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BCR could be the most relevant carbon dioxide removal (#CDR) technology for the next decade (and beyond). It has a technology readiness level (#trl) of 8+ (out of 9), already accounted for 87% of industrial CDR in 2022 (cdr.fyi), and is growing at a CAGR of 68% (in Europe, EBI Market Study 2023).
A peer-reviewed paper by Henrik I. Petersen, Arka Rudra, LX Nguyen, PTM Do, Louise Lassen, Hamed Sanei is now also shining light on a key question often brought up in discussions around BCR: #permanence.
🥊 The punchline: starting at pyrolysis temperatures of 500°C, over 97% of the total organic carbon (TOC) in biochar consists of highly refractory carbon that is geochemically considered to possess long-term stability. Or, in the words of the authors: “almost infinite stability of carbon can be achieved with sufficient thermal alteration of the organic matter (biomass).” Note: this highly stable carbon does not break down in soils, with rain, or over time. This applied across all seven feedstocks used.
💥 This is huge news. This peer reviewed paper looks at biochar permanence not from an agronomist or soil, but from a chemical perspective. And it confirms what many in the industry have been saying already: the vast majority of biochar consists of highly stable aromatic rings that last for thousands of years or longer.
I hope that this can further boost the production and use of biochar, paving the way towards inclusion of BCR as a permanent carbon removal method in the EU's Carbon Removal Certification Framework (#CRCF) and beyond.
What are your thoughts on this? Will this mark a step change for BCR?
Full paper here: https://lnkd.in/ekvb5pcR
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