticing that methane emissions from decaying organic waste could be used productively and that electricity generation was a good answer because it’s baseload power, 24/7.”Prior to OPAL’s formation, TruStar Energy, Fortistar Methane Group and Fortistar RNG operated as portfolio companies of Fortistar LLC. The three companies merged together to form OPAL Fuels, bringing together upstream and downstream capabilities. &nbsp;Later that year, OPAL combined with ArcLight Clean Transition Corp. II, officially exiting the private sector as a vertically integrated producer and distributor of RNG.“We saw a really interesting opportunity to transform what we were doing at the Fortistar Methane Group on the landfill gas-to-electric side,” Comora continues. “We really got excited that there could be something better to do with the biogas resource from an economic perspective, and create an opportunity to help fleets achieve their objectives.”OPAL’s long-term partnership with American legacy utility NextEra Energy began in April 2021 with the development of a Minnesota RNG project designed to produce 2,140 dekatherms of RNG per day, eliminating 43,900 metric tons of carbon per year. In December 2022, OPAL signed a long-term agreement with UPS to provide operations and maintenance services to 51 UPS RNG dispensing stations in the U.S. In 2023, OPAL and South Jersey Industries signed a 50-50 joint venture agreement to develop RNG facilities. The following year, OPAL announced commercial operations at its RNG facility at the Polk County municipal landfill in Jones Corner, Florida.Today, OPAL splits its operating segments into three categories: RNG fuel, renewable power and fuel station services, Comora explains. In a report of OPAL’s third-quarter results, Comora noted an 8% increase in RNG production compared to the second quarter and a 30% increase compared to the third quarter of 2024, despite depressed D3 RIN prices. Maurer shared the company’s annual design capacity of 9.1 million MMBtu across 12 projects in operation during the same briefing, adding that “at present, RNG and CNG are the most attractive alternatives to replace diesel for the Class 8 trucking market.”With D3 RINs remaining depressed, Comora and Maurer’s lengthy backgrounds in renewable energy investing bring stability to their work. “There are a few cost areas that we’re really focused on,” Comora says. “One is the capital costs of the facilities, where we did see some significant inflationary cost pressures over the past three to four years or so. Thankfully, those have been offset by the Section 48 ITC tax credit, and we did safe harbor a number of projects in our advanced development pipeline that will qualify for those ITC tax credits. But we are spending a lot of time on value engineering.”Further federal tax incentives like the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit and the Renewable Fuel Standard program affect how OPAL moves. “Policy clarity has a lot more impact on investing in RNG assets, and they all form a piece of the puzzle,” he says. “And 45Z is definitely helpful when thinking about investing in new RNG production facilities. Those run through 2029, so if new facilities take a ballpark estimate of 18 months to build, you may only be getting a year of 45Z benefits.”Current legislative efforts, including a notice of proposed rulemaking released by the White House Office of Management and Budget, attempt to further extend 45Z beyond 2029, as well as reinstate the $1.75-per-gallon sustainable aviation fuel incentive, which Comora says makes a significant impact on RNG investments. “We’re waiting for final clarity on a GREET model to do all the carbon intensity scoring around our projects, but if you can have visibility or clarity on 45Z for a period of time, that can have a big impact on investing in RNG facilities,” he says. “It also works in conjunction with the 48 ITC, so 45Z is a tool or a lever that can offset those capital cost increases.”Trucking Along&nbsp; Despite OPAL’s roots in the U.S., Comora says opportunities beyond the domestic market are growing. “Japan is starting to import RNG. They have a mandate that by 2030, 1% of their net gas has to be low-CI. You can send it there as LNG or as renewable methanol,” he says. “In Europe, marine fuel is really interesting, as well as here in the U.S., whether it be in barges or around ports, and potentially for ocean-going vessels. There’s going to be a big market because they’re going to be taxed based on their carbon emissions when they pull into ports, and now you’ve got all these ships on the ocean that can run on renewable methanol. So, there are other offtake markets that want low-CI natural gas.”New markets, of course, mean new regulations, even inside the continental U.S. “Any time we dispense RNG in California, CARB assigns us a CI score based off the Argonne GREET models. 