A Healt­hier Earth, a UK-based climate tech firm, has announced plans to build a major biochar faci­lity in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. Part­ne­ring with PYREG, the faci­lity will produce up to 9,000 tonnes of biochar per year, making it one of the largest carbon removal projects in the UK. This effort aims to capture and store around 17,000 tonnes of atmo­spheric CO2 annu­ally, begin­ning in 2025.

Biochar, a carbon-rich mate­rial, is created through pyro­lysis, which heats organic waste like biomass and sewage sludge to over 500°C in low-oxygen condi­tions. This process seques­ters up to 90% of the carbon contained in the original plant mate­rial, preven­ting it from re-ente­ring the atmo­sphere. The faci­lity will use local organic waste, diver­ting it from land­fills and incineration.

The biochar project will also gene­rate carbon removal credits for sale, supporting global decar­bo­niza­tion efforts. A Healt­hier Earth plans to scale this opera­tion with PYREG’s high-capa­city PX6000 pyro­lysis machines, with future expan­sions in mind.

This initia­tive is a signi­fi­cant step towards comba­ting climate change, alig­ning with global goals to limit tempe­ra­ture rise to 1.5°C, as outlined in the Paris Agree­ment. With the capa­bi­lity to deliver large-scale carbon removal, this faci­lity unders­cores the growing role of biochar in climate solutions.

READ MORE: ‘UK’s largest’: A Healt­hier Earth to produce up to 9,000 tonnes of biochar a year at new site