<![CDATA[Farmed Carbon

<![CDATA[Farmed Carbon - Blog]]>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:38:33 +1100Weebly<![CDATA[Carbon negative asphalt is here!]]>Fri, 06 Oct 2023 07:52:31 GMThttps://www.farmedcarbon.com/blog/carbon-negative-ashpalt-is-here

Farmed Carbon Co-Founder and Chief Engineer, Stuart Grover, laying what could be Australia's first piece of carbon negative asphalt.

The key ingredients for this little patch of road started life a few months ago as rice straw waste that was destined to burnt.

]]><![CDATA[Black Gold]]>Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:00:00 GMThttps://www.farmedcarbon.com/blog/black-gold

Biochar, aka Black Gold, is a charcoal-like substance that is made from organic materials such as agricultural waste.

It is produced by heating this waste in the absence of oxygen by a process called pyrolysis. Instead of the carbon contained within the agricultural waste combining with oxygen to form CO2, it is transformed into biochar – an incredibly stable solid form of carbon.

Here's just a few of the use cases for this versatile substance:

An additive to concrete, strengthening its properties and reducing the amount of cement required by ~30%;
An additive to asphalt, strengthening its properties and reducing the amount of aggregate required by ~30%;
Soil amendment, improving its quality via better water retention and nutrient holding capacity. Reduces the amount of fertiliser required by ~50%;
As an additive to cattle fodder which reduces methane emissions by ~20-30%;
High quality water and air filtration;
For the direct air capture of CO2; and
And such is Biochar's versatility it can also be used as a health supplement to reduce cholesterol, treat upset stomachs and cure hangovers!

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]]><![CDATA[Low carbon concrete]]>Wed, 28 Jun 2023 14:00:00 GMThttps://www.farmedcarbon.com/blog/low-carbon-concrete

Biochar can be added to concrete in a number of ways. It can be mixed with the concrete ingredients before mixing, or it can be added to the concrete after mixing. Biochar can also be used to make concrete blocks and other precast concrete products.

The amount of biochar that is added to concrete depends on the desired properties. For example, to improve the compressive strength of concrete, typically 1-5% biochar is added by weight of cement. To increase the fire resistance of concrete, typically 5-10% biochar is added by weight of cement.

Adding biochar to concrete has a number of benefits, including:

Improved strength and durability: Biochar can improve the compressive and flexural strength of concrete, as well as its resistance to abrasion and cracking. This is because biochar particles fill the pores in concrete, making it denser and stronger.
Reduced permeability: Biochar can reduce the permeability of concrete, making it less likely to absorb water and other liquids. This can help to protect concrete from damage caused by moisture, such as corrosion and freeze-thaw cycles.
Increased fire resistance: Biochar can increase the fire resistance of concrete by acting as an insulator and absorbing heat. This can help to prevent concrete from cracking and spalling during a fire.
Reduced carbon footprint: Biochar is a carbon-negative material, meaning that it absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it produces during its production. Adding biochar to concrete can help to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry.
In addition to these benefits, adding biochar to concrete can also improve its thermal insulation properties and reduce its sound transmission.

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]]><![CDATA[Mach II Reactor]]>Tue, 23 May 2023 14:00:00 GMThttps://www.farmedcarbon.com/blog/mach-ii-reactorWatch Farmed Carbon Chief Engineer, Stuart Grover, discuss our second Mach II Pyrolysis Reactor.

]]><![CDATA[Carbon dioxide removal vs emissions avoidance: What's the difference?]]>Mon, 03 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMThttps://www.farmedcarbon.com/blog/carbon-dioxide-removal-vs-emissions-avoidance-whats-the-difference

Carbon Dioxide Removal (“CDR”) and emissions avoidance are both important strategies for combating climate change. However, there is a key difference between the two: CDR removes carbon dioxide that has already been emitted into the atmosphere, while emissions avoidance prevents carbon dioxide from being emitted in the first place.

Here is a more detailed breakdown of the two concepts:

Carbon Dioxide Removal

CDR is a broad term that encompasses a variety of technologies and methods for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Some common CDR techniques include:

Pyrolysis: Nature does a great job of removing CO2, unfortunately the vast majority of this quickly ends up back in the atmosphere either through burning or decomposition. Pyrolysis turns such carbon into a highly stable form that is sequestered for thousands of years.
Direct air capture (DAC): This technology uses fans to pull air into a machine that captures the carbon dioxide. The captured carbon dioxide can then be stored underground or used to make products.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS): This technology captures carbon dioxide from industrial emissions and stores it underground.
Afforestation and reforestation: Planting trees absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as long as the trees are not subsequently felled or burnt.

When assessing the merit of a CDR project it is critical to assess both Additionality and Permanence.

Additionality in CDR refers to the fact that the carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere would not have been removed otherwise. This is important because it ensures that CDR is actually reducing the total amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Permanence in CDR refers to the fact that the carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere is stored in a way that prevents it from being released back into the atmosphere. This is important because it ensures that CDR is actually achieving its goal of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the long term.

Emissions avoidance

Emissions avoidance refers to any action that prevents carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere in the first place. Some common emissions avoidance strategies include:

Switching to renewable energy sources: Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, do not produce carbon dioxide emissions.
Improving energy efficiency: Using energy more efficiently reduces the need to burn fossil fuels, which in turn reduces carbon dioxide emissions.
Reducing deforestation: Deforestation releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Reducing deforestation helps to keep carbon dioxide stored in trees.

