Debo Was Invited to International Workshop on Soil Health and Biochar Application for Exploring New Path of Industrial Development

The International Workshop on Soil Health and Biomass Carbon Application was held from May 29th to June 1st, 2025 in Nanjing, Jiangsu. As a deep cultivator in the field of comprehensive utilization of biomass, and the initiator of the model of “integrated utilization of biomass, agriculture, industry and energy”, Hefei Debo Bioenergy Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (“Debo Energy”) sent representatives to deeply participate in this grand event, exchanging views on the development plant of biochar industry with representatives from academia, business community and relevant governmental bodies at home and abroad.

A high-level industrial event and platform for diversified communication

This symposium was sponsored by Nanjing Agricultural University, and involved by Fudan University, China Agricultural University and other universities and scientific research institutions, as well as a number of well-known enterprises. As one of the representatives of the business community, Debo Energy has conducted in-depth exchanges with top experts and scholars at home and abroad on the application of biochar in agriculture, environment and other fields.

During the meeting, the delegates listened to the cutting-edge academic reports from experts at home and abroad, and observed the launching ceremony of “Zero Carbon Pastoral” in Zhishan Village, Jingqiao Town, Lishui District, Nanjing. The base has utilized carbon-based organic fertilizer technology, and straw and manure are made into high-efficiency organic fertilizer (organic matter content reaches 45%) by mineral catalytic fermentation, achieving the goal of “zero carbon emission per kilogram of rice”. This technology not only increases the soil organic matter content by more than 30%, but also significantly improves the soil structure and biological activity, representing a replicable model for low-carbon agriculture that has caught great attention from local governments and society.

Focusing on pain points and difficulties to discuss how to break the deadlock

During the exchange and discussion on the application of biochar, representatives of Debo Energy and colleagues in the industry had a lively discussion on the problems commonly faced by industry. Li Wenjun, Secretary-General of Biomass Committee of Petrochemical Industry Association, pointed out that the large-scale application of biochar needs innovation and promotion urgently, as well as social support from policies, mechanisms and norms. This view has aroused a strong resonance of Debo Energy. In actual operation, enterprises do face practical challenges such as vague industrial classification and lack of product standards.

Professor Shan Shengdao, Deputy Secretary of Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, emphasized the advantages of biochar in the ecological treatment of agricultural wastes, which coincides with the technical research and development direction of Debo Energy which has been committed to the technological innovation of biomass energy for years, and is well aware of the opportunities of new technologies and industries in this field. The international experience shared by Miles Gray, Chairman of American Biomass Charcoal Association, Stephen Joseph, an authoritative international expert on biochar, and Yakov Kuzyakov, Professor of University of Goettingen in Germany, provides an important reference for Debo Energy on expanding its global vision and optimizing its technological path.

As to the misunderstanding of the regulation, which is “local chemical standards apply to biochar enterprises”, widely raised by enterprise representatives, Debo Energy’s representatives called for speeding up the formulation of the biochar standard system in line with China’s national conditions, breaking the interest barrier and promoting the government-industry-university-research cooperation. This initiative has received positive responses from many participants.

Grasping the trend of frontier technology and anchoring the development direction

Regarding the topic on how to improve soil health and biochar, Yakov Kuzyakov, a professor at the University of Goettingen in Germany, expounded the relationship of “soil health quality-sink-flow”, which provided a new theoretical perspective for the interaction between biochar and soil ecosystem. Professor Stephen Joseph mentioned that the redox property of biochar mediates soil biochemical reaction, and researcher Liu Xingang of China Academy of Agricultural Sciences shared the new discovery of biochar in adsorbing and fixing pesticide residues, which made the industry see more possibilities to enrich the application scenarios of biochar.

Some young scholars also showed their research results at the meeting, from the passivation and fixation mechanism of biochar to its role in improving plant climate resilience and crop quality.

Building industrial consensus to work jointly on a low-carbon blueprint

After two days of in-depth exchanges and discussions, the meeting reached a number of important consensuses: soil health is a reflection of soil state and function at a higher dimension; The agricultural effect of biomass charcoal is expanding from soil improvement to biological health effect; The “zero-carbon pastoral” model provides an effective starting point for the industrial development; It is necessary to optimize the industrial development conditions like policies, standards and social participation.

As an enterprise deeply involved in the comprehensive utilization of biomass, Debo Energy agrees with those consensuses, and will continue to adhere to the principle of technological innovation, strengthen cooperation with universities and scientific research institutions, actively participate in the formulation of industry standards, and promote the in-depth application of biomass charcoal in the fields of green and low-carbon agricultural development and environmental management. After the meeting, delegates visited Debo Energy’s poly-generation plant of heat, electricity and biochar, and highly appreciated Debo Energy's achievements in poly-generation through biomass gasification. They all said that such poly-generation broadened the new idea of comprehensive utilization and development of biomass energy, expanded the source of biochar production, improved the comprehensive economic benefits of biomass utilization and effectively solved the last-mile problem of bioenergy synthesis. Debo Energy believes that under the multiple drives of policy support, technological progress and market demand, the biochar industry will surely usher in a broader development prospect and contribute more to achieving the goal of “double carbon” and rural revitalization.

The results of this seminar have been widely covered by Nanjing Daily, Science Network and other media, which has aroused great concern from all walks of life in the biochar industry. Debo Energy will take this meeting as an opportunity to continue to exert its strength and work hand in hand with colleagues in the industry to write a new chapter in the development of biomass energy industry.