45Z is going to have something similar. And we also have third-party engineers that do baselines,” Comora says.When it comes to the transportation sector, the challenges of decarbonization are half the fun, and OPAL is happy to answer the call. “The reason why we’re focused on transportation fuel, and specifically heavy-duty trucking here in the U.S., is because it’s a hard-to-decarbonize sector,” he says. “Electrification is challenged by battery weight and electricity grids—there are just so many things that stand in the way, and hydrogen has proved challenging to distribute in the U.S. as well.“We’re collecting biogas that’s maybe 50% methane,” Comora continues. “We are physically passing it through membranes to separate all other impurities so that you can get it up to a pipeline-quality spec, use existing pipeline infrastructure to transport it where you need it, build a fueling station that pulls off the RNG, compresses it and puts it right into the vehicle where it can be used. You can’t get a more streamlined operational economic model for the sector.”The balancing act between building new RNG plants and expanding OPAL’s current fueling infrastructure is calculated at every step. “Everything that we invest capital in competes for that capital resource and needs to be justified on a strong, unlevered, risk-adjusted return,” Comora explains. “And the good news is we’re seeing good opportunities on both sides.With major fleets increasingly reengaging with CNG and RNG, Comora and the OPAL Fuels team view fueling infrastructure as a compelling growth opportunity and are investing accordingly. “We see a stronger adoption curve of natural gas or RNG for heavy-duty trucking,” he says. “That being said, you’ll likely see us continue to invest in both, and at the same time, I feel like some of the capital is going to get shifted more toward the fuel station part of the business in the next couple of years.”Using RNG allows companies to record zero Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions and fossil fuels) and zero Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions released through purchased energy). The CI of the combusted RNG can then be used to offset Scope 3 emissions, which include all other indirect emissions occurring across the value chain. “It’s hard for companies to do Scope 3 emissions accounting work, but we provide the CI of the RNG we’re supplying if they’re trying to establish a Scope 3 framework,” Comora adds. “So if you use RNG in a fleet: zero Scope 1, zero Scope 2, you create a biogenic emission and then you have a reduction in your Scope 3 emissions based on the CI.”Finding the Future&nbsp; With five to six projects under construction, Comora says OPAL is looking ahead. “It’s been a lot more work, and it’s more expensive being a public company. And we think it’s worthwhile to do that work,” he says. “One, we think it’s a better platform to raise capital, raise awareness and do some of our public policy advocacy work. We also think it’s been really impactful to attract talent to our team, and it’s made us much more disciplined.”With nearly 30 years of experience in the renewable investment industry, the challenges of operating as a public company are navigated by returning to fundamentals. “Methane emissions are 80 times more damaging than CO2, specifically over the first 20 years,” Comora stresses. “Methane abatement is likely the lowest-hanging fruit and the most impactful thing that we can do. Does it get us all the way there? No. Should we be doing it? Yes.”For OPAL, success is defined by setting the industry benchmark for reliable RNG production, with high facility availability and uptime, Comora says. It also includes increasing fleet conversions for heavy-duty transportation, expanding into new markets such as marine fuels or exports to Japan, evaluating additional feedstocks, and growing the company’s fueling station network. “We really paved our own path in terms of how we built the company, so it was really exciting—and still is exciting,” he adds. “A lot of interesting things come from that. We found it to be really challenging and fun, and it continues to motivate all of us.”Author: Caitlin Scheresky&nbsp; Contributing Writer, Biomass Magazine

