Google has officially launched the 2026 Google Carbon Removal and Superpollutant Elimination R&D Awards in the United States, designating 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 as a key priority area for scaled carbon dioxide removal (CDR) funding. The primary challenge outlined by the initiative is the reliance of current 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 systems on homogeneous, low-moisture 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, such as traditional forestry and agricultural residues. This dependency severely limits the global scaling potential of biochar carbon removal. Heterogeneous and high-moisture organic wastes—including municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, and non-woody crop residues—remain vastly underutilized due to distributed supply networks and technical hurdles. High levels of moisture, ashAsh is the non-combustible inorganic residue that remains after organic matter, like wood or biomass, is completely burned. It consists mainly of minerals and is different from biochar, which is produced through incomplete combustion.   Ash Ash is the residue that remains after the complete More, heavy metals, and volatile contaminants in these feedstocks frequently foul processing equipment and alter the physical stability of the resulting biochar.

To address these barriers, Google’s R&D program is soliciting proposals focused on technological innovations in 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 preprocessing, modified pyrolysis systems, and the low-cost processing of distributed biomass streams. Funded projects are encouraged to integrate advanced aging or optical reflectance techniques to empirically confirm the long-term carbon permanence of biochars derived from non-traditional feedstocks. Additionally, all feedstocks evaluated must comply with Isometric’s Biomass Feedstock Accounting Module v1.3 standards.

The initiative offers up to $450,000 for a selected research project, targeting deliverables such as rigorous techno-economic and life-cycle assessments alongside bench-to-pilot scale pyrolysis performance data. Applications close on September 25, 2026, with selected award funds scheduled for disbursement by December 31, 2026.