What makes biochar an amazing carbon removal technology and how Carbolysis™ makes it even better

Carbon removal is not only about capturing CO2. We also need to ensure the stabilization, transport, and storage of the captured carbon so that it doesn’t escape back into the atmosphere.

Biochar is a prime example of this value chain: It captures the carbon and also stores it in a safe and durable way.

In addition to this, the four main co-benefits to biochar which have made it our CDR solution of choice are durability, energy generation, beneficial ecosystem services and drawdown efficiency.

Durability

Durability, also known as permanence, measures the length of time that the carbon remains stored away from the atmosphere. It is critical that industrial carbon removal solutions are not at risk of reversibility and provide confidence in the longevity of storage. Due to the stable nature of the carbon bonds in biochar, it is widely regarded to be at extremely low risk of reversal and can keep CO2 from returning to the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years.

Energy generation

As part of the process to create biochar, energy is released, providing an on-demand source of renewable heat or electricity to a community. Indeed, our process is vastly net energy positive compared to other industrial carbon removal technologies that require significant amounts of energy as a part of their carbon capture, stabilization, transport and storage.

Beneficial ecosystem services

Biochar hosts a variety of beneficial ecosystem services depending on the application. These applications vary from construction materials to soil applications. In order for permanent carbon removal to take place, these applications ensure that the carbon won’t be released back into the carbon cycle. In construction materials, elements of conductivity and in soil applications, biochar has an important role in conditioning the soils by storing nutrients and retaining water due to its porous structure.

Drawdown efficiency

The biochar-based carbon removal approach uses nature to draw down carbon and human ingenuity (engineering) to keep it there. This process is highly efficient: since nature draws down the carbon for us, we do not need to spend energy to do it. Subsequently, our engineering approach guarantees that the carbon stays on earth for a long time.

In addition, other biomass-based processes can produce unwanted side streams (e.g. tar/bio-oil) that need to be transported and then pumped underground. Carbo Culture’’s Carbolysis™ process produces more carbon drawdown, in a more stable form because it does not produce these unwanted waste streams.

Carbolysis™ or biochar 2.0. What is it and how is it different from traditional biochar?

Carbolysis™ is the only pyrolysis technology that combines high temperature and ultra-fast processing. Our patent protected process instantaneously converts biomass into biochar and energy-rich syngas with the help of pressure, high temperature and a unique operating process.

By reaching temperatures in excess of 850C, we accomplish two critical things:

1. We create a stable and high carbon content biochar — maximizing both carbon sequestration and the permanence of that carbon in the environment.
2. The high temperatures also create a more efficient process turning all additional energy to heat and does not produce liquid fractions, such as potentially toxic bio oils, common amongst most pyrolyzers.

What are the benefits of Carbolysis™ compared to the traditional pyrolysis process?

• Carbolysis™ enables an industrial production scale and thereby sequester more carbon faster
• Hence, our products will have a lower cost, enabling broader accessibility to consumers and markets
• The quality and durability of our biochar is at the top end of producers, due to our high temperature process
• We eliminate unwanted waste streams like bio oils, typical to other pyrolysis technologies

The beauty of biochar is its versatility. Carbo Culture’s Carbolysis™ represents the high durability and efficiency that biochar is capable of.

In order to reach the scale required for the IPCC in the speed required, we will need all carbon removal methodologies to work together. Technologies like biochar have the capability to scale immediately and respond to the carbon removal needed today. Climate change doesn’t wait, and while we must work to scale all available carbon removal technologies, we must also implement the ones at hand.

In making net zero pledges, both companies and governments need to look at the versatility of their carbon removal portfolios to ensure we can reach the 1,5C goal and ensure that they include both technologies available in the short term, like biochar and in the long term like DACCS and BECCS.

Join us in the race against climate change! Contact hanna@carboculture.com to discuss our high quality, durable carbon credits or go to our careers page & come and work at engineering these climate solutions!