“Chailings” The production of char from coal tailings in Australia Improving land use outcomes.

The Big Question Can we use existing technology to process and create a soil amendment product from coal waste? The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

The Idea Gasification / Pyrolysis Coal Tailings Power 1. Source: Carbon Waste Product 2. Process: Controlled Combustion 3. Output: Soil Amendment Char ‘Chailings’ The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Production – Opportunities/Threats – Moving ahead 1. Waste Product – Tailings – From Coal Mining Tailings are:  Sourced from coal washing activities;  Includes substances such as coal fines, soil, sand, and rocks;  Very old biomass;  A type of waste under the Protection of Environment Operations (Waste) regulation (2005). Current Disposal of Tailings :  Land applied and of environmental concern due to leachate potential and loss of agricultural land.

2. Process– Pyrolysis/gasification (combustion with limited/no O2) Pyrolysis:  Temperature  Time Changes Char Product from  Crystalline to amorphous (porus) structure. Tailings used instead of biomass Self-Sustaining Process The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

3. Product – Chailings What are the expected properties of chailings product?  Large surface area  High micro and macro porosity  Suitable bonding sites for nitrogen and phosphorus retention/re-release  High Cation Exchange Capacity  Provide habitat for micro-organisms to live  Increase nutrient retention  Improve fertiliser efficiency  Reduce soil emissions of Nitrous Oxide (x 300 time equivalent of CO2)  Increase Water Holding Capacity What are the expected benefits to the farmer/land user? The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

All leading to: Soil carbon has the following benefits: –Improves soil structure –Improves yield –Increases water use efficiency –Improves fertiliser use efficiency –Increases CEC –Improves ecological health 3. Product – Chailings Improved land use outcomes through Increasing plant yield or Increasing degraded land rehabilitation success The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Credits - Production – Opportunities/Threats – Moving ahead

Cost Effectiveness  $50/tonne  Standard production of 200,000 tons/annum HUGE volumes of soil carbon in the form of tailings sitting on mine sites that is currently considered a waste product The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

Carbon Credits  Chailings is not a potential source of carbon credits as it is an existing carbon material that is being transferred from one place to another (leakage issue);  But the use of the chailings is anticipated to become a player in the carbon market by :  Acting as a catalyst to significantly increase soil carbon;  Reducing emissions of Nitrous Oxide from soil – massive impact on Greenhouse Gas accounts The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

What have we done to date?  Created Chailings in both large and small scale gasifiers  Conducted adsorption tests with Nutrients – looks promising  Reviewed a lot of literature on coal pyrolysis and chars produced- very high surface area  Engaged with various miners, farmers, technology manufacturers and academics over 18 months and all see positives and potential risks

Where we are headed  Sponsor provided~100K to conduct laboratory and glasshouse tests;  NSW Environ Grant pending to kick in another 100K;  Collaboration with Newcastle University: : Geology (Dr Judy Bailey) and Chemical Engineering (Prof Behdad Moghtaderi) Science (Research Required) 1.Characterise the charred tailings (chailings) of a typical Hunter Valley coal mine 2.Determine the effects of ameliorating soil with chailings on target plant species; 3.Determine the appropriate rates for land application of the chailings material; 4.Provide field trial methodology based on the outcomes of the previous steps; and 5.Provide a budget estimate for the establishment of a chailings treatment program. Research Objectives The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

The Plan Gasification / Pyrolysis 1. Source: Carbon Waste Product 2. Process: Controlled Combustion 3. Output: Soil Amendment Collect Tailings from Hunter Valley Mines Optimise Product and test for CEC, heavy metals, surface area etc Test with plant using dosing ratios The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

 Treatment 1 = Chailings addition to the soil using three ratios (referred to as dosing ratios); 0 kg/m 2, 1 kg/m 2, 5 kg/m 2 and 20 kg/m 2, Treatment 2 = Treatment 1 plus NPK fertiliser at one NPK application ratio; Treatment 3 = Treatment 1 plus bacteria inoculant at one inoculant application ratio; and Treatment 4 = Interaction of Treatment 2*Treatment 3. The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

Then all going well Back to the Field – Pilot Trials The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks

Thanks to:  John Lawrie  All staff at GSSE- particularly Dr Lyndal Hugo (aka the brains)  Newcastle University  Geology (Dr Judy Bailey)  Chemical Engineering (Prof Behdad Moghtaderi)  Carbon Farmers of Australia, Central West CMA, CANFA for letters of support. Thanks The Idea – Cost Effectiveness – Carbon Market - Moving Ahead - Thanks