A Certified Module for Storing Biochar in the Built Environment

Isometric has certified the Biochar Storage in the Built Environment Module. This module details requirements and procedures for the durable storage of biochar in built materials.

Certification follows a comprehensive 30-day public consultation that included feedback from buyers, suppliers, and leading academics with expertise in biochar science and the built environment. Full details on the evolution of the module, and how Isometric addressed feedback from the public consultation, are available in the module changelog and public consultation summary.

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Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating organic matter—known as biomass—in the absence of oxygen at or above 500°C. This process, called pyrolysis, halts or slows the decomposition of the biomass, locking in the carbon and preventing it from returning to the atmosphere.

Once the biomass is converted into biochar, it can be permanently stored using a range of approaches. This module specifically focuses on storage in built materials such as concrete and asphalt. These materials provide a low-oxygen environment that preserves the biochar and increases its durability.

Biochar’s unique chemical and physical properties—particularly its high surface area and porosity—make it well-suited for use in construction. It can replace more carbon-intensive components, like cement or aggregate, and may also improve the strength and performance of built materials. This approach to biochar storage can also be effectively integrated into the construction industry’s existing processes and infrastructure.

This module takes a scientifically rigorous approach to monitoring, reporting, and verification. It includes requirements for biochar characterization, ongoing monitoring, durability modeling, and reversal risk analysis over a 1,000-year timeframe—specifically accounting for the potential degradation of the biochar during use, demolition, and recycling. Credits will be issued with a 1,000-year durability under this module.

The Biochar Storage in the Built Environment Module requires suppliers to ensure the durable storage of carbon dioxide by:

• Providing detailed documentation on the process used to produce the built material, the equipment involved, its performance compared to conventional materials, and evidence of biochar incorporation.

• Demonstrating durable storage through robust characterization of the biochar and reversal risk modeling.

• Following environmental and social safeguards across the entire project lifecycle, including compliance with all regulatory requirements for performance of the built material.

This module was developed in line with the Isometric Standard and was created in collaboration between Isometric’s in-house Science Team and reviewers from Isometric’s independent Science Network of over 300 scientific experts.

Leading suppliers storing biochar in the built environment, alterBiota and ecoLocked, provided extensive feedback during the development of this module.

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