New partnership to develop renewable biocarbon products

Biogenic Reagents, a producer of biocarbon products from renewable biomass, has entered into an agreement with West Fraser, a US subsidiary of West Fraser Timber – the largest lumber producer in North America – to develop renewable biocarbon products.

The parties will contribute capital and assets to a new company called Biogenic Reagents Ventures, which will operate existing, and potentially build new, biocarbon production capacity using proprietary technology and woody biomass feedstock, including supplies from West Fraser facilities.

Biogenic Reagents Ventures will own and operate an existing biocarbon production facility located in Marquette, Michigan and plans to expand North American production of proprietary biomass-based biocarbon products. These products include activated carbon that is used globally to purify drinking water and to reduce emissions from power plants, and agricultural carbon soil amendments that increase crop yields, retain nutrients and reduce water requirements and runoff by capturing and holding nutrients and water in the root zone of plants.

Subject to certain feasibility thresholds being achieved, the company intends to actively develop new production capacity in North America to be operational by 2015.

James Mennell, CEO of Biogenic Reagents, says: 'This collaboration is expected to provide a strong platform and path for the expansion of renewable biocarbon production capacity with abundant and diversified feedstock supply chain security.'

A $31 million (€23 million) expansion of the Marquette facility was recently completed. The facility is using and refining proprietary technologies with the goal of expanding the application of the technologies to produce least-cost, lowest environmental impact biocarbon products to help clean water, air and increase food production on a global basis.