Technical carbon is a high-performance and valuable raw material that can be used in a variety of industrial applications. Carbon is considered harmless, is chemically stable and can be reintegrated into the material cycle after its service life. Harmful components (toxic compounds, microplastics, etc.) are safely removed during production. Carbon is produced during the thermochemical conversion of biogenic waste streams in the so-called pyrolysis process.

Instead of incinerating biogenic waste streams or leaving them to rot, they are pyrolyzed in the pyrolysis process under low-oxygen conditions at temperatures between 220 and 700°C. This produces energy in the form of heat and electricity. In addition to energy in the form of heat and electricity, this produces a solid solid, biochar. This consists mainly of technical carbon, the basis of our applications. The carbon varies in structure and composition, depending on the residual material streams used and the process parameters of the respective plants.

The pyrolysis process is a market-ready technology that is already available today, can be scaled up quickly and is also energy self-sufficient. 

The production and incorporation of biochar (also known as "Pyrogenic Carbon Capture and Storage - PyCCS") is currently one of the most advanced negative emission technologies (NET) and can also help to support the introduction of other NETs through synergies.

Thanks to CarStorCon® technology, the technical carbon becomes part of the product matrix and can therefore be recycled again at the end of its life. This means that for every new building, a significantly CO2-reduced or even climate-positive building material can be produced again using the recyclate and a further admixture of Clim@Add®.

98% of the CO₂ emissions caused by concrete processing come from cement production. Worldwide, the cement industry is responsible for around 8% of the CO2 emitted. In Germany, the proportion is around 3%.

Every kilogram of cement that can be saved in concrete is therefore a contribution to the climate. By adding our aggregate, up to 15% of cement can be saved. Added to this is the carbon sink achieved through negative emissions technology. For every kilogram of Clim@Add® used, around 3 kilograms of CO2 are permanently removed from the cycle.

In addition, the solution represents a higher-value utilization stage compared to incineration in accordance with the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act.

Act locally - protect the climate globally

Local sourcing and short transportation routes also play a role in the sustainability balance of this innovative building material. The technical carbon is based on a regionally produced basic raw material. The additive is added for functionalization and the projects are implemented with local building material manufacturers. We work with regional waste recyclers and disposal companies, energy suppliers and pyrolysis plant operators and close local recycling loops.

We are currently working on the assumption that lignin-containing waste streams are the most suitable. At present, we primarily use forest residues certified as sustainable according to FSC standards. Tests with other residual material streams are ongoing.

Without carbon, there would be no life on earth! Around 90 percent of all known compounds are carbon compounds. Our material is non-toxic. The biochar we use is EBC certified. The European Biochar Certificate is a voluntary industry standard in Europe that aims to ensure the sustainable production of biochar and give producers the opportunity to provide users and authorities with a verifiable guarantee of biochar quality. https://www.european-biochar.org/de/ 

The power plants differ from conventional biomass cogeneration plants in that they make maximum use of the residual material flow. Conventional biomass cogeneration plants have a very low efficiency, as they release almost all of the CO2 back into the environment and the solid combustion residues have to be disposed of in landfill sites.

The reverse power plant is fed with residual forest wood from sustainably managed forests. In addition to biochar, various energy sources such as electricity, heat and a natural gas substitute can be generated from it, depending on the configuration and use. This means that the systems only release a small proportion of the CO2 originally stored in the forest back into the atmosphere and a very respectable proportion remains as usable green carbon. Despite the release of CO2 into the environment (during the utilization of the energy sources), the system remains climate-positive due to the biochar, provided it is used as a carbon sink, as in our case in building materials.

In order to enable the necessary scaling in the gigatonne range and drive forward this crucial innovation in climate protection, a voluntary market for carbon sink certificates has emerged alongside the allocation of state ETS certificates. Buyers of these carbon credits can use them to offset their unavoidable residual emissions and not only support the achievement of their own net zero targets, but also pave the way for a transparent, verifiable, economically sound and, above all, trustworthy carbon sink market.