Achievements 2007 - 2023
2007 Rainbow Bee Eater formed to enable physical carbon drawdown at large distributed scale with triple bottom line benefits.
2008 - 2013 world wide search and testing seeking viable biochar & clean syngas technologies.
2014 RBE designs, builds and tests ECHO2 prototype on Ian Stanley’s farm in Western Australia.
2017 Completed prototype testing in WA.
2018 - 2021 Commissioned ECHO2 heat module at Holla-Fresh.
2018 - 2021 multiple ECHO2 feasibility studies including Glenelg Shire (heating public buildings and pool), Barcaldine (Ross Garnaut led renewable energy precinct), Kochii (oil distillation), Katunga Fresh (heating 21HA glasshouse) and other Australian projects.
2020 ECHO2 featured at Bois Energie 2020 Nantes. France. Invited to join the European Biochar Industry Consortium.
2020 ECHO2 became the first Puro.earth certified biochar based carbon removals outside Europe. ECHO2 CO2 Reduction Certificates (CORCs) purchased by Shopify, Microsoft and others.
2021 Field trials ECHO2 biochar/urea granules and wood vinegar.
2021 RBE and ITP Thermal awarded Australian Government grant that confirms feasibility of low cost commercial scale hydrogen production using modified ECHO2 process with straw.
2021 RBE signs world first multi year forward contract for CORCs.
2022 Second tranche of CORCs delivered to Microsoft and Shopify
2022 Katunga Fresh Stage 1 confirmed with support from a Commonwealth Bank Green Loan. Stage 1 comprises 6 ECHO2 modules providing heat for Pete and Marion Van Den Goor’s 21 HA glasshouse using local straw and biochar and wood vinegar for regional farms.
2023 ECHO2 Reactor redesigned metallurgy, mechanicals and process controls for 100,000 hour design life.
2923 Holla-Fresh syngas system modified ready for the new ECHO2 Reactor.
2023 Forward off-take contract and first delivery of CORCs to Watershed.
2023 Katunga Fresh Stage 1 under construction. Flowsheet and process design commenced for production of commercial quantities of Katunga Fresh char urea granules. Katunga Fresh automated straw delivery system commissioned October.
2023 RBE hired CEO Michael Grant. RBE moved into new HQ and ECHO2 assembly factory at Laverton North in December.