To achieve his ambitious goal of converting a waste product into a valuable resource that is also a climate solution, Kevin Smith has had to tackle head on many technical and business-related challenges, while not being concerned with getting dirty in the process. Beginning in July 2024, his start-up company, called SilvaChar Environmental Inc., has been producing biochar, a beneficial soil additive that also sequesters carbon for centuries.

Every year, approximately five million tons of forest slash is burned in B.C., releasing a massive amount of carbon into the atmosphere that represents nine percent of the province’s yearly greenhouse gas output.  Diverting this waste into pellets or hog fuel can reduce the amount of oil and gas used for heat or power, but the carbon still ends up in the atmosphere. Turning this waste into biochar instead will capture and store carbon, increase crop yields, reduce water and fertilizer use, as well as help solve problems, including excess phosphorus polluting waterways and causing algae blooms.

While biochar production is a relatively new global industry, the process is ancient, given that it is similar to how charcoal has been made since the early days of civilization. Its use for agriculture can also be traced back to the “terra preta” used long ago by indigenous Amazonians to prevent nutrient leaching in their very wet soil. As Kevin explains, raw biochar is like “an empty battery” that needs to be charged with nutrients before it can benefit crops. Charging can be done several ways, such as mixing it with urine, compost or manure.

After 12 years of research, Kevin along with his family’s company, Silvatech Consulting Ltd., partnered with an already established biochar company called Takachar to develop their operation. In 2022 Takachar was awarded Prince William’s prestigious Earthshot Environment Prize for creating a new, portable process that converts agricultural waste in India into both biochar and a cleaner burning charcoal, thus helping improve air quality. Kevin used his technical expertise to design a system needed to utilize a Takachar pyrolysis reactor for producing biochar from wood waste in Canada.

Initially, they set the portable reactor in a forest cutblock, where a massive hammer mill grinder was used to convert the wood waste into a hog fuel feedstock. The charring process, called pyrolysis, partially burns the material at a high temperature with limited oxygen to minimize combustion before it is doused with water and then spread out to cool. To minimize transportation costs, the operation was moved to Deep Creek, where they have converted farm buildings for grinding, sifting, storing and packaging the product.

It does not take long for a grinder to produce the feedstock needed, as it can produce 20 tons per hour, and in a few weeks a grinder can produce enough material to supply the SilvaChar operation for a year. Then it only takes one week to truck a year’s worth of material to the farm where it is stored under cover.

The SilvaChar plant is run by Kevin and three employees, including two who are co-op students from Takachar, and it is partially funded with carbon-credit income. Companies purchase these credits to offset their carbon output, and this system is run by various international certifying organizations. Kevin must keep track of the operation’s carbon emissions from its use of diesel, electricity and propane, which is then subtracted from the amount of carbon sequestered by the biochar.

Inside a barn, the operation uses agricultural equipment, including an auger and sieves that Kevin re-configured to grind and then separate the product into three sizes. The finest is used for golf greens, lawns and houseplants, the medium size is used for topsoil and gardens and the coarse is applied to fields and orchards. The packaging machine loads the biochar into compostable paper bags, re-usable pails or 1 cubic metre bags that are moved with a skid steer. Since biochar can also be utilized for making concrete and asphalt, one day SilvaChar’s product may also be used for local road paving and building foundations.

SilvaChar is now available to purchase at Nico’s Nuseryland, Green Farms Nursery and online at silvachar.ca. Kevin has also been reaching out to the farmers and golf courses, who can use the biochar to reduce leaching, nutrient loss and water use, as well as increase yields and improve greens. For Earthday in April, Bastion Elementary and perhaps other schools will be selling SilvaChar to help offset the school’s carbon emissions. Kevin’s long-term version is to provide an alternative to burning wood waste at a provincial level and help B.C. meet its Net Zero carbon emissions goal by 2050 while providing a key soil amendment to boost food production.

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From SilvaChar’s website:

Silvachar’s Biochar improves soil structure, increases nutrient retention, enhances water holding capacity, and promotes beneficial microbial activity, all of which contribute to healthier plant growth. For your garden, aim to incorporate biochar at a rate of 5 to 10% of your rooting zone soil volume. We recommend starting with half litter per square meter. Once you apply Silvachar’s Biochar to your garden or house plants, it remains in the soil indefinitely, as it is a stable form of carbon. However, if you add more soil or till the existing soil, the Biochar may sink below the root zone, where it won’t be as effective for your plants. In such cases, you should consider adding more Biochar to ensure it remains within the root zone, promoting healthy growth.

While Biochar is generally safe, it can alter your soil’s pH, making it more alkaline, so it’s advisable to test the pH before and after application. Additionally, over-applying Biochar can disrupt soil balance, so always follow the recommended application rates. Biochar can be beneficial in various soil types, including sandy, clay, and loamy soils. It helps improve drainage in heavy soils and enhances moisture retention in lighter soils. Biochar is safe for use with edible plants. It is a natural product that enhances soil health without introducing harmful substances.