Biochar carbon removal

Biochar carbon removal pyrolyses lignocellulosic biomass at roughly 300-700 °C in the absence of oxygen, converting a fraction of its carbon into a stable solid (biochar) that resists decay for centuries to millennia while retaining soil-fertility value. Charm Industrial secured a 61,500-tonne carbon-dioxide-removal purchase plus $20 million in debt financing and a multi-year JPMorgan offtake agreement to scale biomass carbon removal; Novocarbo sells certified biochar carbon-removal credits for net-zero buyers; and Carbonfuture, the world’s leading durable-CDR registry, partners with Puro.earth whose biochar methodology underpins the trade. Voluntary-market biochar credits have historically cleared in the $100-300 per tonne CO2 range, making biochar one of the few CDR routes already delivering tonne-scale, revenue-grade removal today.

The key directions of biochar carbon removal are:

1. Slow pyrolysis biochar for soil and CDR (Slow-Pyrolysis Biochar): continuous or batch pyrolysis of biomass into biochar plus heat, applied as a soil amendment that locks carbon for centuries — Novocarbo and Carbofex.
2. Fast-pyrolysis bio-oil injection (Fast-Pyrolysis Bio-Oil): rapid pyrolysis to a liquid bio-oil pumped into geologic formations for permanent removal — Charm Industrial.
3. Biochar carbon credits as a climate asset (Carbon Credits): measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of stored carbon and its sale as certified removal credits — Carbonfuture and the Puro.earth biochar methodology.
4. Circular agriculture and soil amendment (Biochar Soil Amendment): biochar returned to farmland, nurseries and remediation sites for yield, nutrient retention and contaminant control, often co-located with district heat — Carbofex.

Sectoral value chain#

[biomass / residue] ──> [pyrolysis reactor] ──> [biochar / bio-oil]
                                │
                        (heat + stable carbon)
                                │
                                ▼
[carbon credit] <─── [soil / geologic storage] <─────┘

Value chain levels#

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• Continuous slow-pyrolysis reactors (Continuous Slow Pyrolysis): Carbofex-style reactors co-produce biochar and district heat, coupling carbon removal to municipal energy supply.
• Fast-pyrolysis bio-oil injection (Bio-Oil Injection): Charm Industrial’s rapid pyrolysis yields a bio-oil pumped underground for permanent, measurable removal.
• Puro.earth biochar methodology (Biochar MRV): the registry methodology that quantifies stable carbon and issues tradeable biochar removal credits via Carbonfuture.

The stack couples thermochemical carbonisation, stable-carbon geologic or soil storage, and registry-grade MRV into a revenue-positive removal chain.

1. Slow and continuous pyrolysis (Slow Pyrolysis):
   • Carbofex-style continuous reactors pyrolyse biomass at 300-700 °C, co-producing biochar and heat that feeds municipal district heating, so removal is coupled to energy revenue.
   • Novocarbo operates pyrolysis plants whose biochar output is sold both as a soil product and as certified carbon-removal credits.
2. Fast-pyrolysis bio-oil injection (Fast Pyrolysis):
   • Charm Industrial’s rapid pyrolysis converts biomass into a bio-oil that is pumped into geologic formations, delivering permanent, measurable removal at tonne scale.
   • a 61,500-tonne CDR purchase and $20 million in debt financing, backed by a JPMorgan offtake, scale the bio-oil route toward industrial volumes.
3. Biochar MRV and credit infrastructure (Carbon Credits):
   • Carbonfuture’s registry and the Puro.earth biochar methodology quantify the durable carbon stored in biochar and issue tradeable removal credits, turning a soil amendment into a monetisable climate asset.
   • voluntary-market biochar credits clearing in the $100-300 per tonne CO2 range make biochar the largest revenue-grade CDR category already shipping.