NoviqTech Kicks Off Reef Biochar Trial Targeting Carbon Credits for AI Data Centres

Coralia kicks off harvesting and pyrolysis trial at its Great Barrier Reef Biochar Project

NoviqTech Limited (ASX: NVQ) has announced that its subsidiary Coralia has commenced the Coralia Great Barrier Reef Biochar Trial, mobilising contractors to harvest, chip, and convert invasive Chinese Apple trees into high-quality biochar at its flagship North Queensland project. The trial is designed to assess operational feasibility, feedstock quality, and environmental performance, with a Puro.earth Preliminary Assessment approval targeted for September 2026 as the headline commercial milestone.

What the trial involves — and why it matters

From invasive weed to high-integrity carbon credit

Biochar is produced by heating biomass in a low-oxygen environment through a process called pyrolysis. The result is a stable, carbon-rich material that locks carbon dioxide (CO₂) out of the atmosphere for centuries, making it a recognised form of long-duration carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

Chinese Apple trees are a particularly compelling feedstock for this process. They are an invasive species that degrades the Great Barrier Reef catchment ecosystem, meaning their removal delivers dual environmental benefits: sequestering carbon while simultaneously restoring land and biodiversity. The feedstock is also abundant and sourced through land clearing that would otherwise be required regardless.

Puro.earth is a premium carbon removal registry that sets rigorous methodology standards for biochar CDR credits. Aligning with Puro.earth matters because institutional-grade credit buyers, including data centres and AI hyperscale customers identified by Coralia as its target market, require credits verified against recognised, high-integrity frameworks. Achieving alignment positions Coralia’s credits for premium pricing and sophisticated buyer engagement.

Six objectives driving the trial

The trial is structured to deliver outcomes across six key areas:

1. Institutional alignment — demonstrate a disciplined, transparent, and scalable approach consistent with the due diligence expectations of Puro.earth and institutional carbon removal buyers
2. Operational feasibility — evaluate machinery productivity, logistics, moisture management, and contamination control under real-world conditions
3. Feedstock suitability — assess Chinese Apple biomass for pyrolysis yield and long-term carbon storage stability
4. Economic assessment — gather data to inform an internal economic viability study covering the harvesting-to-pyrolysis value chain
5. Environmental assessment — capture emissions and operational data to assess environmental performance and co-benefits, including land restoration and invasive species removal
6. Research support — produce biochar samples for Swinburne University’s biochar-in-concrete research programme, agricultural trials, and laboratory analysis

Key partners and milestone timeline

A full-value-chain trial built on established partnerships

The trial draws on a network of established partners, each contributing to a distinct stage of the value chain:

• Pyrocal — pyrolysis trials at its Toowoomba facility across multiple operating temperatures
• Swinburne University of Technology — biochar samples to support the previously announced low-carbon concrete research programme
• Puro.earth — trial data, chain-of-custody records, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) inputs being collected to align with Puro.earth methodology requirements
• TFA Project Group — trial outputs to inform pilot facility design work
• A Healthier Earth (AHE) — trial outputs to support engagement under the previously announced strategic MOU

Aerial and ground surveys were also conducted by Fyfe across three areas spanning high, medium, and low infestation densities, ensuring representative feedstock coverage across the project landscape.

Indicative trial milestones

The table below summarises the indicative trial timeline. Timelines are subject to operational, weather, and third-party factors and may be revised as the trial progresses.

The bigger picture for NoviqTech investors

This trial represents the proof-of-concept moment that connects all of Coralia’s previously announced partnerships into a single operational evidence base. The outputs from harvesting, pyrolysis, LCA peer review, and laboratory analysis are collectively designed to satisfy Puro.earth’s methodology requirements, inform pilot facility design with TFA Project Group, and support institutional engagement under the strategic MOU with AHE.

The demand backdrop is also worth noting. Coralia’s Biochar CDR credits are explicitly positioned for data centres and AI hyperscale customers seeking high-integrity carbon removal solutions, a market segment where demand for credible, long-duration removals continues to grow.

Trial outputs are intended to inform future investment decisions, technology selection, regulatory engagement, and potential carbon removal certification pathways. This is the foundational data-gathering event for the project’s commercial development. The near-term catalyst for investors to monitor is the Puro.earth Preliminary Assessment approval, targeted for September 2026. It should be noted that the trial is at an early stage, and there is no certainty that it will deliver the results contemplated, that Puro.earth certification will be achieved, or that any commercial agreements will result in revenue for the company.

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