An apparatus for the autogenous production of charcoal comprising: a feeder for supplying a heated organic material to a reaction vessel, the reaction vessel for supporting a reaction bed of organic material, and at least one discharge port for discharging thermally decomposed organic material from the reaction vessel, the reaction vessel defining a flow path in which the thermal decomposition of the organic material progresses as the organic material progresses through the reaction vessel; the reaction vessel comprising: a reaction zone for autogenous pyrolysis reaction of organic material in the reaction bed to form pyroligneous gases, a cooling zone having at least one cooling zone inlet for supplying cooling gas into the reaction bed and a cooling zone outlet (10, 17) to extract heated gas from the reaction bed, and at least one reaction zone inlet in the form of a lance extending through the reaction bed into the reaction zone to supply a gas into the reaction vessel; and reaction zone outlets provided in the periphery of the reaction zone to remove gas supplied to the reaction zone by the lance, such that gases enter the reaction zone substantially at a central location in the reaction vessel and move transversely across the flow of material in the reaction zone to the periphery of the reaction vessel. a feeder for supplying a heated organic material to a reaction vessel, the reaction vessel for supporting a reaction bed of organic material, and at least one discharge port for discharging thermally decomposed organic material from the reaction vessel, the reaction vessel defining a flow path in which the thermal decomposition of the organic material progresses as the organic material progresses through the reaction vessel; the reaction vessel comprising: a reaction zone for autogenous pyrolysis reaction of organic material in the reaction bed to form pyroligneous gases, a cooling zone having at least one cooling zone inlet for supplying cooling gas into the reaction bed and a cooling zone outlet (10, 17) to extract heated gas from the reaction bed, and at least one reaction zone inlet in the form of a lance extending through the reaction bed into the reaction zone to supply a gas into the reaction vessel; and reaction zone outlets provided in the periphery of the reaction zone to remove gas supplied to the reaction zone by the lance, such that gases enter the reaction zone substantially at a central location in the reaction vessel and move transversely across the flow of material in the reaction zone to the periphery of the reaction vessel. a reaction zone for autogenous pyrolysis reaction of organic material in the reaction bed to form pyroligneous gases, a cooling zone having at least one cooling zone inlet for supplying cooling gas into the reaction bed and a cooling zone outlet (10, 17) to extract heated gas from the reaction bed, and at least one reaction zone inlet in the form of a lance extending through the reaction bed into the reaction zone to supply a gas into the reaction vessel; and reaction zone outlets provided in the periphery of the reaction zone to remove gas supplied to the reaction zone by the lance, such that gases enter the reaction zone substantially at a central location in the reaction vessel and move transversely across the flow of material in the reaction zone to the periphery of the reaction vessel.