Collaboration must be the cornerstone of biochar’s future as a sustainable building material, writes Dr Mehreen Saleem Gul, assistant professor in architectural engineering at Heriot-Watt University
In the face of pressing environmental targets, the construction industry is continuously seeking innovative solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. One promising material that has caught the attention of researchers and industry professionals alike is biochar.
This charcoal-like substance, typically used as a soil enhancer, is now being explored for its potential to revolutionise sustainable construction practices.
However, the journey from laboratory experiments to widespread industry adoption is complex, requiring an interdisciplinary and highly collaborative effort that spans academia, industry, and policymakers.
Biochar, produced by heating organic biomass from food, sewage, paper, agricultural and forestry waste in the presence of little or no oxygen, has shown remarkable potential as a building material.
Small-scale studies have demonstrated its effectiveness as an additive in concrete, bricks, plaster and insulation. Its excellent insulation properties, ability to improve air quality and regulate humidity make it an attractive option for sustainable construction.
It also allows buildings to act as “carbon sinks” – taking up more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases thereby contributing towards the zero carbon goals.
Perhaps most crucially, biochar locks in carbon from organic materials that would otherwise decompose and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Every tonne of biochar used in a building can store up to three tonnes of CO2 and prevent it from re-entering the atmosphere.
Given that the global construction sector accounts for nearly 40% of all energy-related carbon emissions, the ability to utilise this material could be transformative.
The need for comprehensive research
However, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of biochar’s performance and its full potential remains underexploited. This is where interdisciplinary collaboration becomes essential.
At Heriot-Watt University, we are about to launch a two-year study funded by the UK Research & Innovation which aims to bridge this knowledge gap.
The team includes experts in social science, civil engineering and building physics from Aston University, the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University.
The input of partner organisations, who form the project advisory board, is crucial in developing solutions. These include: the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), ecoLocked, Enchar, Scottish Forestry, Energy Technology Partnership, Stirling Developments and Carbonfuture based in Germany.
We will advance current understandings of the physical and mechanical properties of various biochar cementitious composites for building applications to generate new knowledge on energy/carbon saving metrics for different building archetypes through a multistakeholder approach.
The central aim being to co-create research outcomes that are not only scientifically robust but also practically applicable and industry-relevant.
Industry involvement: A critical component of biochar’s success
The success of biochar as a construction material hinges on its acceptance and adoption by the industry. To this end, our research team is actively engaging with sector stakeholders, including those within the construction supply chain, developers, suppliers, and material manufacturers.
Through industry events we will gauge the sector’s preferences, concerns and desired features for biochar products. This feedback will directly inform the creation of materials for testing, ensuring that the research remains aligned with industry needs and expectations.
Through this collaborative process, several critical challenges will be identified including the route to commercialisation. We will consult with government organisations, officials, policymakers, energy ministers and the Department for Energy Security on technology readiness, cost, social acceptability, voluntary carbon market and how regulations can be more flexible when it comes to new construction materials.
The key focus will be on how the product certification innovations route to market can be accelerated and how processes can be made more efficient.
Other potential issues include the logistics of biochar production, such as the location of pyrolysis plants and the nearby availability of sufficient organic stock. These challenges highlight the need for a holistic approach that considers not just the material properties of biochar, but also the broader implications of its production and use in industry settings.
Our framework will better enable industry to adopt biochar materials
We will create a final framework containing indicators that lead to the optimal biochar makeup for different building materials.
By providing an evidence base for adopting biochar within building projects, we aim to contribute significantly to carbon reductions, helping the government meet net zero emission targets and providing reassurance to industry and the wider public about its use.
The interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder approach being employed here could be applied to other promising materials, accelerating the pace of innovation in the construction industry.
As the sector continues to grapple with the challenge of reducing its environmental impact, such collaborative efforts will be crucial. The case of biochar demonstrates that when academia, industry and policymakers work together, we can build a more sustainable future – quite literally from the ground up.
For anyone wishing to collaborate or attend project events, please contact me on m.gul@hw.ac.uk
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