Biochar carbon removal

Biochar carbon removal (also called pyrogenic carbon capture and storage) is a negative emissions technology. It involves the production of biochar through pyrolysis of residual biomass and the subsequent application of the biochar in soils or durable materials (e.g. cement, tar). Biochar locks carbon from biomass into a stable, charcoal-like form that can persist in soils for centuries to millennia, instead of returning to the atmosphere as CO2.

Multi-pool modelling of biochar soil amendments indicates a centennial – millennial turnover rate, depending on factors like feedstocks used, production conditions, application rates and the characteristics of depositional sites. Additionally, biochar and related residues (i.e. pyrogenic carbon) have been demonstrated to have the potential for wider carbon cycling effects such as suppressing greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from amended soils and benefitting vegetation growth.

In some cases amendment studies and meta-analyses have pointed to undesired effects of biochar soil amendments, such as sub-centennial biochar turnover, increased GHG fluxes and degradation of non-biochar soil carbon stocks. Biochar carbon removal can thus be deployed as a targeted strategy, for example with appropriate application rates, feedstocks and production conditions for the intended application site.

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