Reviving a Remedy

Production of biochar through pyrolysis has resurfaced as a boon for climate, as it captures carbon besides enriching soil and offering a centuries-old solution to the 21^st-century carbon crisis

- Krishna Gupta

In the past few articles, we have looked at various ways of CDR, such as Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), Direct Air Capture (DAC), and Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW). Biochar is another such way of removing carbon dioxide from the air, which involves the burning of carbon-rich organic material by the process of pyrolysis (burning in the absence of oxygen). Let us discuss this in more detail.

Biochar: What is it and how does it capture Carbon Dioxide?

We all know that biomass is created when plants use the carbon dioxide in the air by the process of photosynthesis. This is a natural way of removing carbon dioxide from the air. However, when plants die, they decompose and release the carbon dioxide back into the air. To prevent this, biomass is collected from various sources such as Agriculture, Forest, Industrial, and Municipal waste and heated at very high temperatures going up to 1000 degrees Celsius. This heating of biomass is done in the presence of little or no air through the process of pyrolysis, and leads to the production of a byproduct called biochar. A small amount of biofuel is also often gathered at the end of pyrolysis.