The construction and operation of a pyrolysis plant to process up to 2700 tonnes of wood chips per year into biochar – a sustainable form of carbon-rich charcoal – has been green-lit in George Town, Tasmania.
This follows an assessment conducted by a delegate of the state’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
The pyrolysis plant, proposed by ferroalloy producer Liberty Bell Bay, will create biochar before densifying it by adding binders to produce 500 tonnes of densified biochar pellets for use in an industrial trial within the furnace at the Liberty Bell Manganese Smelter.
This will investigate the technical feasibility of biochar replacing coking coal as fuel.
The EPA delegate considered this proposal and its relevant issues before determining that it could be managed in an environmentally sustainable manner, with conditions imposed.
These include requirements such as only processing untreated wood and undertaking stack testing to validate atmospheric conditions.
The EPA’s delegate undertook assessment of Liberty Bell Bay’s proposal in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Principles in Section 74 of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994.
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