The process of converting waste biomass to biocarbon involves heating the biomass to 500-700°C in the absence of oxygen in a well understood process called pyrolysis.
Pyrolysis has been used to produce carbon-rich material from woody biomass for centuries, often through rudimentary methods such as clay ovens or covered pits. Modern pyrolysis is undertaken as a self-generating process whereby volatile gases (syngas) are driven off the biomass as it heats and combusted to produce the heat required to continue the pyrolysis process. This means little-to-no external energy is required after start-up.
