A new report commissioned by the Environment Agency’s Chief Scientist’s Group, as part of the SR21 Net Zero funded research, has been released to provide evidence on the potential environmental impacts and social implications of 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. Published in September 2025, the 72-page document details various aspects of biochar, including its properties and the availability of different feedstocks.

The report, authored by a team of researchers from the Environment Agency and Royal Agricultural University, examines how the properties of biochar can vary depending on its source material and production temperature. For example, the study notes that wood-based feedstocks result in a biochar with the highest surface area, while straw-based feedstocks yield biochar with the highest cation exchange capacity. Manure 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, by contrast, results in biochar with the highest nitrogen and phosphorus content. The report also suggests that a treatment temperature of over 500°C results in a biochar that has a higher persistence in soil and higher 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 content.

This research, which is a collaboration with leading scientific organizations and universities, is intended to help the Environment Agency and the wider Defra group understand and manage environmental challenges. The document includes detailed estimations of the availability of agricultural, forestry, and biowaste feedstocks by 2030, with tonnages based on an average 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 energy content of 18.0 MJ/kg. The full report serves as a scientific resource, freely available to the public, to inform decision-making on biochar technology.

SOURCE: Biochar – evidence on potential environmental impacts and social implications