After several months of manufacturing, transportation, and on-site installation, BST-50S biochar production equipment has successfully completed commissioning. It marks a crucial milestone for this U.S.-based carbon removal project. What challenges did the customer encounter along the way? How was the project designed to turn agricultural residues into lasting climate value? And what results have been achieved so far? Let’s take a closer look at this milestone project in the U.S.
Project Background
Our customer, the initiator of this project, keenly recognized the potential of biochar as a reliable carbon removal pathway. By identifying almond shells as a valuable feedstock, the US customer saw an opportunity to move beyond low-value applications such as fuel or bulk sales. Their vision was to establish a biochar carbon removal project that converts waste into a durable carbon sink while creating certified carbon removal credits.
Challenges Faced
The US customer faced significant challenges with low-value utilization of almond shells. Traditional outlets, including raw sales or direct combustion, neither generated meaningful revenue nor aligned with the customer’s sustainability goals.
At the same time, the customer aimed to:
- Find a scalable technological solution to process almond shells efficiently.
- Establish a credible project model that could pass international carbon credit assessments.
- Unlock new commercial opportunities by entering the carbon removal market.
Goal for Change
The project set out with two clear goals with pyrolysis machine for biochar:
- Resource Conversion: The goal was to process almond shells into biochar. This is a stable material. And it enhances soil value while also serving as a long-term carbon storage medium.
- Carbon Credit Certification: The goal was to launch a certified biochar carbon removal project. And this would enable the generation and trade of verified credits on recognized platforms.
These objectives positioned the project at the intersection of resource utilization and climate innovation.
Action and Solution
To turn this vision into reality, the customer chose Beston Group’s BST-50S biochar production equipment. And it was supported by a tailored configuration plan. The solution included:
- Equipment Deployment: BST-50S was selected for its large processing capacity, operational reliability, and adaptability to almond shells.
- Certification Pathway: The project applied for certification with puro.earth, a leading global platform for carbon removal credit validation.
- Technical Support: Beston’s engineering team provided full technical documentation and detailed operational data. As a result, the evaluation process moved forward smoothly.
This integrated approach enabled the US customer to move from concept to validated carbon removal project.
Results Achieved
The commissioning of the equipment represents a major milestone:
- Annual Production Capacity: 6,000 tons of biochar
- Carbon Removal Potential: 12,000 tons of CO₂ stored annually
- Certification Progress: The project has been preliminarily assessed by puro.earth. And now, it is ready for further certification as operational data builds up.
With commissioning complete, the project is ready to transition into stable operation and carbon credit generation.
Future Targets
Looking ahead, the US customers plans to expand both equipment and project capacity. Once the current system runs steadily, the target is 30,000 tons of biochar per year. With this scale-up, carbon removal volumes will rise sharply. As a result, the project will deliver greater environmental benefits and create a model that other enterprises can replicate for sustainable growth.
