Scaling biochar: Converting agricultural waste into a gigaton-scale industry
Greenhouse gas removal cohort
Each year, agricultural crop waste stores a massive amount of carbon dioxide. This carbon is normally released back into the atmosphere when the residue decomposes or is burned. However, a process called carbonization can convert it into biochar, a stable material that locks the carbon away for centuries. This project invented a new carbonization process that reduces processing costs by a factor of 10 and overall production costs by a factor of 5, making biochar cheaper than coal and a viable alternative to fossil fuels.
Zero turns organic waste into carbon removal and clean fuel.
The production of biochar permanently stores carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. This solid biofuel is also cheap to produce and can substitute for coal in energy generation and chemical production, including oil, hydrogen, and plastics.