Minneapolis to become first city in North America to own and operate biochar facility

According to a statement, the Minneapolis biochar facility will be located at 670 25th Ave. SE and have the capacity to annually:

• Process over 3,000 tons of wood waste;
• Produce over 500 tons of biochar;
• Remove nearly 3,700 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂).

With co-funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, construction on the facility is expected to begin this spring, with biochar production beginning in the summer or early fall.

Seeing this project come to life has been many years in the making and is currently the City’s only existing carbon-negative project. Biochar is a versatile product that will benefit the green infrastructure of our city and its soil by creating drought resistance and improving nutrient delivery. I’m thrilled about the positive impact this facility and biochar will have on Minneapolis, said Jim Doten, Carbon Sequestration Program Manager, Minneapolis Health Department who has dedicated his career to improving food systems worldwide through biochar.

Xcel Energy to fuel biochar facility

Gas and power utility Xcel Energy Inc. recently signed an agreement with the City of Minneapolis to supply wood waste for biochar production at the facility.

The agreement allows Xcel Energy to provide tree trimmings and other vegetation from its power line maintenance operations to help produce the biochar.

Minneapolis is at the forefront of biochar production, and partnerships like this are crucial to our mission of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Collaborating with Xcel to repurpose tree trimming and vegetation into biochar not only strengthens our sustainability efforts but also accelerates our progress toward a greener future. Building a climate-resilient future requires all of us, and we’re proud to work alongside dedicated partners in this effort, said Mayor Jacob Frey.

Xcel Energy conducts routine tree trimming and other vegetation management services to minimize the risk of interference with electrical equipment.

In 2024 alone, crews worked on more than 50 miles of distribution lines and 20 miles of transmission lines in Minneapolis, leaving an abundance of wood waste to dispose of.

Tree trimming is an important part of our year-round dedication to providing the residents and businesses of Minneapolis with safe and reliable electric service. Contributing these trimmings to the City of Minneapolis’s biochar project not only builds on our longstanding commitment to carbon reduction but also serves as a great model for how cities and the energy companies can work together on innovative solutions, said John Marshall, Regional VP, Community Relations and Foundation at Xcel Energy.

Xcel Energy will collect, chip, and deliver vegetation resulting from its vegetation management operations within a six-mile radius of the city as it is available, and the City will use it for the production of biochar.

Each party will bear all of its costs and expenses, and neither party will provide or receive funding from the other party under the agreement.