Supercritical has published a new industry report, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities on the journey of scaling biochar as a carbon removal method by 2030.
The report, called “Bottlenecks and Breakthroughs: Scaling Biochar on the Road to 2030,” is a market overview put together with feedback from project developers, buyers, registries, rating agencies, and industry experts, painting a picture of the current state of biochar and signaling key findings for its road ahead.
One of the major takeaways from this report points to the risk of biochar being dominated only by a handful of suppliers and buyers, turning it into a blooming but fragile sector that depends on the consistency of landmark, large-scale buyers to sustain itself.
This year biochar accounts for 90% of CDR deliveries, with only 8 buyers and 13 suppliers comprising 90% of the market. This tendency, Supercritical warns, exposes the sector to the risk of consolidating into “Big Biochar.”
Supercritical CEO and co-founder Michelle You shared, “Biochar is the unsung hero of carbon removal. It’s already working at scale, delivering both permanence and powerful co-benefits like healthier soils and waste turned into value.”
“But unless we diversify supply and unlock financing for new entrants, we risk building a fragile system dominated by a handful of players. The future of carbon removal depends on buyers stepping up now to build the resilient, innovative ecosystem we need,” she added.
According to the report, the fundamental obstacle standing in the way of biochar scaling is financing. The publication supports this claim by stressing that the main reason biochar CDR projects fail is not the science behind them, but rather the lack of bankable offtake agreements that would unlock profit for suppliers.
Relevant: Biochar Market Heats Up As 2025 Credits Nearly Sold Out, Supercritical Warns
While noting these risks, the report also identifies positive trends in biochar, mentioning that new biomass feedstocks and novel biochar applications are introducing sector innovations.
Technologies like satellite imagery, geotagging, and machine data are carving the path for affordable and precise MRV approaches that can be done much more rapidly than the ones relied on so far.
With 2030 net-zero targets approaching, the report calls attention to the game-changing role buyers can play in the future of biochar, underscoring that this sector’s growth depends on more bankable offtakes that would power its steady rise to global climate-relevant levels.
Read more: New Puro.earth Report Tracks The Rise Of Biochar As A Leading CDR Approach
