This week, Canada welcomed Carbonity—its first domestic industrial-scale biochar production facility, launched in Port-Cartier, Quebec.
The ambitious project, announced back in 2023, is developed by visionary companies Airex Energy, Groupe Rémabec, and SUEZ, who have partnered on delivering the largest biochar production plant in North America and potentially the world.
Established with the support of the governments of Quebec and Canada, Carbonity kicks off operations with an initial production capacity of 10,000 tonnes of biochar per year, expecting to triple this volume by 2026.
Christine Fréchete, Quebec’s Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, and Regional Economic Development, stated, “Carbonity is helping accelerate decarbonization in key sectors across Quebec. Our government is proud to have invested more than $16 million in this project, which leverages innovative technology and contributes to building a prosperous, sustainable economy.”
The launch of Carbonity marks the first step in a broader roadmap shared by Airex Energy and SUEZ that includes ramping up the global annual biochar production capacity to 350,000 tonnes by 2035 as an answer to industrial decarbonization challenges.
Carbonity will produce the biochar by processing 58,000 tonnes of forestry residues on an annual basis, sourced from Groupe Rémabec’s operations.
The facility will be powered by Airex Energy’s proprietary and patented DryFX™ and CarbonFX™ technologies, while SUEZ will provide its know-how on organic waste recovery, biofertilizers and amendments production, and the development of circular CO2 footprint solutions.
Relevant: Largest Biochar Plant In North America To Be Constructed In Canada
From its operations, Carbonity is projected to generate certified and guaranteed carbon credits that will be offered on the voluntary carbon market by First Climate.
The facility has already secured a major deal with Microsoft, who back in 2024 agreed to purchase 36,000 carbon credits from Carbonity over the first three years of operations.
Michel Gagnon, CEO of Airex Energy and Chair of Carbonity’s Board, noted, “The inauguration of Carbonity is a true industrial milestone for Québec.”
He added, “This investment represents Airex Energy’s first step toward scaling global biochar production, a product that will help many businesses here and abroad achieve net-zero.”
Read more: Exomad Green & Microsoft Ink The Largest-Ever Biochar Deal For An Impressive 1.24M Tonnes
