Soler Group - Girondine

Soler Group’s Girondine project in Lacanau, France, focuses on producing biochar through industrial pyrolysis of sustainably sourced wood residues from forestry operations, such as diseased wood or sawmill residues.The resulting biochar is applied to agricultural and vineyards in France and Spain, forming a stable method of locking away carbon dioxide, offering a viable solution for carbon removal.

When used in agricultural applications, the biochar boosts productiviy by improving soil quality, water retention, and soil fertility. The project also pioneers the use of biochar in construction materials like concrete, enhancing strength and durability while permanently storing carbon.

Soler Group is a French company founded in 1993 that offers technological solutions to contribute towards achieving global net zero. Using its patented technology, Soler develops biorefineries that transforms wood residues into charcoal, biochar, and energy. Thus, providing solutions to agricultural, horticultural and industrial sectors. Soler now operates three biorefineries, while generating renewable electricity.

• Offers ex-post credits, meaning that the carbon has already been removed and has been verified by Carbon Check according to ISO 14064-2:2019.
• Biochar is a permanent removal method that last for hundreds of years.
• Uses low-quality wood from forestry operations, such as diseased or thinned trees and sawmill waste.
• When applied to the soil, biochar enhances soil health and resilience by improving water retention and reducing runoff and erosion.
• The project produces thermal energy as a by-product of the process which reduces their reliance on external fuel dependency.
• The credits are certified by Rainbow, a third party registry, endorsed by ICROA and is pursuing CORSIA and ICVCM accreditation.
• Sinks are tracked by coordinates; combustion is monitored to prevent pollutant release. Feedstock is verified through site visits, and biannual PEFC & SBP audits ensuring compliance with PEFC and RED II standards.
• To mitigate the risk of reversal, 3% of the total removals are allocated to a buffer pool before issuance.
• Invested into R&D initiatives, collaborating with INRAE Montpellier to study biochar’s effects across different soil types, validated through field trials with a Bordeaux winemaker.