ProClime HIM Evergreen Biochar Project

Biochar is a stable, carbon-rich material produced by heating organic biomass in a controlled oxygen environment. Unlike ordinary charcoal used as fuel, biochar is designed to lock carbon into a solid form, preventing it from returning to the atmosphere as CO₂. Due to its highly porous structure, biochar improves soil health, enhances water retention, and supports beneficial microbial activity, making it a powerful tool for both climate mitigation and sustainable agriculture.

Biochar’s chemical characteristics play a key role in determining its longevity, as they influence both its structural stability and its interactions with the surrounding environment. In general, biomass processed at higher pyrolysis temperatures (above 500°C) produces biochar with greater stability, primarily due to the formation of more condensed polyaromatic carbon structures.

These polyaromatic structures are highly resistant to degradation. They are difficult to break down through biological processes—such as the activity of microorganisms, plants, and soil fauna—as well as through non-biological factors like ultraviolet radiation, oxidation, temperature fluctuations, and moisture.

The elemental composition of biochar also serves as an important indicator of its stability. A higher hydrogen-to-carbon (H/C) ratio typically reflects lower stability, whereas a lower H/C ratio—indicating a greater presence of aromatic carbon—along with a low oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratio, is associated with enhanced chemical stability and durability. Such characteristics are commonly observed in biochar produced under high-temperature pyrolysis conditions.

Biochar is a chemically durable, carbon-rich solid material produced from the pyrolysis of biomass. Pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion process, where biomass is heated in an oxygen free environment to produce a mixture of solid biochar as well as condensable and non-condensable gasses. This process chemically stabilizes the carbon in the biomass, originally captured by plants through photosynthesis, preventing it from returning to the atmosphere through natural decomposition, or combustion, and thereby contributing to long-term carbon removal.

During pyrolysis, biomass is transformed into three key outputs:

1. Biochar (Solid)

Long-term carbon storage

Soil enhancer

Carbon-negative material

2. Syngas (Gas) - A mixture of CO, H₂, and CH₄ which can be reused to fuel the pyrolysis system or generate energy

3. Bio-oil (Liquid) - A dense, energy-rich liquid which can be used as industrial fuel or further refined.

Biochar has diversified applications under various industries. Following are some of the major applications,

• Improves soil fertility and structure

• Enhances water retention

• Reduces fertilizer dependency

• Permanently removes carbon from the atmosphere

• Converts agricultural and organic waste into valuable products

• Reduces methane emissions from decomposition

• Used in concrete and building materials

• Enhances durability while lowering carbon footprint