National Carbon Technologies on June 16 announced its acquisition of Greenwood Village, Colorado-based Cool Planet’s biocarbon business, including more than 50 issued and pending patents for biocarbon production and product technologies for use in multiple markets including renewable energy, metals, agriculture and water purification.

The Minnesota-based technology company already leads the global biocarbon market, producing high performance products at its facility located in Marquette, Michigan. With capacity to convert 300,000 tons per year of certified sustainably sourced biomass into advanced biocarbon products, the Marquette facility is the largest in the United States.  The plant’s patented design creates its own process energy and has a world-leading environmental and sustainability profile.

“The acquisition of Cool Planet’s significant biocarbon technology portfolio, in combination with NCT’s existing patents and expanding commercial production capabilities, positions us as the clear global leader in low cost, sustainable engineered biocarbon,” said James Mennell, NCT’s CEO.

Since 2012, NCT has supplied customers around the world looking to reduce their environmental impact while making products that improve performance for utilities, industrial manufacturers, municipalities and high value crop producers.  NCT has proven the production capability to tailor its products to achieve optimal performance in its target markets. 

The acquisition integrates Cool Planet’s award-winning product technologies and NCT’s proven low-cost commercial production into global markets with world-class quality assurance. Patents acquired in this acquisition allow further process and product enhancements including use of performance enhancing microbes and additives.

“We are delighted that the biocarbon technologies we pioneered now will be more accessible based on NCT's proven commercial production capabilities," said Jim Loar, former CEO for Cool Planet.

Given the fast expansion of the company, it is expanding its team of industry experts to lead the various sectors of its business. JJ Zmudzinski, a Cargill operations leader for 25 years, recently joined NCT to serve as its first chief operating officer. Daren Daugaard, who has over 25 years of thermochemical and engineering experience including Oak Ridge National Laboratory and companies such as ConocoPhillips, also joined NCT to serve as its director of pyrolysis and thermal engineering.

 “It’s a thrill to apply my experience in bio-industrial business operations with a technology company that has advanced its operating platform to this scale,” said Zmudzinski. “The trajectory NCT is on with this acquisition, growing customer demand and planned new production facilities will expand our position as the world’s foremost leader in the advanced biocarbon space.”