Nian’da Biochar Facility

First Puro biochar project in China, pyrolyzing agricultural waste into biochar for soil improvement.

China generates approximately 0.8 billion tons of agricultural waste annually. Treatment of agricultural waste is a significantly challenge since burning or crushing/returning to fields pose environmental risks. In the meanwhile, excessive fertilizer use, driven by yield demands, dramatically increased greenhouse gas emissions and non-point source pollution, threatening the agroecosystems.

Nanjing Nian’da Biochar Project addresses above issues by partnering with farmers to collect agricultural waste and centrally pyrolyze into biochar, then applied to the same fields providing feedstock. This approach long-term sequesters CO2, enhances soil quality, reduces fertilizer use, boosts crop yields/quality, and increases farmer income & awareness, advancing sustainable agriculture.

The project is currently operating one production line and has generated 330 CORCs in the first crediting period. With carbon credit incomes, it aims to reach full capacity by 2025 (1,500 CORCs/year) and expand with two additional lines by 2026-27 (4,500 CORCs/year) to benefit larger community.

Biochar offers multiple benefits for sustainable agriculture:

1. It improves soil porosity, enhancing root growth and microbial activity;

2. It reduces chemical fertilizer requirements, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and non-point source pollution;

3. It boosts crop drought resistance, lowering irrigation demands;

4. It increases both crop yields and quality, improving farmers' income;

5. It remediates acidified farmland and heavy metal-contaminated soils;

6. It promotes biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems.