BLACK BULL BIOCHAR

Our Mission

We exist to rapidly scale greenhouse gas removal technologies by bringing together industry and agriculture on a pioneering platform that uses biochar to restore our environment, remove carbon and enrich our industrial and agricultural systems.

OUR VISION

Reimagining the industry

BBB arose from the founders' shared view that greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies need to scale rapidly to combat climate change. Biochar is the frontrunning GGR technology in terms of energy and economic cost (and benefits for soil, climate and livestock), yet it has failed to scale commercially. We believe that the reason for failure boils down to the business model, not the technology. BBB is here to change that...

We see a future where suppliers and users of GGR technologies are connected through our easy-to-use online platform that allows biochar pioneers to buy, sell, learn and verify the impacts of their GGR solution. Once this system is established, our platform lays the foundation to allow multiple companies to integrate themselves into an international B2B GGR network.

BBB is the first spin-off from dss+, a global operations consulting firm with the purpose of saving lives and creating a sustainable future.

Alex Clarke, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer

Alex is a pragmatic entrepreneur committed to building systems that enable climate change tackling solutions. He spun out BBB from dss+ in 2022 to build the platform and enable carbon removal on the gigatonne scale.

Alex has an R&D management background, formerly working for the UK’s independent scientific academy, the Royal Society managing projects on carbon capture & utilisation, green hydrogen and green ammonia. Since then, Alex has been in industry managing innovation projects funded by BEIS, UNCDF, Clasp, Factor-E, Shell Foundation, CDC, Mastercard and InnovateUK. Alex was awarded the Horner Foundation Scholarship for a double MSc in Sustainable Development & Energy from the University of St Andrews and Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He also holds a BSc in Environmental Geoscience from Cardiff University.

Hamish Creber, Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer

Hamish is an engaging and innovative biochar researcher dedicated to creating viable biochar systems in response to climate change. His goal – to support wide-scale industry adoption of biochar through system optimisation in agriculture and forestry.

Hamish completed his PhD at the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with Forest Research. His work involved maintaining and assessing large scale biochar field trials and long-term experimental plots, researching the delivery of phosphorus through biochar amendment in forest establishment and developing life cycle analysis models for woodland creation and nursery tree production. Through collaboration with industry partners, Hamish has created a decision support system to optimise carbon storage potential and calculate the net zero year for woodland creation. Prior to his role at the University of Edinburgh, Hamish worked as a Forest Manager at Savills where he was responsible for managing and implementing publicly funded afforestation projects.

Adrien Koo, Full Stack Developer

Adrien is a forward-thinking full-stack developer specialized in everything digital and web-related. A polyvalent all-rounder with aesthetic sensibilities, he seeks to bridge the gap between the technical and creative aspects of modern technologies.

After studying computer science at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Adrien co-founded Webpanda, a digital-agency based in his hometown of Geneva. In the last 6 years, he’s taken on numerous projects, ranging from websites and apps to mobile VR and AR camera filters. In 2020, he co-founded Weely, a SaaS marketing platform aimed at restaurants and small businesses, working with clients such as Dunkin Donuts, Philip Morris, and Holy Cow. Going forward, Adrien is set on building out the digital side of BBB, tackling modern problems with modern solutions.

Shefali Bagaria, Innovation Manager

Shefali graduated as a design engineer from Imperial College London. She is passionate about using technology and innovation to develop new systems that tackle the climate crisis. Understanding the true impacts of new products like biochar is important to her, and she is working closely with our research partners to develop data-driven methods of validating them. As Innovation Manager at BBB, Shefali manages projects ranging from upgrading Scotland’s biggest farm carbon footprinting tool to include novel biochar impact models, to developing BBB’s own digital strategy for farm impact and carbon tracking. She is a touchpoint for our users and stakeholders, striving to keep their needs at the core of our product development.

Megan Evans, Head of Finance

Meg is a conscientious and astute finance professional committed to scaling financial systems for small companies tackling the multifaceted environmental issues of the 21st century.

After completing her degree in accounting & finance at Leeds University Meg went onto work in a diverse range of sectors such as financial software, estate management and most recently was the Head of Finance at a craft brewery helping them implement their move and expansion out of London. She is on the cusp of completing her Chartered Institute of Management Accounting qualification (CIMA) and is helping BBB to integrate traditional financial models with climate finance, carbon accounting and new environmental taxation systems.

Nicholas Hughes, Head of Pyrolysis Operations

As a Pyrolysis Operations Manager, Nicholas brings a unique blend of hands-on experience and management skills to the table. He is committed to drive innovation and success in BBB, with a personal vision of managing the largest fleet of pyrolysis units in Europe.

With a solid foundation from his service in the Royal Navy submarine service as an engineering technician and operator, Nick honed his ability to work under pressure and solve complex operational challenges. Transitioning to Veolia Energy, he spent eight successful years as an Operation and Maintenance Supervisor overseeing industrial utilities plants. He built himself a reputation for his dedication, quick learning abilities, and tireless work ethic. He is passionate about driving operational excellence and process improvements in biochar manufacturing at BBB.

Darren Foden, Pyrolysis Plant Operator

Darren brings over twenty years of manufacturing experience to his role as a Pyrolysis Plant Operator. With a proven track record at companies like Unilever PG Tips and Northern Foods, Darren excels in managing complex production operations and troubleshooting issues.

Known for his expertise in plant running and operational efficiency, Darren ensures smooth and effective plant operations, maintaining high product quality & safety.

We are excited to have Darren on our team, where his skills will drive success in our pyrolysis operations.

Christian McKenna, Project Manager

Christian is a results-focused project manager bringing experience from large scale programme management as well as start-up environments. He is an energetic, team-oriented professional who likes to bring structure while also getting his hands dirty (sometimes in the biochar!).

Christian graduated from Agri-Environmental Sciences in University College Dublin before completing an MSc in Management at UCD Smurfit. He began his career as a management consultant at KPMG and as a business analyst for an innovative food ingredients business. He is passionate about change that can scale and currently manages the development and trialling of new biochars at BBB.