New Orleans clean-technology startup Robinson Carbon — a sister company to 133-year-old Robinson Lumber — is building an industrial-scale biochar manufacturing plant at the England Airpark near Alexandria, the company announced Wednesday.
The plant will convert wood scraps from nearby lumber mills into a charcoal-like material that stores carbon and can be used in farming, horticulture, land remediation, industrial manufacturing and other processes. Scientists are hopeful the product can help reduce carbon emissions while improving soil — as long as it’s manufactured correctly.
The new venture is being led by Garner Robinson, the fifth-generation CEO of Robinson Lumber, a family-owned wood manufacturer and wholesaler headquartered on Tchoupitoulas Street.
“Biochar has been around long time,” Robinson said in a phone interview earlier this week. “We’re not reinventing the wheel; we’re just putting together a bigger wheel that spins more consistently as we develop commercial markets for these products.”…