2026-01-06 - Fueling the Future (Biomass Magazine)

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OPAL Fuels has established itself as an ambitious leader in the production and distribution of renewable natural gas.

Fueling the Future

The center of gravity in biofuels is shifting, and an emerging pressure point is biomass. For years, road transport has dominated demand for waste- and residue-based feedstocks, absorbing most of the available supply of used cooking oil, tallow, distillers corn oil and other key inputs for renewable diesel and biodiesel production.That era is ending.Aviation and maritime mandates are accelerating at a time when biomass markets are tightening. The shift is creating a more competitive landscape for all participants, from refiners and traders to compliance teams and feedstock aggregators.The question is no longer which fuel pathway grows fastest, but which sector secures the biomass first.The New Demand Equation for Biomass&nbsp; Across global markets, policy is no longer the sole driver of change. Physical biomass availability is emerging as a defining constraint. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and maritime fuels are adding new demand for the same limited pool of waste and residue oils. Both sectors will compete on price with road transport fuels to secure the feedstock needed to supply decarbonized fuels.Several forces are tightening biomass markets simultaneously:&nbsp; • Rising obligation levels in Europe for 2026 under RED III• Stricter sustainability and traceability requirements narrowing usable supply• Higher-value SAF pathways diverting upstream material• Early-stage maritime adoption scaling trials into contracted volumesAs each sector claims more tonnage, the competition becomes structural rather than cyclical. Growing demand across all segments will continue to alter how these sectors operate.SAF’s Claim on Biomass&nbsp; Global efforts to displace fossil jet fuel with renewable SAF will have a significant impact on biomass economics. Refiners are increasingly testing every marginal unit of feedstock against potential SAF value, not just renewable diesel output.What is changing:&nbsp; • Current SAF production relies heavily on the same feedstocks as hydrotreated vegetable oil and renewable diesel.• Compliance and voluntary airline demand are creating price premiums competitors cannot ignore.• European SAF mandates are sharply increasing blending requirements.• U.S. producers are optimizing for Section 40B and 45Z incentives, driving increased domestic SAF production.As SAF scales, residual feedstock availability for transport renewables will tighten, requiring price adjustments to reflect these shifts. Maritime: The Next Major Biomass Competitor&nbsp; The maritime sector’s decarbonization requirements are beginning to exert a meaningful pull on the global renewable feedstock pool. The EU’s FuelEU Maritime emissions-intensity reductions, which began in 2025, require carriers to adopt low-carbon fuels well before ammonia, methanol or hydrogen reach broad commercial viability.As a result, advanced biofuels such as used cooking oil methyl ester, fatty acid methyl ester blends and other bio-bunker fuels are entering direct competition for waste oils with road and aviation fuels.The maritime sector may prove disruptive for several reasons:&nbsp; • Large-volume consumption potential• Immediate ability to use drop-in fuel blends• Increased visibility of customer-driven decarbonizationWhile maritime demand remains relatively small today, its growth trajectory will draw biomass into a third major sector, further tightening supply.A Feedstock Bottleneck is Forming&nbsp; The most important market reality for 2026 is clear: The available biomass pool is not growing fast enough to meet policy-driven demand across all sectors.Indicators of tightening supply include:&nbsp; • Plateauing waste oil availability in key collection regions• Tallow supplies constrained by slaughter volumes• Limited growth in EU Annex IX Part A-eligible feedstocks• Increasing feedstock disqualification due to traceability concerns• Higher utilization rates of pretreatment and refining capacityRoad, aviation and maritime mandates are colliding with the physical limits of current biomass markets.2026: The Year of Allocation Decisions&nbsp; As mandates tighten, producers will be forced to make more deliberate decisions about where each unit of biomass is allocated. As mandates tighten, producers will be forced to make more deliberate decisions about where each unit of biomass is allocated. Those decisions will hinge on: netback economics, as SAF may capture more marginal tons if premiums persist and credits remain favorable; compliance exposure, with sectors facing steep penalties or rigid mandates competing more aggressively for supply; refinery and technology configuration, since not all plants can efficiently shift between diesel- and jet-range outputs; and regional arbitrage, as Asian biomass may flow to Europe while U.S. feedstocks remain domestic if imports are limited or taxed. These trends will redefine trade flows and producer strategies throughout 2026.Advanced Feedstocks Take Center Stage&nbsp; Because waste oils cannot scale indefinitely, the industry is being pushed toward the next tier of feedstock development, which includes: tall oil, soapstock acid oils, agricultural residues, lignocellulosic biomass, algae, e-fuels and other emerging options. Competitiveness will depend on sustainability integrity and traceability, now top priorities for regulators and compliance buyers. The race is no longer just for biomass, but for qualifying biomass.Preparing for a Multisector Biomass Market&nbsp; By 2026, biofuels will no longer be defined solely by road transport. SAF, maritime and road fuels will all draw from the same constrained feedstock pool. Success in this environment will require a clear understanding of cross-sector biomass economics, improved forecasting of SAF and maritime demand, stronger traceability frameworks, diversification into next-generation feedstocks, and active monitoring of RED III national implementations.The future of biomass demand is becoming more complex, more competitive and more global. Aviation and maritime mandates are not incremental changes; they are transformative forces reshaping supply chains and pricing across the biofuels market.Producers who understand where biomass pressure points lie and track early market signals will be best positioned to navigate the remainder of 2026Author: Matthew Stone&nbsp; Vice President of Business Development and Low Carbon Fuels&nbsp; ResourceWise&nbsp; matthew.stone@resourcewise.com&nbsp; +44 7762 773 118

