Biochar: a cost-effective solution for mine site reclamation and remediation
Historically, mining operations have often left behind significant environmental challenges. Contaminant leaching poses ongoing risks, leading to damaged ecosystems, threatened water supplies, and substantial liabilities for mining companies. Cleaning up these sites is not only imperative for environmental health but also a major financial burden.
Biochar offers an innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective solution to these challenges, transforming mine site remediation into a more sustainable and economically viable process.
More about biochar
Why choose biochar for mine site reclamation and remediation?
Biochar is a proven, green remediation practice endorsed by the U.S. EPA and ASTM International, offering a transformative approach to mine site reclamation. Its unique properties address key challenges such as soil contamination, acidic 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 enhance both their bottom line and public image.
environmental, regulatory, and operational
Immobilize and sequester heavy metals
Biochar’s highly porous structure and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) allow it to effectively adsorb heavy metals, reducing their bioavailability, limiting environmental contamination and human exposure. The ability to efficiently immobilize contaminants reduces total site remediation and compliance 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.
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.
cost-savings and sustainability
Rapid site recovery
Biochar accelerates reclamation timelines, cutting long-term monitoring and remediation costs.
Operational cost savings
Compared to traditional methods like soil washing or activated carbon, biochar significantly reduces the total cost of remediation efforts. Its ability to adsorb heavy metals and other co-occurring contaminants further decreases the need for expensive chemical treatments and shortens the reclamation timeline, reducing closure costs for mining companies.
Proactive environmental liabilities mitigation
Biochar reduces the bioavailability of hazardous metals, speeding up reclamation efforts and reducing legal liabilities and regulatory challenges. For example, treating tailings piles with biochar during active mining enhances stability and limits contaminant risks, even in cases like a catastrophic dam failure.
Lower carbon intensity of operations
Biochar is a carbon-negative solution that permanently sequesters carbon. Its application in remediation efforts supports broader sustainability objectives and reduces the carbon footprint of mining operations.
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.
Biochar application opportunities at mine sites
- 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 waste runoff
Research and projects showcasing the role of biochar in mine site remediation.
Myno Carbon Pure is a specialized biochar designed to tackle water and soil contamination, offering a sustainable and highly effective solution for environmental remediation. 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 Granulated Biochar
A sustainable and eco-friendly solution for remediation applications, Carbon Pure Granulated 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 remediation, sediment remediation, mine site reclamation
Pure Granulated Biochar
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 remediation.
Applications: detention vaults and infiltration ponds for stormwater, soil remediation, sediment remediation, mine site reclamation
Pure Micronized Biochar
