Icon Carbon produces plant‑based biochar from locally sourced waste wood using continuous‑feed pyrolysis. The certified, low‑contaminant biochar improves soil water retention and nutrient efficiency, reducing irrigation and fertilizer needs for farmers, horticulturists, livestock feed producers, biogas operators, and construction material manufacturers. Optional waste‑heat recovery can supply thermal energy to district heating or power generation.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Agricultural and horticultural soils often suffer from low water‑holding capacity and nutrient inefficiency, leading to excessive irrigation and fertilizer use. Simultaneously, untreated waste wood and other regional biomass generate disposal challenges and release carbon dioxide when burned or left to decompose.
Solution
Icon Carbon produces and distributes high‑quality plant‑based biochar (Pflanzenkohle) derived from locally sourced waste wood and other biomass through controlled pyrolysis. The resulting carbon‑negative material acts as a porous soil amendment that retains moisture, adsorbs nutrients, and provides a stable habitat for beneficial microbes, thereby reducing irrigation and fertilizer demand. By operating a regional supply chain and planning its own pyrolysis facility, the company ensures consistent feedstock quality and low transportation emissions. Certified by the European Biochar Certificate, the biochar meets strict limits on contaminants, making it suitable for agricultural, livestock, biogas, and construction applications. Integrated heat recovery options allow excess thermal energy from the pyrolysis process to be fed into district heating or electricity generation, further enhancing the circular‑economy profile.
Target Audience
Primary customers include commercial farmers, horticultural enterprises, livestock feed producers, biogas plant operators, and construction material manufacturers seeking a certified, low‑impact soil amendment or additive.
Features
- Continuous‑feed pyrolysis reactor operating under oxygen‑deficient conditions to convert untreated wood and knot wood into >80 % carbon‑rich biochar
- Porous, high‑surface‑area structure that improves soil water retention by up to 30 % and reduces nutrient leaching
- Certified low‑contaminant product (European Biochar Certificate) with documented H/C and O/C ratios, PAH limits, and heavy‑metal screening
- Multi‑sector applicability: soil conditioner for crops, feed additive for livestock, biogas process stabilizer, and additive for concrete or bio‑filter media
- Regional sourcing and logistics network in Northern Germany to minimize transport distance and carbon footprint
- Real‑time process monitoring and daily laboratory analysis to guarantee batch‑to‑batch consistency
- Optional waste‑heat recovery system that can supply thermal energy to local heating grids or on‑site power generation