Biochar Carbon for Mining

Biochar: a cost-effective solution for mine site reclamation

Mining operations face significant environmental challenges including contaminant leaching and ecosystem recovery resulting in substantial reclamation costs and timelines. Mining companies are seeking ways to stay at the forefront of innovative mine site reclamation strategies.

 

Biochar provides an innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective solution for mine site reclamation. Incorporating biochar in the reclamation process helps mining companies reduce reclamation costs and liabilities, enhance environmental benefits, and strengthen community relations for more sustainable mine site recovery.

Why choose biochar for mine site reclamation?

 

Biochar is a proven, green reclamation practice endorsed by the U.S. EPA and ASTM International. It offers a transformative approach to mine site reclamation. Its unique properties address key challenges such as soil contamination, acid waste runoff, erosion control, and revegetation while delivering cost savings, environmental benefits, and improved community relations. By integrating biochar into their strategies, mining companies can reduce liabilities, align with global sustainability goals, and strengthen their bottom line and social license to operate.

Benefits

environmental, regulatory, and operational

Immobilize and sequester heavy metals

Biochar’s porous structure and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) effectively adsorb heavy metals, reducing bioavailability and limiting environmental contamination. The alkaline nature (pH ~10) of sustainable, enhanced wood-based biochar further limits metals bioavailability by increasing soil pH, enhancing immobilization and lowering reclamation costs.

Restore soil health and accelerate revegetation

Biochar neutralizes soil pH, enhances plant fertility, and improves water retention, enabling faster and more effective revegetation for reclamation efforts. Reducing plant mortality also lowers costs associated with replanting, monitoring, and contamination risks.

Enhance erosion control

When applied to soil, biochar improves soil structure, improves revegetation, and reduces overall erosion, minimizing risks of landslides, regulatory non-compliance, and the associated liability costs.

Reduce reclamation costs and bond requirements

Biochar’s effectiveness in lowering reclamation costs can significantly reduce the overall bond required for mining reclamation. This allows companies to free up capital at the outset of operations, improving financial flexibility and enabling earlier investments in mine site development.

Streamline permitting processes

Recognized as a best management practice for mining reclamation by the EPA, biochar application in reclamation plans could reduce permitting obstacles and timelines, enabling faster project approvals and smoother regulatory compliance.

Benefits

cost saving

Saving millions over the course of closure

By incorporating Biochar, mining companies can compress reclamation timelines and achieve cost savings of 15% or more in total reclamation costs. For a particular mine site reclamation project, this equates to $215 million in cost savings over the course of reclamation activities.

50% more cost-effective than Activated Carbon

Up to 50% more cost-effective than activated carbon, Myno Carbon Pure Biochar delivers enhanced performance at a significantly lower cost.

Operational cost savings

Biochar significantly reduces reclamation costs by enhancing soil health, accelerating revegetation, minimizing erosion, and expediting contaminant removal, resulting in up to 50% in cost savings in replanting, slope stabilization, and maintenance efforts.

Benefits

social responsibility and sustainability

Rapid site recovery

Biochar accelerates reclamation timelines, cutting long-term monitoring costs.

Permanently remove carbon

For every 1 kg of biochar produced, 2 kg of CO2 equivalent are sequestered. Biochar application at mine sites permanently removes carbon and mitigates the impact of climate change.

Strengthening social license to operate

Rapid reclamation and improved environmental outcomes create goodwill among community stakeholders. Demonstrating a commitment to sustainable practices reinforces a company’s ESG credentials and supports ongoing operations.

Proactively mitigate environmental liabilities

Biochar application enhances reclamation efforts by reducing the bioavailability of hazardous metals. Its use accelerates reclamation efforts and reduces legal liabilities and regulatory challenges.

Lower carbon intensity of operations

Biochar is a carbon-negative solution that permanently removes carbon. Its application in reclamation efforts supports broader sustainability objectives and reduces the carbon footprint of mining operations. Companies can also benefit from lessened carbon tax obligations and increased carbon credit opportunities by adopting biochar solutions.

Biochar application opportunities at mine sites

 

  • Applied directly to original or new topsoil for reclamation efforts
  • Applied directly to tailings in granular or powdered form
  • Mixed with compost and seeds for revegetation purposes
  • Replace/augment liming agents to increase the pH of acid waste
  • Contained within porous booms
  • Placed in areas of acid mine drainage and runoff

Research & case studies

Research and projects showcasing the role of biochar in mine site reclamation.

Image shows the mine surface runoff from a plot with and without biochar amended into the soil. The plot to the right was amended with biochar and shows a cleaner surface runoff.

Grizzly Creek
Hydraulic Mining Site Reclamation Project

hope-mine-comp

Hope
Mine Site
Reclamation Project

formosa-mine-rem

Formosa
Mine Site
Reclamation Project

salt-chuck-mine-1

Salt Chuck Mine
Intertidal Sediment
Reclamation

Myno Carbon Pure is a specialized biochar designed to tackle water and soil contamination, offering a sustainable and highly effective solution for environmental reclamation. All our biochar products are produced from sustainably sourced, clean wood waste. The feedstock is pyrolyzed at ~900°C, ensuring a carbon content of 83-89%.

MYNO Carbon Pure Granular Biochar

A sustainable and eco-friendly solution for reclamation applications, Carbon Pure Granular biochar is exceptional at adsorbing and immobilizing contaminants, due to its porous structure and high surface area, providing long-term stability and effectiveness for your projects.

Applications: detention vaults and infiltration ponds for stormwater, soil reclamation, sediment reclamation, mine site reclamation

MYNO Carbon Pure Micronized Biochar

Our premium Dry Micronized Carbon Pure is a finely ground biochar, designed to provide even greater surface area and reactivity, making it ideal for a variety of applications in environmental reclamation.

Applications: detention vaults and infiltration ponds for stormwater, soil reclamation, sediment reclamation, mine site reclamation