Biochar Technologies Powering 11 of the 60 Finalists in the XPRIZE
$100M Carbon Removal Competition The XPRIZE $100M Carbon Removal Competition announced the selection of 11 semi-finalists companies or projects using biochar and/or Pyrogenic carbon capture and storage (PyCCS), among 60 finalists selected out of over 1300 submissions.
“The selection of these biochar-focused XPRIZE winners provides further validation that biochar and PyCCs are scientifically proven and ‘shovel ready’ to remove and store carbon. Beyond its carbon capture capabilities, biochar can also improve soil health, create materials for carbon negative buildings and roads, as well help improve outcomes for stormwater and flooding, among other biochar use co-benefits.”
– Kathleen Draper, Board Chair for the International Biochar Initiative.
“Today, PyCCS represents the most relevant technical carbon sink. Thus, in 2022 alone, EU-wide PyCCS installations will sequester 100.000 tons of CO2e. In 2036, 255 million tons of CO2e annually can be stored in Europe alone if PyCCS is supported by policy as a key means to carbon sequestration. There is no doubt, in short-term PyCCS will be the most relevant technology for the creation of carbon sinks and thus for mitigating climate change.”
– Harald Bier, Head of the European Biochar Industry Consortium office.
“It is affirming to see biochar and PyCCS being recognized as one of six NETs in the XPRIZE Awards in line with the IPCC report since 2018. The world is waking up to the potential of the human race working with the natural carbon cycle for economic, environmental and social outcomes,”
– Don Coyne, CEO of the Australia New Zealand Biochar Industry Group.
“This recognition from XPRIZE of biochar for meaningful carbon removal and storage capacity – and its economic potential to scale – is a huge win for the rapidly expanding biochar / PyCCs industry,”
“Thinking of the more than a 1000 biochar enterprises in North America, Asia, Africa, the EU, as well as hundreds of researchers contributing to the more than 20,000 published, peer-reviewed studies proving the science of biochar, USBI is thrilled to see growing international support for biochar and PyCCs.”
– Tom Miles, Executive Director, United State Biochar Initiative (USBI).
This illustrates that Biochar/PyCCS will be a key technology for urgently needed carbon dioxide removal.
The three XPRIZE Carbon Removal Milestone Award:
• The Bioeconomy Institute Carbon Removal Team at the University
• NetZero
• Takachar
Companies among the 60 finalists:
• Advanced Renewable Technology International (ARTi)
• Bio Capture
• Carbofex
• Team ClimateAdd (CarStorCon Technologies, Syncraft, Energiewerk Ilg, Carbonfuture)
• Mercurius Rising
• NovoCarbo
• Perpetual Next
• Sonnenerde GmbH
