Robinson Carbon Plans $16.3M Biochar Plant at England Airpark in Louisiana

Robinson Carbon will build a $16.3 million biochar plant at England Airpark in Alexandria, Louisiana, taking the company’s biochar production to industrial scale with construction starting this month and production expected in the second quarter of 2027, Louisiana Economic Development announced on November 4, 2026 (Louisiana Economic Development).

Robinson Carbon is part of Robinson Lumber Co., a family business founded in New Orleans in 1893. The new facility will be the company’s first industrial-scale biochar plant and will create 42 direct new jobs, with LED estimating another 60 indirect jobs in the region, for 102 total (Louisiana Economic Development). The company will also retain 22 existing positions (Louisiana Economic Development).

What Happened

The project is located at England Airpark in Alexandria, in Rapides Parish (Louisiana Economic Development). The plant will convert Southern Yellow Pine wood residuals from nearby mills into biochar for agricultural, horticultural and pollution remediation markets (Expansion Solutions).

Garner Robinson, CEO of Robinson Carbon, tied the project to the company’s roots. “My great-great-grandfather founded our company in New Orleans in 1893 selling Louisiana longleaf pine,” he said in the release (Louisiana Economic Development). “Biochar is an exciting opportunity to make something truly new out of wood,” he added (Expansion Solutions).

Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said, “Louisiana has long been a leader in turning our natural resources into products used around the world” (Louisiana Economic Development), and that the company’s latest investment “reflects how innovation is creating new possibilities” (Expansion Solutions).

The Robinson Carbon Biochar Plant by the Numbers

• Capital investment: $16.3 million (Louisiana Economic Development).
• Equipment: two rotary drum pyrolysis reactors (Louisiana Economic Development).
• Feedstock: about 100,000 metric tons a year of Southern Yellow Pine residuals (Louisiana Economic Development).
• Output: about 16,500 metric tons of biochar a year (Louisiana Economic Development).
• Carbon credits: about 40,000 CO2 Removal Certificates a year once certified under the Puro Standard (Louisiana Economic Development).
• Jobs: 42 direct new jobs, an estimated 60 indirect jobs and 22 retained positions (Louisiana Economic Development).
• Schedule: construction begins in November 2026, with production expected in the second quarter of 2027 (Louisiana Economic Development).

The state did not disclose the building’s square footage, average salaries, or the design and construction team (Louisiana Economic Development). A pilot reactor is being relocated from New Albany, Indiana, to the Alexandria site for training (Louisiana Economic Development).

Incentives

Louisiana offered Robinson Carbon a $550,000 performance-based grant for site and infrastructure improvements. The company is also expected to use the state’s High Impact Jobs program and Industrial Tax Exemption program (Louisiana Economic Development).

Ralph Hennessy, Executive Director of the England Economic and Industrial Development District, said the investment “reinforces England Airpark’s position as a competitive location for advanced manufacturing” (Louisiana Economic Development). Chris Masingill, President and CEO of the regional economic development group Louisiana Central, also spoke in support of the project in the state’s release (Louisiana Economic Development).

Where Things Stand

The project moves quickly from announcement to construction, with site work starting this month and a production target in the second quarter of 2027 (Louisiana Economic Development). That is a short window for a process plant and suggests a compact scope built around reactor equipment, site infrastructure and supporting buildings.

The plant also reflects a broader pattern in industrial construction: projects that pair a physical product with an environmental revenue stream. In Robinson Carbon’s case, the carbon removal certificates depend on the plant being certified under the Puro Standard (Louisiana Economic Development). Construction markets in Louisiana have been active this year; Louisiana led all states in year-over-year construction job growth in September, adding 18,800 jobs according to AGC data covered in recent state jobs coverage.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

Industrial contractors. Biochar and pyrolysis plants combine heavy equipment setting, material handling, ductwork, emissions control and electrical work. Contractors with experience in sawmill, biomass or wood products facilities are a natural fit for this type of work.

Site and civil subs. The $550,000 grant is earmarked for site and infrastructure improvements, which on industrial sites typically means grading, paving, utilities and truck access (Louisiana Economic Development).

Owners in wood products. For mills with residual streams, biochar is one way to turn waste into a product and a credit. The project shows how a state incentive package and an existing industrial park can shorten the path to construction.

Sustainability-minded owners. Projects like this one are part of the broader push toward lower-carbon inputs that is also reaching construction materials and federal procurement.

What to Watch

• Whether construction stays on pace for production in the second quarter of 2027.
• Certification of the plant under the Puro Standard for CO2 Removal Certificates.
• Any expansion beyond two reactors if the first phase performs as planned.

Bottom Line

Robinson Carbon’s $16.3 million biochar plant at England Airpark is a modest-sized but fast-moving industrial project that turns pine mill residuals into biochar and carbon removal credits, backed by a $550,000 state grant and expected to start production in 2027.

Key Questions

Where is the Robinson Carbon biochar plant?

The Robinson Carbon biochar plant will be built at England Airpark in Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Louisiana (Louisiana Economic Development).

How much is Robinson Carbon investing in the biochar plant?

Robinson Carbon is investing $16.3 million in its first industrial-scale biochar plant in Alexandria, Louisiana (Louisiana Economic Development).

How many jobs will the Robinson Carbon plant create?

The Robinson Carbon plant will create 42 direct new jobs, and Louisiana Economic Development estimates 60 indirect jobs, for 102 total, while 22 existing positions are retained (Louisiana Economic Development).

When will the Robinson Carbon biochar plant start production?

Construction of the Robinson Carbon biochar plant begins in November 2026, with production expected in the second quarter of 2027 (Louisiana Economic Development).

How much biochar will the Alexandria plant produce?

The Robinson Carbon plant in Alexandria is designed to convert about 100,000 metric tons of Southern Yellow Pine residuals into about 16,500 metric tons of biochar a year (Louisiana Economic Development).

Related Coverage

• Construction Jobs by State: 34 States Up Year Over Year in September
• Low-Carbon Concrete Is Now a Federal Procurement Requirement: What $4.15 Billion in Government Buying Power Means for Construction
• Blue Bird to Convert Fort Valley Motorhome Plant Into $300M School Bus Factory

Image credit: Robinson Carbon (company photo). Image from the source article, Louisiana Economic Development.

Sources

• Louisiana Economic Development, “Robinson Carbon Takes Biochar Production to Industrial Scale in Central Louisiana,” https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/news/robinson-carbon-takes-biochar-production-to-industrial-scale-in-central-louisiana
• Expansion Solutions Magazine, “Robinson Carbon Announces $16.3M Manufacturing Facility in Louisiana,” https://www.expansionsolutionsmagazine.com/robinson-carbon-biochar-facility-louisiana/