As a special material with multiple advantages, biochar has shown great application potential in many fields. Biochar under the European Biochar Certificate (EBC) standard plays a unique role in various fields with its diverse categories, wide applications and strict quality control. Producing biochar that meets the EBC standard can not only ensure the quality and safety of biochar, but also promote the standardization of the biochar industry. Thus, this meets the needs of different industries for high-quality biochar. Next, let’s take a deeper look at the types of biochar that meet the EBC standard and their application advantages.
Categories of Biochar Compliant with EBC Standard
Animal Feed Sector: EBC-FeedPlus and EBC-Feed
EBC-FeedPlus and EBC-Feed are biochar categories designed exclusively for animal feed additives. Only pure plant biomass is permitted. Chemical additives, pollutants, or any materials with contamination risk (e.g., chemically treated wood or paper sludge) are strictly excluded.
- EBC-FeedPlus: EBC-FeedPlus complies with all relevant EU and EFTA regulations for animal husbandry and agricultural soil applications. Thus, it functions as a high-quality feed additive that supports digestive health and improves feed conversion. It can also be used for soil amendment, composting, anaerobic digestion, and fertilizer production, offering broad support for sustainable agriculture.
- EBC-Feed: EBC-Feed meets EU feed regulations but does not satisfy certain stricter EU fertilizer product standards. Therefore, its primary use is as an animal feed additive to safeguard animal health. In all applications, users must adhere strictly to the applicable regulations to ensure safe use.
Agricultural Soil Sector: EBC-Agro and EBC-AgroOrganic
EBC-Agro and EBC-AgroOrganic play key roles in soil improvement. They meet all requirements of the EU’s new Fertilising Products Regulation.
- EBC-Agro: EBC-Agro is approved for agricultural use in several EU countries (e.g., Austria, Sweden, Hungary). These approvals allow its export to and use in other EU member states. It improves soil structure, boosts fertility, and enhances water and nutrient retention. Thus, it creates an optimal environment for crop growth.
- EBC-AgroOrganic: EBC-AgroOrganic meets both EU fertiliser regulations and EU organic production standards. In organic farming, it serves as an ideal soil conditioner. It helps maintain soil ecological balance, promotes healthy organic crop development, and ensures the quality and yield of organic produce.
Urban Construction Sector: EBC-Urban
EBC-Urban supports urban tree planting, park upkeep, streetscape beautification, ornamental plant cultivation, and stormwater drainage and filtration.
- Pollutant Control: Urban soils and waters often contain PAHs and other contaminants. EBC-Urban biochar has strong adsorption capacity for these pollutants. Using it can markedly reduce pollutant levels in city soils and water bodies, lowering risks to urban ecosystems and public health.
- Safety Assurance: Producers tightly control all parameters during production and application to prevent harm to the environment or human health. EBC-Urban offers a safe, effective material choice for urban development, supporting greener, more livable cities.
Daily Consumer Sector: EBC-ConsumerMaterials
EBC-ConsumerMaterials covers biochar intended for direct skin contact or use in food-grade items—such as disposable coffee cups, plastic computer casings, toothbrushes, carpets, textiles, flower pots, and freshwater pipes—excluding medical, healthcare, or food products.
- Quality Assurance: Production follows strict quality controls. All biochar parameters are tightly specified, with rigorous limits on potential pollutants. Therefore, producers ensure that the use of biochar doesn’t release harmful substances, giving consumers confidence in product safety.
- Performance Enhancement: Beyond safety, it can impart special functions. For example, textiles incorporating EBC-ConsumerMaterials biochar may offer superior odor adsorption. In horticultural products, it also can improve soil aeration and water retention, enhancing overall user experience.
Basic Industrial Sector: EBC-BasicMaterials
EBC-BasicMaterials is the foundational certification category that defines the basic standards for biochar. It finds wide use in construction materials, road-building asphalt, electronics, wastewater drainage pipes, and composite products (e.g., skis, boats, cars, rockets).
- Sustainable Production: Producers apply rigorous sustainability criteria to EBC-BasicMaterials biochar from feedstock selection through pyrolysis control. This minimizes environmental impacts and supplies industry with a truly sustainable raw material.
- Usage Guidelines: Handling, storage, and labeling of EBC-BasicMaterials biochar follow strict rules. Producers must ensure its use poses no risk to the environment or end-users, safeguarding industrial processes and product safety.
