Infrabuild Biochar Substitution (Replacing Charge Coke)

Infrabuild Biochar Substitution (Replacing Charge Coke) is an industrial emissions reduction project registered in October 2025. While the specific project area is not listed, the activity takes place at Infrabuild’s steel manufacturing facilities. Infrabuild operates Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) at two primary locations in Australia: Laverton North in western Melbourne, Victoria, and Rooty Hill in western Sydney, New South Wales. These facilities are situated in major heavy industrial precincts on the outskirts of their respective metropolitan areas.

The project operates under the Industrial and Commercial Emissions Reduction (ICER) methodology. It focuses on "fuel switching" within the steelmaking process. specifically replacing "charge coke", a fossil-fuel-derived carbon source used in EAFs, with biochar. Trials for this technology, conducted in partnership with Australian climate-tech company BioCarbon, successfully demonstrated the ability to replace charge coke with renewable "GreenChar" without compromising steel quality. This substitution significantly lowers the carbon intensity of the steel produced by replacing fossil carbon with biogenic carbon.

The environment of the likely project sites is characterized by heavy industrial land use. Laverton North is located on the Western Basalt Plains of Victoria, a region historically known for grazing, featuring heavy clay soils and lower rainfall (approximately 500–600mm annually). Rooty Hill lies on the Cumberland Plain of Western Sydney, which also features clay and shale-based soils with slightly higher rainfall. Both locations are highly urbanized industrial zones designed to support 24-hour manufacturing operations.

This project represents a significant step in decarbonizing the "hard-to-abate" steel sector. The proponent, Northmore Gordon Environmental Pty Ltd, is a specialized energy and carbon consultancy that likely manages the project's compliance and credit generation on behalf of Infrabuild. By utilizing biochar, the project not only reduces Scope 1 emissions from the steelworks but also supports the development of a market for sustainable biomass products in heavy industry.