Why is Google Investing in Biochar Offtakes?
Google is hoping for big benefits for the planet after sealing a deal with two companies to catalyse and scale biochar for carbon removal.
The tech giant has signed new purchase agreements with Varaha and Charm Industrial – the largest ever of their type.
Randy Spock, Carbon Credits and Removals Lead, Google, said: “Today Google announced new purchase agreements with companies Varaha and Charm Industrial to help catalyse and scale biochar as a promising carbon removal tool for the planet.
“These deals represent the largest biochar offtakes to date – each one will remove 100,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere while delivering strong agronomic and community benefits in India and the United States.”
Scaling biochar production
The two long-term purchase agreements aim to help scale biochar as a carbon removal solution.
Each deal will see Google buy 100,000 tons of biochar carbon removal by 2030. These are the largest biochar deals to date.
Randy said: “We’re purchasing these 200,000 tons to help Google achieve its net zero emissions goal – and start to catalyse biochar production toward a scale that can help the planet mitigate climate change.”
Reasons to be excited
Randy set out three reasons to be upbeat about biochar carbon removal.
- Biochar is a promising carbon removal tool
Randy said: “Biochar is simply waste biomass that has been pyrolysed (heated without oxygen) until it becomes a charcoal-like substance. This simple process locks up CO2 - which otherwise would have rapidly returned to the atmosphere - for centuries. It has a side benefit, too: spreading the biochar on agricultural fields improves soil health, making this a win-win for farmers and the planet.”
- It can be scaled in regions around the world
Randy said: “Because the process is relatively simple and the inputs are widespread, biochar is ready to scale in many geographies today. That’s reflected in our first partnerships: Charm turns forest thinnings into biochar for farms in the US, while Varaha turns invasive species into biochar for smallholders in India.”
- Developing high-integrity projects now will set biochar on the right path to help the planet in the long run
Randy explained: “To ensure biochar projects maximise their impact, it will be critical that companies use the right feedstocks and measure impact rigorously. Both Varaha and Charm have committed to taking this path - and Google will collaborate with each one on ongoing efforts to drive the field forward.”
Working together
Google will work with Varaha to optimise the use of invasive species in India to drive maximum scale, along with maximum impact measurement.
With Charm, Google will document the amount of time CO2 is stored in biochar (which can range from centuries to over a millennium) and help market standard-setters reflect that durability accurately.
Randy said: “With these partnerships, we’re adding biochar to a growing toolkit of carbon removal solutions Google supports (such as enhanced rock weathering and direct air capture) and as a complement to our ongoing efforts to kickstart the carbon removal field through Frontier and Symbiosis.”
He added: “Congratulations to the teams at Charm and Varaha; we’re excited to keep pushing carbon removal forward together.”
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