| Relevance for UPSC;Prelims –Pyrolysis,Biochar and Carbon Sequestration,Syngas and Bio-oil,MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification),State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC) GS Paper III – Mains Environment: Waste-to-energy, carbon sequestration, emissions reduction Agriculture: Soil health, sustainable inputs Economy: Carbon markets, green jobs, circular economy Science & Tech: Biomass pyrolysis, biofuels |
Why in News?
With India set to launch its national carbon market in 2026, biochar has emerged as a promising negative emissions technology, offering benefits across agriculture, energy, construction, and waste management sectors. Despite its wide applicability, biochar remains underutilised and underrepresented in carbon credit systems.
Background;What is Biochar?
- Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by pyrolysis (thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen) of:
- Agricultural waste
- Organic municipal solid waste
- It acts as a long-term carbon sink, improves soil quality, and produces valuable by-products like syngas and bio-oil.
Biochar’s Potential in India
1. Turning Waste into Wealth
India generates:
● 600 million tonnes of agricultural residue (crop leftovers like husks, stalks, straw)
● 60 million tonnes of municipal solid waste every year (urban garbage including food, plastics, etc.)
Much of this waste is either burned (causing pollution) or dumped in landfills (creating methane emissions).
Waste Can Become a Climate Solution
If India uses even 30–50% of this waste to make biochar:
● It can produce 15–26 million tonnes of biochar annually.
● This biochar can trap carbon, removing around 0.1 gigatonnes (100 million tonnes) of CO₂-equivalent emissions every year.
Benefit: Helps fight climate change while managing waste sustainably.
2. Biochar Brings Bonus Energy
While producing biochar (through pyrolysis), two valuable by-products are also generated:
a) Syngas (Synthetic Gas)
● 20–30 million tonnes of syngas can be produced annually.
● This can generate around 8–13 Terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity.
● That’s enough to replace 0.7 million tonnes of coal used for power generation.
Benefit: Cleaner energy, less coal dependency, and reduced air pollution.
b) Bio-oil
● Around 24–40 million tonnes of bio-oil can be produced.
● This can replace 8% of India’s diesel and kerosene usage.
● Helps cut down 2% of India’s fossil fuel emissions.
Benefit: Supports transition to cleaner fuels, reduces oil imports, and lowers carbon footprint.
By converting agricultural and municipal waste into biochar and its co-products, India can:
● Manage waste efficiently
● Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
● Produce clean energy
● Cut down fossil fuel use
Applications of Biochar in India
1. Carbon Sequestration: Long-Term Climate Benefit
● What it does: Biochar locks carbon into the soil and prevents it from re-entering the atmosphere.
● Longevity: This carbon can remain stored for 100 to 1,000 years, unlike organic matter that decays quickly.
● Impact: Acts as a nature-based solution for long-term carbon dioxide (CO₂) removal from the atmosphere.
2. Agriculture: Boosts Soil Health and Reduces Emissions
● Water retention: Especially beneficial in semi-arid areas, biochar holds water longer in soil.
● Lower emissions: Cuts nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions by 30–50%.
N₂O is 273 times more potent than CO₂ as a greenhouse gas.
● Soil improvement: Increases soil organic carbon and microbial activity.
● Farm productivity: Can increase crop yields by 10–25%.
● Fertilizer efficiency: Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers by 10–20%
3. Construction Sector: Stronger and Greener Concrete
● Adding 2–5% biochar in concrete mixtures:
○ Increases mechanical strength (more durable buildings).
○ Improves heat resistance by 20% – helpful in heat-prone areas.
○ Sequesters up to 115 kg of CO₂ per cubic metre of concrete.
4. Wastewater Treatment: Low-Cost Purification Option
● Purification power: Just 1 kg of biochar can clean 200–500 litres of wastewater.
● India’s need: Around 72% of 70 billion litres/day of wastewater remains untreated.
○ That’s a huge potential market for biochar: estimated demand is 2.5 to 6.3 million tonnes/year.
Biochar can support affordable and decentralized wastewater treatment in urban and rural areas.
5. Carbon Capture from Industry: Emerging Use
● Modified biochar can capture CO₂ directly from industrial exhaust gases.
● Limitation: While promising, it is less efficient than advanced capture technologies like amine scrubbers or DAC (Direct Air Capture).
● Advantage: Still useful in small-scale or cost-sensitive setups.
