CHAR Technologies has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for an application covering its pyrogas treatment process, moving the technology closer to patent issuance.
A Notice of Allowance means the USPTO has determined that the application is allowable, subject to completion of the remaining issuance formalities. The patent has not yet been formally granted or published. CHAR Tech expects issuance and publication in the fourth quarter of 2026, when additional details should become publicly available.
The technology covered by the allowed application treats pyrogas, the gas stream generated by the company’s high-temperature pyrolysis (HTP) kiln. The treatment process converts the stream into syngas that can be processed into downstream energy products, including renewable natural gas (RNG).
The process is central to the planned expansion of CHAR Tech’s Thorold Renewable Energy Facility in Ontario. The facility is held through a limited partnership owned equally by CHAR Tech and the BMI Group.
Thorold is being developed in two phases. The first focuses on producing metallurgical-grade biocarbon from wood waste.
CHAR Tech reported in early August that installation of its first commercial HTP kiln was complete. At that time, pyrogas piping, instrumentation and final commissioning remained ahead of its targeted commercial start by the end of September 2026.
Phase 1 is designed to produce up to 5,000 tonnes of biocarbon annually, with output expected to ramp up progressively after commercial startup. The biocarbon is intended to replace a portion of the fossil carbon used in industrial applications such as steelmaking.
A second phase will include another HTP kiln, methanation equipment to upgrade syngas into RNG and an onsite pipeline injection point. CHAR Tech is targeting RNG production in 2027.
The company says the completed expansion would make Thorold the world’s first commercial-scale facility to produce RNG and metallurgical-grade biocarbon simultaneously from wood waste. That designation and the 2027 production schedule remain forward-looking projections.
CEO Andrew White said pyrogas treatment represents one of the principal technical challenges in establishing pyrolysis as a reliable route to renewable natural gas. CHAR Tech expects the protected process to support RNG as a second revenue stream alongside biocarbon production.
Once issued, the patent would add the pyrogas treatment process to CHAR Tech’s existing portfolio of granted patents and trade secrets.
CHAR Technologies is a Canadian clean-technology company developing HTP systems that process unmerchantable wood and organic waste. Its platform is designed to produce renewable gases and solid biocarbon for industrial applications.
