Why in News?
- India plans to launch a carbon credit trading market in 2026. Biochar is being recognised as a promising technology for removing carbon dioxide while offering benefits in agriculture, construction and energy.
What Is Biochar?
- Biochar is a charcoal‑like substance produced by pyrolysis—heating organic waste (such as crop residue or municipal waste) in the absence of oxygen.
- It is porous, stable and long‑lasting. When mixed with soil, it acts as a carbon sink, locking away carbon for hundreds of years.
India’s Untapped Potential
- The country generates over 600 million tonnes of agricultural residue and around 60 million tonnes of municipal solid waste every year. Converting even 30–50 % of this into biochar could produce 15–26 million tonnes of biochar annually.
- This amount of biochar could remove about 0.1 gigatonnes of carbon‑dioxide equivalent each year and create an estimated 520,000 rural jobs through decentralised production.
- For example, converting paddy stubble in Punjab into biochar could reduce air pollution from stubble burning and provide income in rural areas.
Benefits Across Sectors
- Energy and by‑products: Pyrolysis produces syngas and bio‑oil alongside biochar. These can generate 8–13 terawatt‑hours of electricity and replace 0.4–0.7 million tonnes of coal annually, cutting fossil‑fuel dependence.
- Agriculture and soil health: Adding biochar improves water retention and reduces fertiliser needs by 10–20 %. Crop yields can increase by 10–25 %, particularly in degraded soils. It also reduces nitrous‑oxide emissions by 30–50 %, an important greenhouse gas.
- Construction: Incorporating 2–5 % biochar into concrete improves strength, increases heat resistance and sequesters about 115 kg of CO₂ per cubic metre of concrete. This provides a greener alternative for India’s infrastructure sector.
- Wastewater treatment: One kilogram of biochar can treat 200–500 litres of wastewater. With most of India’s sewage remaining untreated, biochar offers decentralised solutions for urban and rural sanitation.
Challenges
- Feedstock markets: There is no standard pricing or quality control for agricultural residue and other biomass feedstocks, making commercial production difficult.
- Carbon accounting: Weak monitoring and verification systems undermine confidence in biochar’s carbon‑removal claims, limiting investment.
- Research gaps: More region‑specific research on pyrolysis technologies and biomass optimisation is needed to suit India’s diverse agro‑climatic zones.
- Policy fragmentation: Biochar is not fully integrated into mainstream agricultural, waste, energy and climate policies, leading to siloed efforts.
- Lack of business models: Financial incentives, start‑up incubation and private investment are insufficient to scale up production.
Way Forward
- Include biochar in crop‑residue management programmes, state climate‑action plans and national bio‑energy policies.
- Recognise biochar as an eligible carbon‑removal pathway within India’s carbon market, enabling credit‑based income for farmers and entrepreneurs.
- Invest in research to develop pyrolysis technologies tailored to different regions and to set quality standards.
- Conduct awareness and training programmes through agricultural extension services, digital platforms and local panchayats to familiarise farmers and entrepreneurs with biochar.
Conclusion
Biochar is not a panacea, but it can play a valuable role in India’s climate and development strategies. With the right policies, markets and community participation, it could become central to India’s journey toward carbon neutrality.
