Robinson Carbon to Build $16.3 Million Biochar Plant in Alexandria, Louisiana

Robinson Carbon will invest $16.3 million to establish its first industrial-scale biochar manufacturing facility at England Airpark in Alexandria, Louisiana. The project is expected to create 42 direct new jobs and retain 22 existing positions within Robinson Lumber Company.

Turning pine residuals into biochar

The facility will feature two rotary drum pyrolysis reactors that will convert approximately 100,000 metric tons of Southern Yellow Pine residuals a year into an estimated 16,500 metric tons of biochar, a carbon-rich material used in agriculture, horticulture and environmental remediation. The company has already relocated a pilot reactor from its New Albany, Indiana, operations to Alexandria for workforce training. Construction is expected to begin in November 2026, with production anticipated in the second quarter of 2027.

Garner Robinson, CEO of Robinson Carbon said:

“Biochar is an exciting opportunity to make something truly new out of wood, and we look forward to planting new roots in Central Louisiana.”

State incentives

Louisiana Economic Development offered an incentives package that includes a $550,000 performance-based grant for site and infrastructure improvements. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s High Impact Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs. Robinson Carbon is the carbon products division of Robinson Lumber Company, founded in New Orleans in 1893.