UK Biochar Research Centre

Our School hosts the UK Biochar Research Centre, which leads strategic, multidisciplinary investigations of biochar and provides a range of research and advice to relevant government bodies and companies.

The UK Biochar Research Centre (UKBRC) is a world-class facility located in the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with Newcastle University and Rothamsted Research.

Biochar is a specially designed charcoal which offers a bright future for organic resource management, soil improvement and energy production. It contains a high proportion of extremely stable carbon, and so sustainable production of biochar can be a significant, viable Negative Emissions Technology for mitigating human-induced climate change.

We undertake disciplinary and interdisciplinary research on:

  • biochar production and analysis of energy-rich co-products
  • the diverse potential applications of biochar; particularly as a beneficial soil amendment, as well as other uses
  • the feasible development of Pyrolysis-Biochar systems and Life Cycle Assessments for sustainable resource management.

We engage with relevant governmental bodies, non-government organisations, communities, and the research community through our work.  We also provide a range of research and advice to companies interested in biochar internationally.

Our Centre is also a partner in the Scottish Biofuel Programme. Our partnership means that UKBRC can provide free initial advice, expertise to SMEs in Scotland with the potential to integrate biochar with energy capture from pyrolysis and coupled technologies.

Contact and location

Contact

Professor Ondrej Masekondrej.masek@ed.ac.ukChair of Net Zero Emission Technologies

View Professor Masek's full research profile

For more information or to access our facility resources, we encourage you to visit our UK Biochar Research Centre website for more details.

Location

Address: Crew Building, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Alexander Crum Brown Road Edinburgh EH9 3FF

Please note that parking on campus is strictly by permit only, and parking spaces are subject to availability. Commercial and external users should contact our staff about parking arrangements.

Access and costs

For the wider University and all external users:

Please contact the facility to discuss availability, as well as analytical requirements and charging information.  

For staff and students in the School of GeoSciences:

Pricing and access to the facility must be completed through a job request form, which can be found on the Biochar Research Centre intranet page.

UK Biochar Research Centre (UKBRC) website

We encourage you to visit our UK Biochar Research Centre website for more details, including:

  • research and projects
  • production and assessment information
  • publications
  • links to resources, news and events

Our biochar facilities

Using our small, medium and large pyrolysis units in the biochar labs, we aim to understand how production conditions affect:

  • biochar carbon stability
  • the suitability of biochars for enhancing soil processes
  • the composition and properties of the gaseous and liquid products of pyrolysis

Our ongoing strategy for bespoke biochar production research consists of three stages:

Stage 1Is a lab-scale batch pyrolysis unit capable of producing up to 30 g of biochar per batch. The unit can operate either in a fixed bed or fluidised bed mode and allows us to control precisely the key operating parameters (temperature, heating rate, residence time etc.) and monitor and record its performance.
Stage 2Is a continuous bench-scale pyrolysis unit. It can produce up to 2 kg of biochar per hour. This unit also allows precise control of the operating conditions and is flexible in terms of feedstock and throughput.
Stage 3Is a pilot-scale slow pyrolysis unit capable of producing up to 20 kg of biochar per hour in a continuous mode and housed in a purpose-built, dedicated new building. Due to its multi-zone electric heating, the unit allows for excellent control of the production temperature and heating rate even at this relatively large scale and is crucial for our efforts in scaling up bespoke biochar production.

Small Research Facility (SRF)

This facility is operated as a Small Research Facility (SRF).

A Small Research Facility (SRF) is a facility or service provided by the School and used for research and teaching. They are also available for use by the wider community such as external academic or commercial use. Our SRF's are available for hire or on a consultancy basis. These charges are recognised by grant funders and can therefore form part of a grant submission.


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