Google has officially opened applications for its 2026 Carbon Removal and Superpollutant Elimination R&D Awards, a global initiative offering targeted research grants across twelve priority areas alongside an open call. The program provides funding up to $500,000 per project to address major scientific and engineering bottlenecks in gigaton-scale carbon dioxide removal and megaton-scale superpollutant abatement.

A central barrier in scaling pyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste biomass into bio-char, bio-oil, and pyro-gas. It offers significant advantages in waste valorization, turning low-value materials into economically valuable resources. Its versatility allows for tailored products based on operational conditions, presenting itself as a cost-effective and efficient More and biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More deployment remains the reliance on prime, high-cost woody biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More feeds. Expanding production requires overcoming severe technical challenges in processing underutilized, highly variable feedstocks—such as municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, and non-woody crop residues—without compromising carbon permanence or end-product stability.

To address these feedstockFeedstock refers to the raw organic material used to produce biochar. This can include a wide range of materials, such as wood chips, agricultural residues, and animal manure. More constraints, Google is offering up to $450,000 for targeted biochar research focusing on converting unconventional biomass streams. The funding supports laboratory testing, field trials, engineering design, and analytical modeling aimed at refining processing methodologies and validating the long-term carbon durability of biochar produced from low-value waste materials.

The initiative aims to expand the viable feedstock base for biochar production, thereby improving commercial affordability, enhancing carbon accounting frameworks, and unlocking global supply potential. Applications close on September 25, 2026, with selected projects set to receive funding by the end of the year to publish open-science data and advance climate mitigation pathways.