The UK’s largest biochar-based carbon removal facility is set to begin operations later this month in Royal Wootton Bassett, marking a significant expansion of the country’s engineered carbon removal capacity.
The £24 million (~$31.5 million) project is backed by Pure DC, the London-based data center developer, and operated through its cleantech subsidiary, A Healthier Earth.
The industrial-scale plant, built on a brownfield site, will produce around 11,500 tons of biochar annually. Biochar, a stable carbon-rich solid derived from pyrolyzed biomass, stores carbon for centuries when applied to soil or incorporated into construction materials. The site is expected to deliver 18,500 tons of carbon removals per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 6,000 homes.
New Biochar Hub Expands UK CDR Market and Serves Growing Tech Demand
The project arrives as interest in durable carbon removal accelerates among corporate buyers, especially large technology firms with rapidly growing AI-driven energy loads.
Pure DC says companies such as Microsoft and Meta will be able to purchase high-quality biochar removal credits from the facility to meet internal sustainability commitments and offset residual emissions.
The plant is designed to meet European Biochar Certificate (EBC) standards and will channel excess heat from the pyrolysis process into on-site electricity generation. Additional investment phases are planned pending planning and permitting approvals, creating a pathway for expanded capacity and new green jobs in Wiltshire.
Relevant: A Healthier Earth Publishes New Expert Guide On Scaling Biochar
Government ministers framed the project as a model for industrial leadership in greenhouse gas removal. “This investment is an excellent example of industry stepping up to pioneer innovative climate solutions,” said Energy Minister Michael Shanks, adding that biochar and other engineered removals will play a critical role in delivering the UK’s net-zero commitments.
Kanishka Narayan, Minister for AI and Online Safety, emphasised the link between digital infrastructure and climate responsibility. “[This investment] shows how AI leadership and a climate-conscious approach to innovation aren’t competing ideals, but two sides of the same coin.”
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