Page 18 - July-Aug 2021 Vol 39 No 2

LEBANON TO KNOXVILLE By Amy Rawe
Biochar Donation Delivered by Tesla

An all-electric Telsa Model X pulled a SACE’s “Driving on Sunshine” electric that Aries GREEN® is regionally sourced
flatbed trailer from Lebanon to Knoxville vehicle campaign. and produced at Aries’s gasification plant
this spring, delivering 1,600 pounds of a Biochar is a carbon-rich product left in Lebanon, Tennessee, and utilizes wood
carbon-rich biochar product to be tested over when organic materials – such as waste from crates that would otherwise fill
with various soil blends in East Tennessee woodchips or plant matter – are converted local landfills.”
experimental garden plots. via gasification. The process cleanly He said SACE intends to incorporate
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy captures carbon rather than releasing the donated biochar as the foundational
(SACE) had teamed up with Aries Clean it into the atmosphere, where it would ingredient to be mixed with other
Technologies to develop Carbon Catcher, otherwise contribute to greenhouse organic materials, including rock dust,
a nutrient-rich soil blend that contributes gases. Biochar can be used as an energy worm castings, and regionally produced
to a net withdrawal of carbon dioxide product or as a soil amendment, agricultural or food industry by-products.
from the atmosphere. The Aries GREEN® and the Intergovernmental Panel on Resulting soil blends may ultimately be
Biochar provides a significant opportunity Climate Change has identified biochar used in the test plots and monitored by a
for carbon sequestration, benefiting the as one of only a few negative-emissions research team of experienced farmers to
environment as well as soil and plant technologies. determine optimum efficacy.
health. The Tesla driver, Dr. Stephen A. Smith, Since 2016, Aries Clean Technologies has
Recognizing that SACE’s mission SACE’s Executive Director and a member operated the Lebanon plant, using wood
focuses on reducing carbon emissions of the City of Knoxville’s Carbon Task waste to generate electricity for a nearby
through clean energy sources, Aries Force, said his group looked forward “to wastewater treatment facility. The plant can
donated two biochar supersacks (approx. researching the best use of this carbon- annually produce 1,800 tons of consistently
1,600 pounds) for SACE’s research and capturing, nutrient-rich resource in soil high-carbon biochar that has received
development purposes, delivered to blends for potential use in garden test certifications from both the USDA and the
Knoxville via the Tesla in recognition of plots throughout the city. We appreciate International Biochar Initiative.

Stephen Smith, Executive Director of SACE and Matt
Newman, Director of Operations, Aries GREEN .
®

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18 TPW July/August 2021