
This may not look like much, but it is a piece of evidence supporting the viability of Woody Biomass Storage (WBS).
Last September we completed a ~100 tonne WBS project in Southern Colorado. We engineered, permitted, communicated, excavated, buried, measured, reported, and verified. We’re currently in the process of monetizing.
We also Revegetated. In October we engaged a local company that normally supports highway construction projects. They drove a truck and sprayed a slurry of carefully selected local seeds all around the WBS site. We were not certain it was going to work, thinking we might need to ask them back a few times to do it again, and make sure the revegetation “took.” The photo shows it is beginning to “take” this late winter day, less than six months later!
Revegetation is important for a few reasons. First, it prevents erosion and minimizes negative environmental impacts of any excavation project. Second, it improves the aesthetics of the site. Third, it supports hyperlocal wildlife and biodiversity.
All very important stuff, but the most important to me personally is a value proposition we have put forward at Woodcache PBC. It is, that land taken offline to execute Woody Biomass Storage should be put back online within a year, so that this form of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) requires NO long-term incremental land. We claim that near universal land reclamation is possible.
In this pilot case, the claim is virtually true! The only exceptions are a shed on the property and there are some underground probes with a hardened above-ground footprint. FTW!
Of the myriad concerns about decarbonization and CDR, inefficient land use is a big one. We seem to be at the correct end of the efficient land-use spectrum.
An equally important afterthought: What I didn’t mention or show photos for was another supporting piece of evidence: Cow hooves. Before our pilot project, the land was for grazing. Within six months it was again used for grazing. awesome!
When we scale our WBS operations, our plan is to run a “batch” process, gathering wood over a few months, then burying it quickly, and then revegetating. This will allow us to minimize the window during which the land is offline.
So, for all you investors, scholars, buyers, pundits, and (yes, even) haters out there, please add this to your list of good things about Woody Biomass Storage! I’ll be adding to this list over the coming weeks and months!