CHAR Tech Receives $CAD 10M Commitment From BMI Towards 50,000 tonne per Year Espanola Biocarbon Project

Executive Summary

• CHAR Technologies announced that its partner, The BMI Group, has committed CAD 10 million to advance the engineering and design study for the Espanola biocarbon project.
• The proposed facility is expected to produce up to 50,000 tonnes of biocarbon per year—approximately five times the capacity of CHAR’s Thorold Renewable Energy Facility.
• Completion of the engineering and design study is targeted for Q1 2026 and will define final scope, capital allocation, feedstock supply, and integration requirements for CHAR’s high‑temperature pyrolysis platform at the former Bioveld North pulp & paper mill site.

Key Details

• Funding Commitment: CAD 10 million from The BMI Group to support the engineering and design study.
• Location: Former Bioveld North pulp and paper mill site, Espanola, Ontario (recently acquired by BMI).
• Production Capacity: Up to 50,000 tonnes of biocarbon per year; five‑fold increase over Thorold facility.
• Technology: CHAR’s high‑temperature pyrolysis (HTP) system will convert locally sourced wood waste and forestry residues into low‑carbon biocarbon and synthetic gas (potentially upgraded to renewable natural gas).
• Study Timeline: Engineering and design study expected to be completed in calendar Q1 2026.
• Scope Definition: Study will finalize technical scope, assess feedstock availability, confirm integration of CHAR’s HTP platform with existing site utilities, biomass handling, logistics, and production scaling.
• Future Phases: Potential on‑site use of synthetic gas or later upgrading to RNG; further capital allocation to be determined after study completion.
• Strategic Rationale: Leverages Northern Ontario’s abundant forestry residual supply and existing industrial infrastructure for rapid, scalable redevelopment.

Notable Quotes

“The Espanola site, with significant access to biomass materials, wastes and residuals, gives us the opportunity to scale our technology well beyond what was possible at Thorold,” – Andrew White, CEO, CHAR Technologies Ltd.

“BMI acquired the Espanola site to bring it back to life and return it to productive industrial use… Partnering with CHAR Tech allows us to move quickly into detailed planning and construction.” – Paul Veldman, CEO, The BMI Group