2026-01-06 - SAF and Maritime Mandates: Reshaping Biomass Demand (Biomass Magazine)

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The question is no longer which fuel pathway grows fastest, but which sector secures the biomass first.

SAF and Maritime Mandates: Reshaping Biomass Demand

The aviation industry faces an unprecedented challenge: achieving meaningful decarbonization while maintaining the global connectivity that modern commerce and society depend upon. As the sector grapples with contributing 2.5% of global CO2 emissions—with 80% originating from long-haul flights—the search for viable alternatives to conventional jet fuel has intensified.Alternative Aviation Technology Challenges&nbsp; The promise of electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft has captured headlines and imagination, yet both technologies face fundamental barriers that limit their near-term viability for commercial aviation. Electric aircraft confront the harsh reality of battery energy density constraints. Current lithium-ion technology achieves approximately 200 to 250 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), with expectations to plateau at around 300 Wh/kg due to fundamental chemistry limitations, compared to 12,000 Wh/kg for jet fuel. However, studies have identified that electric aviation would require 400 Wh/kg for general aviation applications and 750 Wh/kg for commercial regional air service, representing a two- to three-fold improvement that remains beyond current capabilities. While electric aircraft may serve a role on short-haul regional routes, their energy density limitations constrain their applicability to the majority of commercial aviation.The infrastructure implications are equally daunting. Electric aviation would necessitate comprehensive airport charging systems, overhauls of electrical grid capacity, and aircraft redesign. To date, not a single commercial electric aircraft deployment has occurred in scheduled passenger service, underscoring the technological and economic hurdles that remain.Hydrogen propulsion presents similar challenges. While hydrogen offers impressive energy density by weight, its storage requirements create significant design constraints. Liquid hydrogen must be maintained at -253 degrees Celsius, requiring specialized cryogenic storage systems that fundamentally alter aircraft architecture. The safety considerations, airport infrastructure modifications and lengthy recertification processes have proven so challenging that even Airbus recently scaled back its hydrogen aircraft program timeline.These realities underscore that electric and hydrogen technologies will require significant technological breakthroughs before their full potential can be realized, highlighting the aviation industry’s need for immediate solutions to achieve its decarbonization goals.SAF: The Drop-In Solution&nbsp; Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offers a direct path to decarbonization by working within existing systems rather than requiring wholesale transformation. Produced from renewable feedstocks—including alcohols, used cooking oil, animal fats, municipal solid waste, agricultural residues and even captured CO2—SAF can blend with conventional jet fuel without modifying aircraft engines or airport infrastructure.This compatibility is critical. Airlines operate on thin margins, and aircraft lifecycles span decades. A fuel that integrates with existing fleets enables immediate deployment without the massive capital investments required by alternative technologies.The market has responded. Global SAF production is projected to reach 6.1 billion to 8.2 billion gallons annually by 2030, according to RMI’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market Outlook, up from about 350 million gallons in 2024—underscoring both industry commitment and scalability.Today’s Leading Pathway&nbsp; The dominant SAF production technology today is hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), which converts fats, oils and greases into jet fuel through hydrogen treatment. Its appeal lies in compatibility with existing refinery infrastructure, allowing producers to leverage current equipment with modifications.However, HEFA faces constraints that limit long-term scalability; chief among them is feedstock availability. The U.S. produces about 23 million tons of suitable feedstock annually, with soybean oil accounting for 57% of supply. Used cooking oil is limited by collection logistics, while animal fats are geographically concentrated in states such as Nebraska, Texas and Iowa, increasing transportation costs and carbon intensity.Competition from the renewable diesel market further complicates HEFA economics, as incentives often favor diesel production and intensify feedstock competition. Maximizing SAF yields also generates substantial naphtha byproducts—up to 25% of total output—which can become a low-value burden for facilities located far from petrochemical markets.These factors create a complex optimization challenge. HEFA produces only paraffinic components, while conventional jet fuel