Carbon Solutions
Forest Management

Potentially the fastest growing tree in the world, Albizia (Falcataria Moluccana) is one of the most noticeable invasive species in Hawaiʻi. These large trees, up to 150 feet tall, can grow 15 feet per year and quickly outcompete and displace entire Native Hawaiian forests. Albizia also increases soil nitrogen levels, which alters an entire ecosystem and changes growing conditions, further creating an environment that benefits some invasive species over native flora. Endemic species are unable to compete with this highly invasive tree weed.

~Hawaii Invasive Species Council

The main purpose for the creation of biochar is for carbon sequestration. Biochar is speculated to have been used as a soil supplement thousands of years ago in the Amazon basin, where regions of fertile soil called "Terra Preta'" (dark earth) were created by indigenous people. Anthropologists hypothesize that inhabitants of the region produced biochar by practicing 'slash and char' management on vegetation to improve soil fertility and crop yields.

~Mann, 2005

The residuals from the biochar production process give off many volatile components. These can be fed back into the production process or captured for further refinement of renewable "drop-in bio-fuels". There is ongoing research into biomass fuels to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Golden Fuels Energy's primary focus is the production of high quality biochar and using the heat process outputs with other energy demand systems (farming and industrial) uses in order to sequester carbon and reduce energy consumption.

Biochar is a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security, and increase soil biodiversity, and discourage deforestation. Biochar is found in soils around the world as a result of vegetation fires and historic soil management practices. Biochar can be an important tool to increase food security and cropland diversity in areas with severely depleted soils, scarce organic resources, and inadequate water and chemical fertilizer supplies. Biochar also improves water quality and quantity by increasing soil retention of nutrients and agrochemicals for plant and crop utilization. More nutrients stay in the soil instead of leaching into groundwater and causing pollution.

~International Biochar Initiative