Both CDR and emissions avoidance are important for combating climate change. In order to achieve net zero emissions, we will need to use a combination of both strategies.

Farmed Carbon plays in both spaces. It’s pyrolysis process permanently removes CO2, while its end products are used to able avoid further emissions e.g. enabling a reduction in the amount of cement required to make concrete or reducing the need for ammonium based fertilisers on farms.

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]]><![CDATA[What is Bio-Bitumen?]]>Thu, 02 Feb 2023 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.farmedcarbon.com/blog/what-is-bio-bitumen

Asphalt is used to make >95% of the world’s roads. Bitumen is a key ingredient in asphalt, it is the binder that holds together the various aggregates.

Bitumen is traditionally derived from crude oil. It is made by distilling crude oil to remove lighter fractions, such as gasoline and diesel. The remaining heavier fraction is bitumen. Bitumen is a globally traded commodity with its price inherently linked to the cost of a barrel of oil.

The cost of a ton of bitumen has risen from approx. US$160 in 2002 to US$900 in 2023. It has a carbon footprint of approx. 0.5 tonnes per ton of bitumen.

Bio-bitumen is a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil-fuel based bitumen. It produced during the pyrolysis of agricultural waste. Bio-bitumen can be used to make asphalt that is just as durable and long-lasting as asphalt made with traditional bitumen. In some cases, bio-bitumen asphalt can even be more durable and resistant to cracking and potholes. It is also far more environmentally friendly with one ton of Bio-bitumen sequestering approx. 1.5 tonnes of CO2 that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere.

]]><![CDATA[Mach I Reactor]]>Tue, 10 Jan 2023 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.farmedcarbon.com/blog/mach-i-reactorWatch Farmed Carbon Engineer, Chris Mullens, discuss our first Mach I Pyrolysis Reactor.

]]><![CDATA[What is Wood Vinegar?]]>Wed, 14 Dec 2022 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.farmedcarbon.com/blog/what-is-wood-vinegar

Wood Vinegar, also known as pyroligneous acid, is a liquid by-product of the pyrolysis process. It’s obtained by the slow burning of agricultural waste in an oxygen-limited environment, producing a dark liquid that consists of over 200 different organic compounds.

Wood Vinegar has been used in Japan for centuries for a variety of purposes, including agriculture, horticulture, and medicine. Wood Vinegar has become more widely utilised in recent years for reclaiming degraded soils, accelerating composting, enhancing soil fertility, limiting nitrogen loss and improving disease prevention and stress resistance.

Wood Vinegar has a wide range of benefits, including:

Improves soil health: Wood Vinegar can help to improve soil structure, drainage, and aeration. It also helps to increase the levels of beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Promotes plant growth: Wood Vinegar can help to promote plant growth by increasing the uptake of nutrients and water. It can also help to improve the resistance of plants to pests and diseases.
Repels pests: Wood Vinegar is a natural pest repellent. It can be used to control a variety of pests, including aphids, mites, and slugs.
Seed Germination: The exceptional re-growth seen after native bush fires is triggered by the compounds that are contained within wood vinegar.
Composting: Adding Wood Vinegar to the composting process increases the microbial activity helps speed up the process and reduce nitrogen gas losses for an improved product.
Animal Stockfeed: Wood Vinegar has shown benefits to chicken health and meat and egg production.
Deodorizes: Wood Vinegar is a natural deodorizer. It can be used to remove odours from compost bins, pet areas, and other areas.
Disinfectant: Wood Vinegar is a natural disinfectant. It can be used to clean and disinfect surfaces.

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]]><![CDATA[The story behind Farmed Carbon]]>Tue, 22 Nov 2022 13:00:00 GMThttps://www.farmedcarbon.com/blog/the-story-behind-farmed-carbon

The mission of Farmed Carbon is to remove 1 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Stuart and David previously worked together building and scaling one of Australia’s leading FinTech companies. They sold this business to a FTSE100 company in late 2021 so they could focus their attention on their passion of trying to build a company that can make a meaningful difference to climate change.

The first step was to found Climate Tech Labs – an ideas lab to identify and research different concepts. Assisted by Dylan Albrecht and Chris Mullen, numerous different solutions ranging from ocean afforestation to home automation were analysed. The criteria: the solution had to be commercially viable and it had to be capable of having a real and meaningful emissions reduction impact.

Eventually, pyrolysis was the technology decided upon. Pyrolysis involves heating an organic substance to a relatively high temperature in the absence of oxygen. The process ends with very stable forms of permanently sequestered carbon.

Pyrolysis is an old process dating back thousands of years. However, no one has yet been able to develop a mobile pyrolysis machine that can work at scale. The mobility of the machine is key as globally there are around 5-10 billion tonnes p.a. of agricultural waste that is either burnt or left to decompose. This releases billions of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. It is not physically or commercially viable to transport this waste to fixed plant, hence a mobile plant is required to travel to the farm to process the waste. This is what Farmed Carbon is developing; the world’s first commercially viable mobile pyrolysis machine.

The first target crop is rice. This was chosen given rice is a staple food for two thirds of the world’s population, it is the second most prevalent crop on the planet and yet over 95% of the post-harvest straw waste is burnt.

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