requires 8% to 25% aromatics for proper engine performance. As a result, HEFA SAF must be blended with fossil jet fuel, limiting its carbon reduction potential. Producers must balance feedstock costs, blending requirements and infrastructure proximity while navigating agricultural commodity volatility.Innovation in SAF Production&nbsp; The industry’s response to HEFA’s challenges has been to diversify production pathways and optimize existing processes. Fischer-Tropsch technology, which converts solid waste after gasification into syngas into synthetic fuels, offers access to more abundant feedstocks but at higher capital and operating costs. Alcohol-to-jet pathways provide another alternative, though current processes remain energy-intensive and expensive.Current ASTM standards limit most SAF pathways to 50% blending with conventional jet fuel. Still, the industry is moving toward higher blend ratios and eventually 100% drop-in synthetic fuels. Achieving this goal requires addressing the aromatic component gap in HEFA SAF production, making economical sources of these molecules crucial for future fuel specifications.One particularly promising area involves upgrading the naphtha byproducts from HEFA and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) processes into aromatic components of SAF that are otherwise missing from these outputs. Rather than treating these naphtha materials as low-value byproducts, emerging add-on technologies can convert them into high-value aromatics. For example, Universal Fuel Technologies has developed a chemical processing technology that complements HEFA and FT by converting their naphtha byproducts into high-quality aromatic components essential for jet fuel.&nbsp;The challenge of upgrading naphtha byproducts stems from two key factors: the chemical properties of paraffinic molecules, which make them difficult to convert into aromatics, and the small quantities produced at individual HEFA facilities, which preclude economies of scale. These chemical and economic dual constraints explain why few technologies have emerged to convert this low-value stream into higher-value products. However, this approach not only improves the economics of existing SAF production, but also addresses a critical technical requirement for future 100% SAF blends.Economic Viability Through Integration&nbsp; The future of SAF production likely depends on integrated approaches that maximize resource utilization and minimize waste. Rather than viewing each production pathway in isolation, the industry must consider how different technologies can complement each other.The flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions becomes crucial as well. Feedstock availability and pricing fluctuate in response to agricultural cycles, regulatory changes, and competing demand. Production facilities that can adjust their operations—switching between different feedstocks or product slates based on market conditions—will have significant competitive advantages.Scaling for Impact&nbsp; Meeting aviation’s decarbonization goals requires SAF production to scale from hundreds of millions of gallons annually to tens of billions of gallons per year. This expansion demands not only technological improvements but also supply chain development, policy support and effective financing mechanisms. The industry must also develop production technologies that can compete economically with conventional jet fuel while maintaining the performance characteristics that aviation demands. This requires continued innovation in processing technologies, feedstock development and systems integration. In many cases, investors may be reluctant to fund HEFA and FT plants where the naphtha byproduct stream cannot be effectively monetized. Technologies that solve this byproduct utilization challenge become critical enablers, potentially transforming otherwise uneconomical projects into viable investments and accelerating the deployment of SAF production capacity.An Immediate Path to Sustainable Aviation&nbsp; While electric and hydrogen aircraft may eventually transform aviation, SAF offers the most viable path to immediate emissions reduction. Unlike alternative propulsion technologies that require fundamental changes to aircraft design and infrastructure, SAF works within existing systems while delivering measurable environmental benefits.The industry’s commitment to sustainability is clear, yet progress depends on solutions that can be deployed at scale. SAF provides that bridge, linking today’s fossil fuel reliance with a fully sustainable aviation future. By advancing production technologies that address current economic and technical barriers, the industry can accelerate SAF adoption while moving toward the goal of 100% SAF.Author: Alexei Beltyukov&nbsp; CEO, Universal Fuel Technologies

2026-01-06 - The Most Viable Route to Greener Skies (Biomass Magazine)

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While electric and hydrogen aircraft may eventually transform aviation, sustainable aviation fuel offers the most viable path to immediate emissions reduction.

