Let's talk biochar

Why Carbon Removal?

01 Net-zero

The amount of companies and countries that have set out net-zero pledges for 2050 increases every year. To reach that goal, two things have to happen. We have to strongly reduce our emissions, and simultaneously, we have to compensate our remaining emissions that are hard to abate.

02The Issue

The transition towards zero emissions practices are not implemented over night, it takes a tremendous amount of time, effort and money. It is unrealistic to have zero emissions in the future, that is why every IPCC scenario is counting on permanent Carbon Removal in its projections.

03 Carbon Removal

There is a difference between short and long term carbon removal. To compensate for fossil emissions, long term and permanent carbon removal is the only true solution. This can be achieved through various practices like enhanced rock weathering, direct air capture and the carbonisation of biomass.

04 why biochar?

Biochar is a stable form of carbon for over a thousand years, created by pyrolysis of biomass. Through this process, biochar has gained a big internal surface area. Therefore, biochar stores nutrients and water really well, besides providing a habitat for microorganisms. Because of these characteristics, Dutch Carboneers uses biochar as soil enhancer for arid and depleted soils. The combination of being a permanent carbon sink and a soil enhancer makes biochar an absolute winner in climate change mitigation.

How we do it

Dutch Carboneers, a certified C-Sink Manager, works with a local on ground partner and rural farmer communities in the global South. The first step is to provide training on how biomass is stored, biochar is produced and how biochar is applied to the soil.

To track the biochar production, Dutch Carboneers has created their own digital Monitoring Reporting and Verification application for mobile devices. With every biochar production batch, a supervisor is present. The supervisors upload time-stamped photographs and GPS data of the production and biochar end application into the soil.

Dutch Carboneers checks the incoming data, registers the carbon sink in the C-Sink Registry and sells carbon credits on the voluntary carbon credit market. The revenue of carbon credits are the financial motor behind the projects.

Project details

Decentralised

There is no need for a big investment upfront, nor a rigid infrastructure for biomass collection and biochar distribution.

Decentralized biochar production is very effective. The global biomass opportunity is insanely huge and projects can be set up fast.

Farmer communities reap the benefits of both the biochar application to their soils and the financial influx from carbon credit sales.

Centralised

Larger pyrolysis units easily cost over half a million euro's and require a complex infrastructure for material and biomass supply.

Centralized biochar production is very efficient as waste heat can be utilized in these larger installations. It also takes a longer time to set up a project.

Centralized production needs a business model with revenues from energy, biochar and carbon credits. These do not end up with the farmers.

Our Team

Berend de Haas

Co- Founder
Biology

Mart de Bruijn

Co-Founder
Environmental
Economics

Rudy Walsh

Intern
Sustainable
Development

Daniel Guarín

Operations Manager
Soil Sciences
and International
Agriculture

Advisory Board

James MacPhail

James MacPhail is a respected expert in the global biochar space. He has been a Fellow & Biochar Lead at The Climate Map and a Strategic Advisor for the International Biochar Initiative - the worlds advisory body for all things biochar and as such was asked by Cornell University to lobby for biochar at COP26 in Glasgow. He is also Executive Vice President of Applied Gaia – a continuous pyrolysis technology company deploying Negative Emissions Technologies around the world.

Ian Wachters

Ian is a former Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group where he advised clients on commercial topics, including pricing and sales. He also has a broad experience in strategy development and large transformations. After 7 years at Shell (in IT and B2B commercial roles) and 20 years at BCG, he now focuses on helping tech start-ups that aim to make the world a better place. Next to being an advisor and investor, he also fulfills an operational role as the CCO of Roseman Labs, a company specialized in privacy preserving software.

Albert Fischer

Albert Fischer is a seasoned professional in sustainability and circularity with international business experience. Proven track record as investment fund manager, entrepreneurial investor and Chairman of Board of Directors in the sustainable business and clean energy space. Invested in 25+ low-carbon ventures, companies and projects. Albert is creative and pragmatic with strong analytical skills and has lead Perpetual Next to the top 60 round of the XPRIZE Carbon Removal, funded by the Musk Foundation.