Every week, another handful of prospective biochar project developers reaches out to Planboo, wanting to learn more about our products and services and about what it takes to design and deploy a successful project that can maximise impact whilst meeting the requirements of the carbon standards and satisfying the demands of the credit buyers. From more than one hundred conversations, we’ve put together this compilation of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Before reaching out to us to set up a meeting, please take a thorough read through these questions and answers.

Getting Started with a Biochar Carbon Project

How do I know if my project is ready to work with Planboo? 

The core ingredients are: a reliable biomass supply (ideally, at least 200 dry tonnes per month); a kiln that meets registry requirements; ingredients for inoculating the biochar (eg, compost, manure, urine, etc.); a plan for applying the biochar to soil; and sufficient capital for registration, MRV costs, and the first 9 months of OpEx. If you’re missing several of these, it’s worth building toward them before engaging us.

What’s the minimum scale needed to make a biochar carbon project viable? 

A rough starting point is around 1,000 credits per year, which requires roughly 2,000-3,000 tonnes of dry biomass annually, depending on feedstock type and moisture content and kiln efficiency. Smaller pilots are valuable for proving the concept, but the economics of registration and MRV become challenging below that threshold.

How long does it take to get from starting registration to issuing the first credits? 

To be on the safe side, we recommend budgeting six months to a year from the start of registration, assuming you have equipment operational, labour, and documentation ready. Puro typically requires three months of steady-state operation before the first audit. At Isometric, they are streamlining this process, offering a 90-day turnaround from project submission to first credits, although they still recommend building in a buffer for project-specific variables.

Carbon Registries & Standards & Kilns

Which registry should I use — Puro, Isometric, CSI, or Rainbow? 

It depends on your kiln type, location of biomass residues, and project scale. Puro and Isometric are currently the strongest options commercially and carry the most buyer credibility. Meanwhile, CSI-registered projects tend to command lower credit prices on the market. Isometric recently released a methodology for smaller, decentralised projects that doesn’t require industrial kilns, but it still requires a closed kiln, not an open-flame design like a Kon-tiki. Isometric has a strong reputation for high integrity and scientific rigour. Rainbow also accepts open kilns with sufficient MRV procedures in place. The right choice depends on your specific setup.

Learn more about Isometric’s new protocol for distributed biochar projects:

Can I use a Kon-tiki kiln and still sell credits? 

Yes. CSI and Rainbow currently accept Kon-tiki-style kilns. Puro and Isometric require closed kilns. 

Does it matter whether my kiln has been emissions-tested or approved by the registry? 

Yes, this is essential. Using a kiln that’s already been certified or approved by your target registry saves you the cost and time of emissions testing prior to registration. Before purchasing equipment, it’s worth confirming with the registry that your specific kiln model will qualify.

Carbon Removal Credits & Potential Revenue

Can I pre-sell credits before my project is registered and producing? 

In practice, this is very difficult at an early stage. Until you have a registered, issuing project, the risk profile may be too high for most buyers. Once you’ve been issuing credits consistently for 6–12 months, forward sales and offtake agreements become much more achievable.

Do I have to give away the biochar, or can I sell it and still get carbon credits? 

Preferably, you should explore options for selling the biochar or biochar-based fertilisers and still generate credits; you just need to track where the biochar goes. For most registries, this means documenting the supply chain from production to final application, including tracking bags to their destination. Having a biochar product market actually strengthens your project by reducing dependence on credit revenue alone. Most regions in the global south struggle to find buyers for the biochar, but Planboo and our project partners have been working hard to demonstrate biochar’s efficacy as a soil amendment in these geographies in order to help valorise the biochar. 

What other revenue streams can a biochar project generate? 

Wood vinegar is the most common co-product, because it has well-recognized agricultural applications and a local market in many regions. Syngas can be used for energy, but requires more sophisticated (read: expensive) pyrolysis equipment. Selling the biochar itself as a soil amendment (e.g., a blend of biochar and compost or manure) is the most significant opportunity. Projects that combine these revenue streams with carbon credits are more financially resilient and more attractive to buyers.

MRV & Planboo’s Services

What exactly does MRV involve operationally? 

Your team uses a smartphone app to document every stage of the project: biomass sourcing and transport; weights; storage; kiln operations and biochar mixing, transport and application to soil. An IoT sensor on the kiln records biomass residence times and pyrolysis temperatures. All of this data feeds into a project dashboard that tracks credit generation and prepares for audits. For more sophisticated kilns with built-in sensors, we can integrate directly via API.

Can Planboo help with the PDD if we want to write it ourselves? 

Yes. If you have experience with carbon project documentation and want to write the Project Design Document (PDD) yourself, we can provide validation, feedback, and integration support at the lower subscription tier. This works well for developers who have prior registry experience.

Financing

Will investors fund a project that isn’t registered yet? 

For small, decentralised projects, it’s difficult. Most investors want to see a project that is operational and issuing credits before committing capital. For industrial biochar projects, it may be somewhat easier. A Puro preliminary assessment, an MoU with farmers, or documented biomass supply agreements all help. The single most useful thing you can do before approaching investors is to get a small pilot running and documented.

Get started

If you’re serious about developing a biochar project for the carbon market, you can start by completing our online eligibility questionnaire.  From there, our team will assess the project’s readiness and reach out to you with more details about our services.

 

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