The Most Viable Route to Greener Skies

The International Energy Agency estimates that agriculture accounts for approximately 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Aside from commonly cited methane emissions from livestock waste, widespread practices such as the open burning of agricultural residues—including rice husks, straw and corn stalks—releases significant amounts of CO2, methane and black carbon, a potent aerosol that accelerates atmospheric warming. The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that this practice contributes 0.5% to 1% of global emissions while also causing air pollution and soil degradation.Another significant driver of emissions is the use of synthetic fertilizers, which contribute around 4.7% of total global emissions in CO2-equivalent terms. This disproportionate impact stems from the dual role of fertilizers; their production emits over 1.5% of global CO2, while their excessive application releases nitrous oxide, a gas 265 times more potent than CO2, accounting for &nbsp;approximately 3.6% of global emissions. Chemical fertilizer also degrades the health of soil where it is applied, trapping farmers in a vicious cycle of either increasing fertilizer use, or abandoning the land until its natural fertility eventually recovers on its own.A notable casualty of the overutilization of synthetic fertilizer was Florida’s once-vaunted citrus industry. Florida’s sandy soil naturally lacks nutrient- and water-holding capacity, and research has shown that chemical-intensive practices have only exacerbated this problem by reducing soil’s organic matter and disrupting microbial communities critical for nutrient cycling. This degradation made the industry vulnerable to an emergent citrus greening disease (HLB) blight, an incurable bacterial infection that attacks trees’ vascular systems, causing severe nutrient deficiencies and tree death. The scale of this decline is such that Florida’s citrus industry, which had produced 244 million boxes of oranges in 1998, had plummeted 95% to only 12 million boxes in 2025.Scaling Sustainability: Biochar’s Impact&nbsp; Biochar, derived from agricultural waste, is a carbon-rich soil amendment widely valued as an organic alternative to synthetic fertilizers. It’s produced through pyrolysis, a process that heats organic matter at high temperatures in a low-oxygen environment, typically within a rotary kiln. Though pyrolysis has been practiced for decades and biochar’s benefits have been recognized for centuries, recent technological advances now enable its large-scale production. Biochar improves nutrient retention, enhances water-holding capacity, and fosters microbial activity. Unlike synthetic fertilizers, which require repeated applications for each crop cycle, biochar’s benefits endure, progressively enriching soil fertility over time. Its stability, decomposing over centuries or even millennia, ensures long-term nutrient retention and makes it a powerful tool for carbon sequestration, earning praise as one of the few scalable solutions to lock carbon away and prevent its release as CO2.SunnyDay Renewables, based in Florida’s equestrian capital of Wellington, Florida, is one of a rapidly growing number of projects planning to produce biochar at scale to address the agriculture’s carbon crisis. The company’s $30 million Wellington facility, set to complete its first phase in the second quarter of 2026, will produce 25,000–30,000 tons of biochar annually and sequester over 75,000 tons of CO2 per year using agricultural wood waste from nearby horse farms. SunnyDay has partnered with Biomass Energy Techniques, a pyrolysis kiln manufacturer with 16 active units installed nationwide, on the first deployment of their prototype fourth generation unit, known as the PRD8000, on the facility. The unit is more than twice as efficient as BET’s previous model, able to process four tons of biomass per hour, which in combination with a boiler and ORC generator, can generate over 3 megawatt hours of renewable energy per year.With a plan to install between 2 and 3 PRD8000 units by 2027, the SunnyDay Project will not only sequester vast quantities of CO2 at scale, but the process of making it will also be net zero, with the ability to feed surplus renewable energy back into the grid. The process produces no smoke, odors or harmful emissions, offering a scalable, ecofriendly model that will help to transition agriculture into becoming a climate solution, rather than climate problem. This circular approach, converting waste into a valuable agricultural input while generating renewable energy, creates an efficient closed loop in the true spirit of circular economy. Projects like SunnyDay are leading the biochar revolution and paving the way for a sustainable future for agriculture, that mitigates climate change and offers new hope to the prospect of soil vitality.Biochar: Carbon Capture, Soil Health and Sustainability&nbsp; Biochar delivers three transformative benefits for farmers and the environment. First, in terms of carbon sequestration, each ton of biochar sequesters approximately 2.5–3 tons of CO2 equivalent, according to the International Biochar Initiative, keeping carbon out of the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years. Second, biochar reduces emissions by preventing methane and nitrous oxide release during waste decomposition, biochar production cuts lifecycle emissions significantly. Finally, biochar improves soil fertility, boosts water retention by up to 20%, and reduces chemical fertilizer use by enhancing nutrient availability, fostering sustainable farming.

