This week in Carbon- Week 16

Biochar is no longer sitting quietly in pilot mode. This week showed both sides of the market: India is building project pipelines, while global buyers are locking in large certified supply. Here’s what happened this week in carbon removal.

🌱 In the World of Biochar Scale-Up:

India Biochar Startups Get Scale-Up Push: Applications opened on April 14, 2026 for a scale-up program by Global Carbon Warriors, IKP Knowledge Park, and Centre for Sustainable Agriculture for biochar startups in India. The program targets ventures in production or pilot phases, with an April 20, 2026 deadline, and offers carbon credit offtakes, funding assistance, advisory support, digital MRV alignment, registry support, industrial sales support, and hardware vetting. For India’s carbon market, the important point is execution: finance, certification, offtake, and demand are being bundled into one operating model. This suggests biochar is moving from scattered pilots toward more bankable project pipelines.

🌾 In the World of Biochar Projects:

Gujarat Biochar Project Reaches Registry Milestone: Green Carbon’s Kapadvanj Industrial Biochar project in Gujarat entered Isometric’s public-comment stage, with the registry showing validation status and public comment open from April 10 to May 10, 2026. The project uses cotton stalks and groundnut or peanut shells, is designed for about 4,320 tonnes of biochar per year, and lists estimated annual credits of 10,009 tCO2e, or about 100,090 tCO2e over ten years. The direct cotton link is important because cotton stalks are being positioned as a carbon-removal feedstock, not just farm residue. Net-net, Indian biochar projects are beginning to show the documentation, registry visibility, and scale targets that buyers need.

🌎 In the World of CDR Offtakes:

Exomad Secures Large Biochar Offtake: Exomad Green and Supercritical signed a three-year biochar carbon removal agreement covering up to 500,000 tons from Exomad’s facilities in Bolivia. The deal follows more than 100,000 tons already facilitated by Supercritical, while Exomad has produced more than 320,000 tons of durable carbon removal and expanded production by more than 200% year over year. For biochar developers, the signal is clear: buyers are willing to lock in large, multi-year certified supply when production is proven. This suggests near-term durable CDR demand is rewarding operators with scale, inventory, and certification readiness.

🏢 In the World of CDR Demand:

Microsoft Keeps Carbon Removal Door Open: Microsoft said its carbon removal program remains part of its climate strategy, while noting it may adjust the pace or volume of procurement as it refines its approach. The company accounted for about 90% of the carbon removal market in 2025, signed agreements for a record 45 million metric tonnes of CO2 removals in 2025, and roughly doubled its 2024 contracted volume. For CDR suppliers, Microsoft remains the market’s main demand signal even if buying becomes more selective. That likely means project developers will need stronger proof on quality, delivery, and durability to stay competitive.