FiksuHiili

The objective of the FiksuHiili project is to bring practical equipment solutions, innovations, and experiments to operators in the region.

Vipuvoimaa on kirjoitettu vihreällä. EU.lta 2014-2020 mustalla

Project information

Project Implementors: HAMK Tech and HAMK Bio
Implementation period : 1.11.2021 – 31.8.2023
Co-financer: Pirkanmaan Liitto

Biochar has risen as a subject of great interest in recent years due to its versatile modifiable properties and various applications. Biochar’s nutrient sequestration capacity, and in particular its carbon sink role, has helped to establish a strong positive environmental image in a short period of time.

The various uses of biochar have resulted in a situation where demand has clearly exceeded the supply limit. There are problems with availability at the moment, which also affects the high price of biochar. With the rising popularity of biochar, it is important to ensure that those involved have access to the latest knowledge and expertise in the field. In addition, it is important to ensure that business development is heading in the right direction.

The objective of the FiksuHiili project is to bring practical equipment solutions, innovations, and experiments to operators in the region. The project is carried out as a collaborative project between the HAMK Tech and HAMK Bio research units, building strongly on the research units’ previous projects.

The project will strongly support sustainable development and carbon neutrality in the whole Pirkanmaa region, while at the same time responding to and supporting active projects in different regions.

The project is funded under the REACT-EU facility as part of the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Take a virtual tour of the biochar production module here!

Objectives and implementation

The central objectives of the project are to design and modify a factory-made, low-capacity boiler into a continuous-flow hybrid-bio hydrocarbon boiler. The modification of the boiler will aim at using factory-made components in order to reduce production costs.

The project will test the performance of the boiler with a variety of fuels and will also test the suitability of biomass-based side streams from the region for biochar production, for example. At the same time, the project will examine possible business models for small-scale local biochar production. This examination is important because the hybrid boiler is, both in terms of technology and size, a unit that is not available on the Finnish market. The project is also preparing follow-up measures to ensure that the results can be used in the future. Based on the results, a larger hybrid boiler could be modified, for example for use in agriculture or by a similar sized operator.

The long-term goal is to use biochar production to promote the sustainable use of industrial by-products and waste streams that are difficult to recycle, and to promote material recycling.