2026-01-06 - Biochar at Scale: Agriculture’s Carbon Comeback (Biomass Magazine)

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Projects like SunnyDay Renewables' are leading the biochar revolution and paving the way for a sustainable future for agriculture, that mitigates climate change and offers new hope to the prospect of soil vitality.

Biochar at Scale: Agriculture’s Carbon Comeback

For decades, the biomass sector has evolved in step with the world’s changing energy priorities. Today, demand for reliable, efficient and sustainable biomass technologies has never been greater. At the same time, producers—whether utility-scale pellet manufacturers, combined-heat-and-power facilities, industrial bioenergy users, or emerging fuels developers—face growing pressure to increase throughput, reduce operational complexity and meet stringent quality standards.As facilities scale and diversify, the performance of upstream wood processing and material handling systems has become a determining factor in overall plant reliability. Equipment selection, system integration and layout decisions made early in project development often define long-term operating costs, uptime and safety outcomes.Against this backdrop, Bruks Siwertell and West Salem Machinery have aligned their engineering and manufacturing resources within a unified Biomass Technology Division serving the Americas. The objective of this alignment is to better coordinate system design, project execution and lifecycle support for biomass processing operations across a wide range of applications.Expanding System-Level Capabilities&nbsp; Bruks Siwertell brings long-standing experience in bulk material handling, including receiving systems, conveyors, storage solutions, and screening technologies. These systems are commonly deployed in large-scale pellet plants and export terminals, where consistent flow, dust control and automation are critical.West Salem Machinery contributes decades of expertise in size reduction and fiber preparation, including chipping, grinding, shredding and milling equipment. These machines are typically designed for high-duty cycles and challenging feedstocks, supporting biomass operations where durability and maintainability are essential.Combined, the division supports integrated wood processing systems that may include:&nbsp; • Truck and rail receiving systems• In-feed and metering equipment• Debarking, chipping and fiber preparation• Hammermills, grinders and hogs• Screening and classification technologies• Belt, drag-chain and screw conveying systems• Stacker reclaimers, storage domes and automated storage systems• Dust collection, spark detection and fire mitigation systemsThis combination allows us to design, integrate and support every major facet of a biomass processing line—from raw material intake to finished fuel or feedstock. It also allows system designers to evaluate interactions between equipment stages rather than treating each machine as a standalone component.Best Practices in Wood Processing System Design&nbsp; As the scale and complexity of biomass facilities grow, properly designed wood processing systems have an outsized impact on overall plant performance. Based on lessons learned from hundreds of installations, both in North America and globally, several principles consistently differentiate high-performing systems from those that fall short.Engineer for Feedstock Variability—Not Ideal Conditions. Biomass feedstocks vary widely in moisture content, density, particle size and contamination. Systems designed around idealized material conditions often struggle in real-world operation. Allowing for surge capacity, flexible size reduction and adaptable screening improves resilience and reduces unplanned downtime.Prioritize Effective Screening and Classification. Screening is one of the most underestimated, yet most impactful elements of system design. Screening is the quiet hero of plant performance. When it’s done right, everything else becomes more efficient. A high-performance screening stage upstream of size reduction improves grinder life, reduces energy consumption, and ensures downstream consistency.Design Dust Management and Fire Protection into the System. Dust control is essential for safety and reliability. Spark detection, deluge suppression and negative-pressure conveying significantly reduce fire risk and operational disruptions.Build Maintainability into the Layout. High-capacity biomass operations depend on maintainability as much as mechanical strength. Maintainability should be built into the design, not added later. It’s the foundation of uptime, safety and long-term reliability. Thoughtful layout, accessibility and modular components can increase uptime dramatically.Integrate Technologies for System-Level Performance. Our unified engineering team now designs systems where each machine is optimized within the broader process flow, not just at the equipment level. This systems integration significantly enhances throughput, energy efficiency and product quality.Lessons Learned From Global Installations&nbsp; Across hundreds of projects, from fiber preparation units to million-ton-per-year pellet export plants, several lessons consistently emerge:• Reliable receiving systems set the foundation for stable operations.• Feedstock consistency equals output consistency.• Redundancy in critical paths pays for itself.• Early alignment between OEMs prevents costly redesign.• Automated controls reduce operator burden and improve quality.These observations continue to inform system design choices with every new project.Driving Innovation for the Next Generation of Biomass Facilities&nbsp; The future of biomass will demand smarter, more automated, energy-efficient systems. Our unified division is accelerating several innovation initiatives, including:• Low-energy, high-throughput grinders• IoT-enabled condition monitoring and predictive maintenance• Higher-capacity, higher-accuracy screens• Modular receiving systems for faster installation• Automated storage and reclaim designs for export-scale facilitiesAs biomass applications expand beyond traditional energy markets into fuels, materials and carbon-related products, wood processing systems will need to adapt to new feedstock requirements and performance targets. We’re shifting from product-level innovation to system-level innovation, and that’s where producers will see the biggest gains.Supporting the Next Phase of Industry Growth&nbsp; The alignment of Bruks Siwertell and West Salem Machinery reflects a broader industry shift toward integrated, system-level thinking in biomass facility design. By consolidating engineering expertise and operational experience, the Biomass Technology Division aims to support producers as they navigate increasingly complex technical and market conditions.As biomass continues to play a role in renewable energy and sustainable manufacturing strategies, well-designed processing systems will remain central to reliable, safe and cost-effective operations. Our unified Biomass Technology Division stands ready to deliver the systems, expertise and performance needed for the industry’s next chapter. The future of biomass is incredibly versatile. We’re only beginning to tap the potential of what sustainable feedstocks can support.Author: Mike Curci&nbsp; Vice President of Sales and Marketing&nbsp;&nbsp; Americas Division, Biomass Technology&nbsp; Bruks Siwertell Group&nbsp; &nbsp;

