Clean Water and Sanitation
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Carbo Culture Biochar
Converting forestry and food production residues into biochar, locking the carbon contained in organic matter into a stable, solid form for thousands of years
Carbo Culture takes biomass, or carbon that's been drawn down by plants from the atmosphere, and converts it into an ultra-stable material called biochar. What sets the company apart from other biochar firms is its re-engineering of biochar technology to scale.
Carbo Culture puts special focus on the permanence of the biochar (how long the carbon will be stored on earth), as well as the scalability of the machinery (how easy is it to build thousands of machines). The firm believes that this quality-first focus is the best way to effectively fight climate change.
The woman-led, Finnish-Californian company is currently scaling this biochar technology at their R&D site in California, with an eye on their next big goal: building one of Europe’s largest carbon drawdown facilities, located in Finland. You can pre-purchase carbon credits from this upcoming facility today.
Carbo Culture’s credits have been verified by puro.earth.
Project location
Technology and mechanism
Biochar
Heating waste biomass in the absence of oxygen to produce carbon-rich biochar, which is highly stable and can sequester carbon in soil when applied as a soil enhancer.
Mechanism
Removal
Durability
Permanence: 1000+ years
The durability of this project is extremely high as a result of the technology used. Carbo Culture's pyrolysis temperature allows them to create biochar with high permanence. Looking at the best available science and considering existing research to determine the permanence of the biochar, there are a number of sources of evidence to show that Carbo Culture's biochar technology (as tested in their R&D reactor) significantly outperforms others in terms of permanence.
Evidence indicates that higher temperature conversion creates more permanent biochar: Carbolysis™ uses 850°C vs average pyrolysis temperatures of 550°C. A 2021 paper by Dominic Woolf and Johannes Lehmann shows that with increasing pyrolysis temperature, permanence is increased. Carbo Culture pyrolysis temperature is 850°C on average, whereas many other biochar techniques only reach 550°C, predicting 20% less loss of carbon when using their developed model. Based on this, Carbo Culture claims a durability of 1,000 years.
Citation:
Puro Project Page
Project certifications
Certifier
Standard
puro.earth
Registry ID
100126
Project registration date
Most recent Jan 01, 2025
Crediting period term
Jan 01, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025
Current verifier of project outcomes
Eurofinns
Project details
Emissions reduced or carbon removed on an annual basis
30,000 tonnes
How the project approaches risk of reversal
The project is exposed to minimal reversal risk, as the carbon that comes out of the reactor is already in a stable form in biochar, and only needs to be stored to ensure permanence of the carbon removal. As outlined in the Puro Biochar methodology, we ensure that biochar offtakers are using the biochar in a way that ensures the biochar is safely stored in a mineral matrix, such as soil, from which the biochar cannot be separated.
What actions would be taken by the project developer if anticipated emissions reductions do not take place, or if carbon removal is reversed in the future?
This is not applicable for this project type.
What calculation methods are used to independently reproduce and verify the carbon impact of the project?
Please refer to Section 4 in the methodology document.
Citation:
Methodology
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Affordable and Clean Energy
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Reduce Inequality
Reduce inequality within and among countries
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Responsible Consumption and Production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Climate Action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Life Below Water
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Life on Land
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss