Agrinova - Biochar is a Technology Access Center affiliated with Alma College. The center is located in Mashteuiatsh in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. It is dedicated to supporting companies in research and innovation for the development of biochars and pyrolysis co-products from forest and agricultural residues. The products developed are mainly intended for agricultural, forestry and environmental applications.
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Régis Pilote Director - Industrial environment and bioproducts
Drafting of R&D projects on potential applications
Analysis of the level of behavior of the biomass to be valorized
Analysis of the pyrolysis process yields (biochar, bio-oil, syngas)
Study of the effect of operating conditions (temperature, residence time) on the yields and characteristics of the products
Characterization of biochars and co-products
Agronomic experimentation to demonstrate the safety and performance of products
Scale-up of products under pre-commercial conditions
Real-time analysis of operating conditions to ensure product consistency
Economic profitability analysis
Product life cycle analysis and carbon footprint
Writing of customized reports
Financing research
Bioengineering of biochars for potting soils and soil amendments
Optimization of bio-oils as plant biostimulants and bioherbicides
Previous Research Projects:
Agronomic experimentation of biochars resulting from the thermochemical conversion of forest biomass in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region using Biogreen® technology
Establishment of a multi-resource thermochemical conversion research center for the development and production of biochar and derived bioproducts for agricultural, forestry and industrial use
Knowledge transfer mission in Hungary and France for the production and valorization of biochars from the ÉTIA/VTGreen technology
Experimentation of agronomic applications of biochars resulting from the thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic materials
Production and characterization of white birch biochars
Potential for production of methane and bio-based alkanes from thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic materials
Development of biochars with a potential to reduce enteric methane emissions and improve the health of dairy cows
Support in identifying promising markets for the production of pyrolytic products from forest biomass
Realization of projects leading to business cases for products resulting from the thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic materials
Experimentation of the pyrolysis of forest residues with a view to developing high-energy pellet products
Experiment with a new wood vinegar obtained from pyrolysis of agricultural residues for weed control in crop cultures
Experimentation on CO2 capture with KOH modified biochar and performance evaluation in soil amendment applications
Experimentation of micronization for energy recovery from CRD wood (construction, renovation and demolition)
Trial of treatment of coffee residues in pods
Experimentation of pyrolysis on Biogreen technology for the recovery of coffee grounds
Operationalization of a thermochemical conversion center for the production of biochar and derived products
Study of the potential of biochar as a means of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in dairy production
Development of the biochar sector in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Strengthening the innovation capacity of the biochar production sector
Development of biostimulants from the thermochemical conversion of orphaned forest residues in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region for plant and horticultural production
Experimentation of pyrolysis of forest residues from landfills for the production of high value-added bio-oil
Sine Saloum communities committed to climate resilience: straw coal production component
Development and experimentation of liquid smoke for the smoking of cold cuts from bio-oils co-produced by the production of metallurgical biochar
Conditioning and pyrolysis of woody material for the production of biochars and their experimentation on a pre-commercial scale