What we process · what we test · what we exclude.
Every Biogenic Refinery is sized against the material in front of it — not a generic capacity rating. Acceptance depends on what the feedstock is, what's in it, how wet it is, what permitting and emissions limits apply, and what the customer wants the biochar to do downstream. We call material that has passed this review a qualified feedstock. This page is the qualification reference: the three feedstock classes we handle, the criteria we test, the materials we accept and the ones we don't, and how our typical feedstocks map to EU RED III Annex IX.
Feedstock examples are not blanket approvals; every project is screened against composition, contaminants, permitting, emissions limits, and intended biochar use.
Materials derived from recently-living biological matter. The Biogenic Refinery's core capability.
Examples: manures, biosolids and septage-derived solids, food-processing residuals, agricultural residues, algae, spent mushroom substrate, biological fibers.
Carbon-based, post-consumer or post-industrial materials at end-of-life where conventional disposal is impractical, contaminating, or environmentally problematic.
Examples: selected natural and synthetic fibers and non-wovens, absorbent hygiene products (with caveats), compostable packaging streams.
Lower-quality chars from upstream thermal systems brought into a controlled second pass to lower H:C, drive off remaining volatiles, and improve carbon permanence.
Examples: hydrochar from HTC systems, char from gasification, retort, flame-cap kilns, mobile carbonizers.
For every new feedstock, the acceptance review covers:
The output is a sizing recommendation and an acceptance decision for the project.
Every feedstock review concludes with one of three outcomes:
Characterized during project review and accepted for design and sizing when site, permitting, and intended biochar use fit.
May be acceptable depending on contaminants, mixture ratios, intended biochar use, or local permitting. Often requires feedstock testing or pilot operation before final sizing.
Regulated hazardous wastes, high-PCB content, radioactive materials, certain incompatible chemical streams, and materials that would compromise system safety or operating-permit compliance.
For projects targeting EU CRCF eligibility or RED III-aligned carbon credit pathways, our typical biogenic feedstocks map cleanly to Annex IX Part A — the most desirable feedstock tier under the Renewable Energy Directive.
| Biomass Controls feedstock | Annex IX Part A entry |
|---|---|
| Dairy, hog, and poultry manure | (f) animal manure |
| Biosolids and septage-derived solids | (f) sewage sludge |
| Food-processing residuals | (d) biomass fraction of industrial waste |
| Separately-collected food waste | (c) biowaste from private households |
| Straw and similar field residues | (e) straw |
| Nut shells, husks, cobs | (l)(m)(n) explicit listings |
| Spent mushroom substrate | (d) industrial waste · (p)/(q) lignocellulosic |
| Algae | (a) algae |
| Forestry residues, bark, sawdust | (o) forestry residues |
| Other cellulosic and lignocellulosic material | (p) and (q) |
| Material | Compliance note |
|---|---|
| Absorbent hygiene products | Biomass fraction (cellulose, fluff pulp) is RED III–eligible; SAP and plastic backing are not. Often classified under (b) biomass fraction of mixed municipal waste. |
| Compostable packaging | BPI-certified compostables (PLA, PHA, cellulose) — biomass fraction qualifies; non-compostable plastic does not. |
| Mixed non-wovens | Natural-fiber portion qualifies under (p)/(q); synthetic portion does not. |
Reprocessed chars. Eligibility traces back to the original biomass feedstock that produced the upstream char. If the upstream feedstock was RED III–eligible, the second-pass biochar is also eligible.
Dairy, hog, and poultry manures — accepted directly where moisture is within operating range, without a separate drying step. The Biogenic Refinery handles wet manure solids that conventional pyrolysis systems require to be dewatered and dried first. Pathogens are inactivated under sustained operating temperature; phosphorus and potassium concentrate in the biochar and remain available for soil-amendment use.
Municipal biosolids (digested or undigested), septage-derived solids, and dewatered sludge. The Biogenic Refinery has been deployed at full scale in fecal-sludge applications, including two-plant deployments in India (Krueger et al., Water Research, 2020). Phosphorus is conserved in the biochar.
Food-processing residuals (fruit and vegetable, meat and dairy by-products, brewery and distillery spent grains), agricultural residues (straw, corn stover, husks, shells), algae, spent mushroom substrate (Trabold et al., NYSP2I, RIT, 2023).
Selected fibers, non-woven materials, and absorbent hygiene products may be evaluated where conventional disposal creates a clear environmental or regulatory problem. Acceptance depends on biomass fraction, SAP and plastic content, halogens, contamination, permitting, emissions limits, and intended biochar end use.
Certified-compostable packaging (BPI, OK Compost, similar) where compost facilities do not accept it or where mixing it with clean organic compost streams contaminates the finished compost and slows facility throughput. The biomass fraction is RED III–eligible; non-compostable plastic content must be screened.
Hydrochar from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) systems, char from gasification, retort, flame-cap kilns, and mobile carbonizers. Each upstream system produces char with H:C ratios and volatile content that may exceed the limits required for durable-carbon-storage methodologies. A controlled second pass through the Biogenic Refinery lowers H:C, drives off remaining volatiles, and brings carbon permanence into the range required by CRCF, EBC, Puro.earth, and other certification frameworks.
More questions on the full FAQ page
Send us a feedstock summary and we'll return a sizing model with acceptance notes — not a price list.