EBC Standard Biochar Parameters
Biochar equipment with different process standards have different parameters for producing biochar. The various parameters of biochar are key indicators to measure whether it meets EBC standard. Different certification categories of biochar have different parameter requirements, as follows:
| Certification Category | H/Corg Ratio | Heavy Metals (mg/kg DM, unless otherwise specified) | Organic Pollutants (mg/kg DM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EBC – FeedPlus | <0.4 | Pb: 10 (88% DM); Cd: 0.8 (88% DM); Cu: 70; Ni: 25; | 16 EPA PAH: 6.0±2.4; 8 EFSA PAH: 1.0; |
| Hg: 0.1 (88% DM); Zn: 200; Cr: 70; As: 2 (88% DM); | Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[j]fluoranthene: both < 1.0 | ||
| EBC – Feed | <0.4 | Pb: 10 (88% DM); Cd: 0.8 (88% DM); Cu: 70; Ni: 25; | 16 EPA PAH: Declared by CSI; 8 EFSA PAH: 1.0; |
| Hg: 0.1 (88% DM); Zn: 200; Cr: 70; As: 2 (88% DM); | Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[j]fluoranthene: both < 1.0 | ||
| EBC – AgroOrganic | <0.7 | Pb: 45; Cd: 0.7; Cu: 70; Ni: 25; | 16 EPA PAH: 6.0±2.4; 8 EFSA PAH: 1.0; |
| Hg: 0.4; Zn: 200; Cr: 70; As: 13; | Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[j]fluoranthene: both < 1.0 | ||
| EBC – Agro | <0.7 | Pb: 120; Cd: 1.5; Cu: 100; Ni: 50; | 16 EPA PAH: 6.0±2.4; 8 EFSA PAH: 1.0; |
| Hg: 1; Zn: 400; Cr: 90; As: 13; | Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[j]fluoranthene: both < 1.0 | ||
| EBC – Urban | <0.7 | Pb: 120; Cd: 1.5; Cu: 100; Ni: 50; | 16 EPA PAH: Declared by CSI; 8 EFSA PAH: 1.0; |
| Hg: 1; Zn: 400; Cr: 90; As: 13; | Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[j]fluoranthene: both < 1.0 | ||
| EBC – Consumer Materials | <0.7 | Pb: 120; Cd: 1.5; Cu: 100; Ni: 50; | 16 EPA PAH: Declared by CSI; 8 EFSA PAH: 4.0; |
| Hg: 1; Zn: 400; Cr: 90; As: 13; | Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[j]fluoranthene: both < 1.0 | ||
| EBC – Basic Materials | <0.7 | No declared limit | 16 EPA PAH: Declared by CSI; 8 EFSA PAH: 4.0; |
| Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[j]fluoranthene: both < 1.0 |
Note: “CSI declaration” refers to the submission of relevant parameters to Carbon Standards International, which evaluates the biochar’s quality and determines its compliance with certification standards based on the submitted data.
EBC Standard Biochar Production Considerations
Biomass Feedstock Selection and Treatment
Feedstock Type Restrictions
Biochar production must use biomass only. Fossil carbon is strictly prohibited. The EBC positive list specifies allowed feedstock types for each application category.
- For soil and agricultural applications, feedstock must be free of paint residues, solvents, or other toxic impurities.
- For feed-grade biochar, only pure plant biomass is allowed—e.g., untreated wood logs or crop residues. Mineral additives are forbidden.
- For consumer and industrial materials, up to 10% plastic or rubber content is permitted, but must be declared and receive written approval from Carbon Standards International (CSI).
Sustainability Requirements
When using primary agricultural products, their cultivation must follow sustainable practices that protect soil organic carbon.
- Wood from forests must be certified by PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), or meet equivalent regional standards or legal requirements for sustainable management.
- Bio-solids or animal by-products must undergo specified pyrolysis temperatures and residence times to eliminate biological hazards and trace contaminants.
Pyrolysis Process Standards and Requirements
Energy Use Standards
Gas Treatment Requirements
Energy & Carbon Efficiency
Energy Use Standards
- Apart from necessary pre-heating, no fossil fuels may be used to heat the biochar pyrolysis reactor.
- EBC encourages using waste heat from other industrial processes (e.g., biogas digesters or cement plants) or renewable sources such as solar energy.
- If electric heating is chosen, it should be powered by renewables or surplus grid electricity. This reduces reliance on fossil fuels and cuts carbon emissions.
Gas Treatment Requirements
- Never vent pyrolysis gases directly to the atmosphere, recover or combust them instead.
- Captured gases may be cleanly burned for energy recovery or refined into bio-oil for chemical applications. This minimizes pollution and promotes circular energy use.
- Syngas combustion must meet national emission limits. Producers are responsible for ensuring their facilities comply with all regulations. An annual, government-approved emission test is recommended to verify ongoing compliance.
Energy and Carbon Efficiency Metrics
- Typically, 35–60% of a feedstock’s energy transfers into pyrolysis gas. Burn a portion of the gas to sustain the reactor’s heat needs.
- Use at least 70% of any surplus heat—for example, to dry incoming biomass, power district heating, or generate electricity.
- New pyrolysis plants may request a temporary exemption (up to three years) if unforeseen issues delay full heat-recovery implementation. During this period, they must actively develop and deploy an effective waste-heat recovery solution.
Closing Remarks
Biochar’s exceptional performance across agriculture, environmental protection, and industry is making it a key driver of sustainable development. As global focus on sustainability intensifies, the biochar market outlook has never been brighter. If you’re looking to gain an edge in biochar and access cutting-edge production solutions, please feel free to contact Beston Group. We offer a professional team and advanced technologies. We look forward to partnering with you in this high-potential field to build a sustainable future together.