In the times of our grandmothers, there was a saying: “As expensive as saffron.” With good reason, though – saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, valued at more than gold.

It is not just a perceived value; harvesting saffron is not simple. Harvesters need to pick the flowers early in the morning during the short three-week blooming season and hand-process 70,000 saffron flowers to get just one pound (0.45 kg) of saffron spice.

It’s also a spice of kings. It’s said that Cleopatra bathed in mare’s milk, infused with saffron, before meeting a suitor. Peaking its best days in the Middle Ages when used as medicine, it seems we don’t value this unique spice anymore as it deserves. Other things, more suitable and necessary for modern times, took its place.

Two of them are little-known wood vinegar and biochar.

Wood Vinegar and Biochar, the Kings of Farming, and More

Meanwhile, when we follow significant investment leaps in AI and digital solutions, we seem to forget basic needs, such as quality food, which is one of the necessities we have always had way before any technology, and it will remain so.

In the quest for sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices, two unassuming byproducts of wooden biomass processes are emerging as a game-changer – wood vinegar and biochar. Both are proving to be a versatile and economically viable tool for farmers worldwide.

Long utilized in traditional farming methods, the potential of wood vinegar and biochar is now backed by scientific research and field trials. One of the studies from Australia and New Zealand and data from other regions have unveiled a wealth of benefits that wood vinegar and biochar can bring to modern agriculture.

At its core, both enhance soil health by promoting beneficial microbial activity, improving soil structure, and reducing soil-borne diseases and pests. The result is healthier plants, increased germination rates, and a significant boost in crop yields – up to 30% in some cases.

Wood vinegar acts as a natural fungicide and has been observed to reduce powdery mildew incidence in cucumber plants by 40% and rust in wheat by 25%, studies suggest. Beyond its direct impact on crops, wood vinegar, for example, offers a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides, reducing the environmental footprint of agricultural practices.

By improving soil health and plant resistance, it reduces reliance on synthetic inputs, making it particularly beneficial for organic farming operations. The economic benefits are equally compelling.

Field trials have indicated a return on investment of up to 200%, driven by increased crop yields, reduced costs for pesticides and fertilizers, and the potential for higher market prices for organic produce treated with wood vinegar and biochar.

One success story comes from a vineyard, where both products resulted in a cost savings of $150 (138 €) per about 2.5 acres (1 hectare) annually and a 10% increase in grape yield. In another case, avocado orchards saw a 15% increase in fruit yield, enhanced resistance to Phytophthora root rot, and a total revenue increase of approximately $3,000 (2,762 €) per about 2.5 acres (1 hectare).

The potential applications of both products extend beyond conventional farming. Many researchers are exploring its use in biopesticides, biofertilizers, and livestock feed additives, where it has been shown to improve animal health and 10% weight gain while reducing methane emissions.

Not so Easy to Produce

But it is not so easy to make these precious products. Using a traditional method for producing wood vinegar, the first step involves curing wood containing heartwood and bark for five to fifteen days. This curing process helps to dry out the wood, preparing it for the next stage. Once cured, the wood is piled into a specialized kiln, which is then sealed tightly with clay to prevent air leaks.

The kiln is then heated to temperatures ranging from 248°F (120°C) to 806°F (430°C). After about an hour of heating, a tile is placed at the top of the kiln’s chimney. The hot vapors traveling through this pipe are then condensed into a liquid form.

A vessel is positioned at the end of the bamboo pipe to collect the vinegar droplets as they condense. The duration of the burning process varies, but for a 53-gallon (200 liters) oil drum kiln, burning the wood for twelve to fifteen hours can yield between 0.53 gallons (2 liters) and 1.85 gallons (7 liters) of raw wood vinegar.

Once collected, the raw wood vinegar undergoes a natural settling process of approximately three months. The final step involves separating the various components. The top layer, a light, clear oil, is removed along with the tar sediment and the dark brown, translucent oil layer. What remains is the desired sour vinegar, ready for further processing or use.

Two Birds with One Stone: Introducing Themis Ecosystem’s Driver Biomass Ultima

Luckily, there are more convenient methods to produce wood vinegar and biochar. The best way is to make it from wood waste as a byproduct of biofuels. In the carbonization of biomass-wood chips, biochar is made under certain extremely precise conditions. Later in that process, when gases are cooled, a unique reactor makes them condense into wood vinegar.

This method is not only quicker but more environmentally friendly as well. It is also highly scalable and produces top-quality products.

However, not many companies seem to recognize the potential of making wood vinegar out of waste. One of them who do is a European Biomass Ultima plant, the most advanced biomass factory in the world. As a part of a global environment called Themis Ecosystem, the plant’s technological innovations produce the highest economic efficiency.

Besides its main product, green electricity, the Biomass Ultima factory produces a lot of byproducts, like organic tar, organic carbon, organic wood vinegar, and organic fertilizer. They will all be sold under the John’s Organic Roots brand.

It is essential to know these products are created out of waste and additionally to main product, not instead of it. Besides, the surplus of energy feeds a separate process, a Green Vertical Farming module, making it highly profitable.

Considering the facts, it is obvious why the Biomass Ultima factory makes way more profit than traditional biomass plants that produce only biofuel.

IRMU, “Must Have” Products, and Smart Connection Between Them

All products can be used in many different ways. Wood vinegar and biochar are thus used for farming, conservation of forests, protection of animal feed, and for many other things.

There are also huge differences in the market prices when applied to different purposes. Prices vary several hundred percent, so the market value potential for the same volume of produced products is exceptionally high.

This is where IRMU comes into place. IRMU, or Industrial Raw Material Unit, is an e-voucher encompassing two components of the production: a proportional part of end products and a proportional part of CO2 reduction the production creates. (Each factory also has a guaranteed sale of CO2 emission coupons.)

It’s an innovative and intelligent way of combining “must-have,” planet-preserving products into a total market value per IRMU unit.

Since end-products can be applied for different purposes and sold, in some circumstances, for many times more than in others, the market value of a particular IRMU unit has many hidden potentials.

However, the most important advantage of IRMU is its “anti-bubble” function. All issued IRMUs are backed up by actual, tangible products the technology produces.

If there is quite a “bubble effect” hidden in ordinary high-quoted stocks, inflated by stories and promises, there is nothing to be afraid of in the case of IRMU units. Well, at least not as long as we need food, energy, etc. We don’t need a crystal ball to predict IRMU’s future potential.

The first IRMU that will hit the market is known as PP8 iTo as each technology will have its own recognized unit name.

PP8 iTo has already been issued to a few lucky early supporters. According to the latest data, during the accession process, the price jumped to unsuspected heights and will also be very hot in the future.

It is also refreshing to see that at least some companies not only think about the future or have ideas about solving problems but actually provide proven practical solutions. Helping get rid of ever-growing waste and making profitable, green, and organic products of high quality is the way of the future.

No matter what AI and other novelties bring, we will still make waste and need technologies to process it in the most efficient and nature-friendly way. We will be more and more inclined to buy natural and organic products instead of synthetic and chemical ones. And, above all, we will need cheap electricity. A green one, if possible.

Yes, Themis Ecosystem and all innovations around it are the way of the future.