In 2024, 4 Corners completed its second catalytic grant campaign, focusing on carbon dioxide removal and liabilty biomass. Bioforcetech Corporation was one of the four awardees of this campaign, bringing an innovative approach to waste management through biological drying and pyrolysis. Established in 2012, and located in San Francisco, Bioforcetech operates facilities that convert municipal biosolids into stable carbon in the form of biochar through its proprietary process. The final product, OurCarbon, is anything but waste: it's engineered to be used as aggregate in concrete and asphalt, ubiquitous and foundational components of the modern built environment. Conventional aggregate consists of a mix of gravel and sand, and typically makes up about 90% of most asphalt mixes, and between 60%-75% of ready-mix concrete by mass. Therefore substituting conventional aggregate with a carbon negative material has the potential to balance the significant embodied emissions tied to petroleum-based bitumen, and Portland cement, the critical binding agents in asphalt and concrete, respectively.
Bioforcetech’s pyrolysis technology thermally decomposes organic waste in an oxygen-free environment at high temperatures (660°F–1,650°F), reducing its volume by 90% while simultaneously reducing or eliminating contaminants. The resulting material locks away approximately one ton of CO2 in fixed carbon, with an estimated durability rating of 1,000 years+. Notably, it can be integrated into structural-grade concrete in the form of aggregate. Conventional ready-mix concrete aggregate typically consists of sand or gravel. 3rd party tests have show that the OurCarbon alternative can store up to 100 lbs of CO2 per cubic yard at a 3,000 psi rating, with potential to reach 300 lbs at 6,000 psi.
The 4 Corners grant is funding Bioforcetech’s project in Flagstaff, Arizona, which explores the integration of OurCarbon into municipal infrastructure. This initiative consists of three phases. First, a demonstration pour of 50 cubic yards of concrete mixed with OurCarbon, with durability testing over 12 and 24 months. Second, research into additional applications for OurCarbon, including asphalt mixtures, sidewalks, road barriers, retaining walls, and precast municipal elements; and third, feasibility studies testing biosolid streams from select municipalities to assess their potential for biochar production and long-term carbon storage.
Beyond removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, Bioforcetech’s work addresses a critical waste management challenge: biosolid disposal. By diverting biosolids from landfills, the company helps municipalities avoid landfill methane emissions and incorporate the products back into their infrastructure. A biodryer and pyrolysis units are capable of removing up to 300 tons of OurCarbon annually, and a four-unit system capable of removing between 9,000 and 36,000 tons of CO2e over 30 years, the scalability of this solution is significant.
Over the past year, Bioforcetech has deployed three new projects, each with an OurCarbon output capacity of 300 tons per year. To date, the company has installed 18 systems, demonstrating the growing momentum behind biosolids to biochar technology. With its work supported by 4 Corners, Bioforcetech is poised to expand the role of OurCarbon in the built environment, offering municipalities a sustainable alternative for waste management while contributing to large-scale carbon removal.
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