Biochar: A Potential Pathway to Carbon Removal and Sustainable Development

 

Biochar: A Potential Pathway to Carbon Removal and Sustainable Development

🔹 What is Biochar?

Biochar is a carbon-rich form of charcoal produced by pyrolysis (thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen) of agricultural residue and organic municipal solid waste. It is a sustainable method of waste management and a negative emissions technology with wide-ranging applications.

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🔸 1. What are the byproducts of biochar production, and how can they generate electricity and fuels?

Byproducts:

• Syngas (20–30 million tonnes annually)

• Bio-oil (24–40 million tonnes annually)

Potential Uses:

• Syngas can generate 8–13 TWh of electricity — ~0.5–0.7% of India’s annual generation, replacing 0.4–0.7 million tonnes of coal.

• Bio-oil can offset 12–19 million tonnes of diesel/kerosene, cutting 2% of India's fossil fuel emissions and reducing oil imports.

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🔸 2. How can biochar help the construction sector?

• 2–5% biochar added to concrete:

  • Improves mechanical strength

  • Enhances heat resistance by 20%

  • Captures 115 kg CO₂ per cubic metre of material

• This turns construction materials into long-term carbon sinks, supporting low-carbon infrastructure development.

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🔸 3. Why is biochar underrepresented in carbon credit systems?

Despite its potential, biochar is underutilized due to:

• Lack of standardised feedstock markets

• Inconsistent carbon accounting practices

• Weak investor confidence

• Poor inter-sectoral coordination (agriculture, energy, environment)

• Absence of strong Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) frameworks

• Limited policy support and stakeholder awareness

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🔸 4. How can large-scale adoption of biochar be enabled?

Recommendations:

1. Strengthen R&D:

   • Develop region-specific biomass utilisation strategies

   • Set feedstock standards based on agro-climatic conditions

2. Integrate into policy frameworks:

   • Include biochar in crop residue management and state climate action plans

   • Align with bioenergy programs in both urban and rural areas

3. Recognize in carbon markets:

   • Establish biochar as a verifiable carbon removal pathway

   • Enable carbon credit revenues for farmers and investors

4. Promote rural adoption:

   • Deploy village-level biochar units to create ~5.2 lakh rural jobs

   • Leverage co-benefits: better soil health, 10–20% less fertilizer use, 10–25% higher crop yield

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🔹 Additional Benefits of Biochar:

• Long-term carbon storage (100–1,000 years in soil)

• 30–50% reduction in nitrous oxide emissions

• Improved water retention and restored degraded soils

• Wastewater treatment: 1 kg biochar can treat 200–500 litres
  (India generates 70+ billion litres/day; 72% untreated)

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✅ Conclusion:

Biochar is not a silver bullet, but it offers a science-backed, multi-sectoral solution to simultaneously address climate mitigation, waste management, rural employment, and agricultural sustainability. With the Indian carbon market set to launch in 2026, recognizing and investing in biochar now is crucial for aligning climate goals with economic development.