A research team at Western University has turned years of pyrolysis and materials science work into a commercial venture called ITER Technologies, aiming to convert agricultural waste into engineered biochar at industrial scale. The startup, founded by postdoctoral researcher Stephanos Horvers, chemical engineering professor Franco Berruti, and colleague Javier Ordoñez, is positioning its reactor design as a route to cleaner soil, better crop yields, and large-scale carbon storage.
Biochar—a carbon-rich material created by heating biomass without oxygen—has been studied for decades. But ITER’s reactor introduces a heat-distribution approach that produces highly uniform batches with predictable physical and chemical properties. That consistency is essential for industries that expect performance similar to activated carbon or specialized filtration media. Tests have shown that biochar made from hazelnut shells, corn waste, or other residues can hold nutrients, support soil microbes, and trap pollutants while keeping carbon locked away for centuries.
The reactor’s other strength is its energy profile. It requires a small amount of propane to start the cycle, then runs on the heat recovered from its own vapors and gases. In recent trials, a three-day run produced more than 400 kilograms of biochar without external fuel. That energy surplus can also heat greenhouses or support other facility operations.
Demand is growing beyond agriculture. Research led by Berruti indicates that engineered biochar can strengthen cement, increase biogas output, and filter chemicals that conventional wastewater plants struggle to remove. ITER is now seeking funding to tune biochar specifically for capturing “forever chemicals,” pharmaceuticals, and other persistent pollutants.
To scale production, ITER partnered with Colombian manufacturer JCT Calderas to build the “Valentina” reactor, a full commercial demonstration unit. Investors from more than 30 countries have toured the site, and ITER is in advanced talks to install reactors at multiple locations in Ontario.
If ITER’s controlled pyrolysis design continues to scale, biochar could shift from a niche soil additive to a flexible industrial material supporting carbon-removal and pollution-control strategies.