2026-01-06 - United in Biomass Technology: Shaping Wood Processing Systems in the Americas (Biomass Magazine)

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As facilities scale and diversify, the performance of upstream wood processing and material handling systems has become a determining factor in overall plant reliability.

2026 Biomass Magazine Issue 1

Columns

From Niche to Necessary

Industrial Pellets and the Work Ahead: Priorities for 2026

Featured

From Burn Piles to Biochar

Developing Pyrogenic Biocarbon Standards

Fueling the Future

Contributions

SPOTLIGHT | Mid-South Engineering: At the Intersection of Engineering and Bioenergy Innovation

SAF and Maritime Mandates: Reshaping Biomass Demand

The Most Viable Route to Greener Skies

Biochar at Scale: Agriculture’s Carbon Comeback

United in Biomass Technology: Shaping Wood Processing Systems in the Americas

2026 Biomass Magazine Issue 1.css-7jxktu{position:absolute;bottom:0px;left:0px;right:0px;height:3px;border-radius:3px;background-color:var(--chakra-colors-brandBlack);}

Columns

From Niche to Necessary

Industrial Pellets and the Work Ahead: Priorities for 2026

Featured

From Burn Piles to Biochar

Developing Pyrogenic Biocarbon Standards

Fueling the Future

Contributions

SPOTLIGHT | Mid-South Engineering: At the Intersection of Engineering and Bioenergy Innovation

SAF and Maritime Mandates: Reshaping Biomass Demand

The Most Viable Route to Greener Skies

Biochar at Scale: Agriculture’s Carbon Comeback

United in Biomass Technology: Shaping Wood Processing Systems in the Americas

2026 Biomass Magazine Issue 1