We track the progress of a carbon removal project through our certification framework. This roadmap moves from a preliminary assessment of eligibility toward full certification under the Puro Standard.
The facility has successfully completed the preliminary assessment conducted by the Puro team, meeting the minimum criteria for listing as a future supplier on Puro.earth.
The facility has passed the third-party facility audit, verifying compliance with the methodology, as well as output audit, verifying the net volume of removed carbon. The facility has been issued CORCs and continues its removal operations, as well as monitoring and reporting to Puro.earth.
Development status
We monitor a facility’s maturity as it moves toward industrial-scale operations. This status identifies whether a project is in development, under construction, or actively removing carbon from the atmosphere.
The feasibility study is ongoing. The Supplier is still collecting data to prove the concept.
The front-end engineering and design are ready and methodology compliant. There is a clear plan to monitor and measure. The LCA is up to the needed quality level or subject to small improvements. The technology has been used before. There are commercial agreements with the relevant business partners of the facility.
The facility is fully funded and is being implemented. Relevant infrastructure is being built.
The facility is operating as a carbon removal facility.
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More about Wakefield Biochar Facility 4
The company’s newest operation, Wakefield BioChar Facility 4 (WB4), anchors a large-scale circular economy initiative in the forestry-rooted city of Valdosta, Georgia.
Operating through a deeply integrated partnership with a major local pulp and paper mill, the facility transforms FSC and SFI-certified pine residues -specifically bark and reject wood chips - into premium biochar. By leveraging carbon finance, Wakefield actively intercepts this biochar from being sold into the metallurgical industry as an emissive reduction agent, redirecting it instead into permanent, verifiable soil sequestration.
Beyond high-integrity carbon removal, WB4 delivers transformative agronomic and social co-benefits. The biochar is applied to local agricultural and horticultural soils, where it dramatically enhances soil structure, reduces potent nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, and critically improves water retention. This moisture-holding capacity provides a vital shield for local farmers against severe climate volatility in a region historically devastated by drought, such as the 2007 drought that cost Georgia’s agriculture industry $339 million.
This project proves that durable climate action can simultaneously drive meaningful economic revitalization and industrial transition in disadvantaged communities.
The application of biochar across Wakefield BioChar’s facilities delivers vital agricultural benefits that transform exhausted soils into thriving ecosystems. When mixed into farmlands, biochar acts as a natural conditioner that improves soil breathing and boosts beneficial bacteria.
Additionally, biochar acts like a microscopic sponge, vastly increasing the soil's ability to hold moisture in a region historically prone to severe droughts. By helping soil retain water much more efficiently, the biochar provides a vital shield for farmers against unpredictable weather.
Beyond the fields, the project generates crucial socio-economic benefits that drive real community revitalization. Wakefield BioChar directly tackles economic hardships by supporting close to 100 green jobs in economically disadvantaged areas, most notably in Valdosta, Georgia. The U.S. government officially classifies Valdosta as an "opportunity zone," as the city battles a severe poverty rate of 32.2% alongside systemic issues like food insecurity. By anchoring its carbon removal operations here, Wakefield BioChar turns climate action into a direct engine for local wealth-building, empowering the regional workforce and fostering long-term economic stability.
Finally, the carbon credit financial model provides a critical lifeline to local farmers by heavily subsidizing the cost of this biochar. This economic support is incredibly important; between 2010 and 2019, Georgia suffered from one of the highest rates of farm bankruptcies in the nation.
By leveraging carbon markets to distribute a product that naturally boosts crop yields, the project relieves financial pressures and helps secure the livelihoods of local family farms.
sdgs
Sustainable development goals
Only listed sustainable development goals (SDGs) have been assessed according to the Puro standard SDG Assessment Requirements and validated and verified by a VVB.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
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