Biochar is more than just a soil amendment — it is:
● A climate solution
● A green technology for agriculture, construction, and wastewater
● A carbon sink that supports India’s net-zero goals
Challenges to Adoption of Biochar in India
1. Underrepresentation in Carbon Markets
● Lack of standard feedstock guidelines: No clear norms on acceptable raw materials for producing biochar.
● Absence of robust carbon accounting methods: Difficult to scientifically measure and certify long-term carbon sequestration.
● Investor uncertainty: Without strong recognition in carbon credit systems, investors view biochar projects as financially risky.
Biochar remains undervalued in carbon markets despite its climate potential.
2. Policy and Market Gaps
● No viable business models: The sector lacks scalable and commercially attractive pathways for entrepreneurs.
● Weak MRV frameworks:
MRV = Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification
These systems are either absent or unreliable, making it hard to track, report, and verify the actual climate benefits of biochar.
● Poor coordination among ministries: Agriculture, environment, energy, and waste management departments work in silos.
Lack of a unified national strategy to promote biochar across sectors.
3. Limited Awareness and Capacity
● Low awareness among stakeholders: Farmers, Panchayats, ULBs (Urban Local Bodies), and state officials are often unaware of biochar’s benefits.
● No training infrastructure: Few extension programs or technical workshops are available for local production or usage of biochar.
Biochar adoption remains confined to research institutions and startups.
4. Technological Barriers
● High cost of pyrolysis units: Machines used to convert waste to biochar are expensive and not widely available.
● Lack of decentralized, scalable tech: Current technologies are either too complex or not suited for rural/small-scale settings.
Entry barriers remain high for rural entrepreneurs and farmer-producer groups.
5. Supply Chain and Infrastructure Issues
● Unorganized biomass supply: Agricultural and municipal waste is scattered, seasonal, and lacks collection mechanisms.
● Storage and transport limitations: Biochar is lightweight but bulky and can degrade in quality over time without proper storage.
The supply chain is inefficient, limiting the reach of biochar products.
Way Forward for Biochar Adoption in India
1. Policy Integration: Mainstream Biochar Across Sectors
To maximize its impact, biochar must be integrated into existing government missions and plans:
● Link with crop residue management schemes (like the National Policy for Management of Crop Residue): This can help reduce stubble burning by converting agri-waste into biochar.
● Connect with bioenergy and waste-to-energy missions: Promotes sustainable energy and reduces landfill pressure.
● Incorporate into State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs): Helps states meet their mitigation targets with a low-cost, nature-based solution.
Biochar becomes a part of India’s climate, agriculture, and energy strategies.
2. Carbon Credit Recognition: Unlock Financial Value
● Include biochar in India’s formal carbon market as a verifiable carbon removal pathway.
● Once approved, producers can earn carbon credits by sequestering carbon through biochar application.
● This can generate new income streams for:
○ Farmers supplying feedstock or applying biochar
○ Entrepreneurs and startups investing in production units
Greater private sector investment and farmer participation.
3. R&D and Regional Customisation
● Develop region-specific feedstock standards: Different agro-climatic zones have different crop residues and biomass types; one-size-fits-all won’t work.
● Tailor biochar production methods to suit soil types, climate, and local resources.
● Promote research collaborations between agricultural universities, IITs, and grassroots innovators.
Locally adapted, more effective, and sustainable biochar solutions.
4. Village-Level Production Units: Decentralised & Job-Generating
● Set up small-scale pyrolysis units in rural areas, close to waste sources.
● These units can:
○ Convert local biomass to biochar
○ Provide low-cost fuel and soil additives
○ Create approximately 5.2 lakh rural jobs in collection, processing, and distribution
Promotes rural development, decentralised climate action, and green livelihoods.
5. Community Incentivisation: Local Ownership and Participation
● Involve Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and Panchayats as:
○ Production hubs
○ Local distributors
○ Awareness agents
● Provide subsidies or performance-based incentives to encourage participation.
Empowers grassroots institutions and ensures long-term sustainability.
Conclusion
Biochar represents a science-backed, low-cost, and multi-sectoral tool to help India meet its climate goals, manage waste sustainably, improve soil fertility, and support rural development. With targeted policy reforms, carbon credit recognition, and grassroots adoption, biochar can transform from a niche innovation to a climate and development game-changer.
Upsc Prelims PYQs
- “What is the use of biochar in farming?”(2020)
Select the correct statements:- Biochar can be used as part of the growing medium in vertical farming.
- It promotes growth of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms.
- It improves water retention in the growing medium.
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Mains practice question-
Q. Discuss the role of biochar in sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation. Examine the challenges associated with its large-scale adoption in India.
(250 words)
SOURCE- THE HINDU
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