Biochar Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Gasification, Pyrolysis), By Application (Agriculture, Others), By Region (North America, Asia Pacific), And Segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030

Biochar Market Size & Trends

The global biochar market size was estimated at USD 541.8 million in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.9% from 2024 to 2030. Increasing product consumption in producing organic food and its ability to enhance soil fertility & plant growth are expected to be key factors driving market growth. The European Biochar Certificate has passed regulations on its direct utilization in soil across several European countries including Austria and Switzerland. Biochar is a charcoal derived by controlled heating of waste materials, such as agricultural waste, wood waste, forest waste, and animal manure. Among all end-uses, it is widely used in a soil amendment to reduce pollutants and toxic elements and to prevent reducing moisture level, soil leaching, and fertilizer runoff.

Environmental awareness, cheaper cost of raw materials, and cohesive government policies for waste management are key factors anticipated to create greater avenues for market expansion. The industry comprises the organized and unorganized sectors owing to a strong presence of a few large-scale manufacturers and a growing number of small- and medium-scale manufacturers, especially in North America and Europe. Counties in Asia Pacific and Middle East are expected to grow at a sluggish rate with a lack of product awareness and its long-term advantages. Manufacturing of high-quality biochar requires heavy capital investment. As a result, several companies have exited the market place in the past few years.

In rural areas of countries, such as China, Japan, Brazil, and Mexico, a large amount of this product is produced in collaboration with research groups and institutions. The number of organized players in the industry manufacturing high-quality products is expected to increase with the growing demand for organic food. The full potential of this product is yet to be realized in other sectors than the agricultural sector. It is used as a fabric additive in the textile industry, as a raw material in the manufacturing of building materials, and as a shield against electromagnetic radiation in electronics industry.

Growing demand from the food sector is expected to be an extremely important factor in boosting market growth. The product usage in the water treatment process is anticipated to be another important application in near future supported by rising demand for water treatment facilities, especially in emerging economies. Moreover, the production of biochar using biogas and crop residue is expected to complement market growth. The raw materials required for product manufacturing are wood waste, forest waste, agricultural waste, and animal manure. These are mainly procured from suppliers of the wood and forest-based product sector.

Companies, such as Georgia-Pacific, Weyerhaeuser, and West Fraser, are among the few major suppliers of wood pellets and residue to various manufacturers. The EU Commission and the U.S. (Environmental Protection Agency) EPA are the regulatory authorities governing the market. It has made regulations related to the use of products in agricultural production and waste management. Several new rules have been released by the U.S. EPA regarding the production and by the EU commission regarding product manufacturing & consumption. As the product is still in the preliminary stage, there are huge opportunities for the development of blended products in future.

Market Dynamics

The growing global demand for organic products has led to an expansion in their production over time. In a significant development, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in August 2022 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be investing USD 300 million in a new "Organic Transition Initiative." This initiative aims to establish improved organic food markets and income sources for farmers and producers. The USDA's goal is to provide comprehensive support to farmers transitioning to organic practices, including a complete supply chain that caters to the daily demand for organic options from American consumers in their local supermarkets. Thus, the advancement in organic farming is anticipated to drive product demand in the U.S.

The rising global population has resulted in a rise in food demand. The quality and quantity of food are the two important issues that are expected to be addressed with the development of biochar. The product’s ability to provide and retain essential nutrients to the soil is expected boost its demand for improving soil fertility. Carbon sequestration is expected to help improve soil fertility and crop yield. Improvement in soil health is projected to result in better produce and provide better economic value to the farmers for their produce. The aforementioned factors are expected to boost segment growth. The product application in soil protection helps improve the life cycle of the produce.

Technology Insights

On the basis of technology, the market has been further categorized into pyrolysis, gasification, and others. Pyrolysis was the dominating technology segment in 2023 and accounted for the highest revenue share of over 65.1% owing to high end-product yield of high carbon content and stability of a process. The growing need for electricity generation has displayed a moderate rise in the use of gasification technology.

Since the process does not yield stable biochar that can be used in agricultural applications, it is expected to lose its market share during the forecast period. Other manufacturing processes, such as hydrothermal carbonization, acid hydrolysis, and cooking stove, are used by small-scale producers to gain high profit. Asia Pacific has witnessed strong growth in the use of such processes owing to the rising number of small-scale producers.

Application Insights

Agriculture was the dominating application segment in 2023 accounting for a revenue share of over 77.0%. Biochar helps enhance water and fertilizer holding capacity and improve soil’s biological productivity, which helps in providing crop nutrition and accelerating growth. However, a large number of farmers still lack knowledge about the product and its benefits. In agricultural applications, general farming is a major segment that is expected to rise substantially and augment the demand of the overall market owing to increasing efforts by research groups & institutes to spread awareness among farmers. Livestock farming contributes to a large proportion of the overall consumption in agricultural applications.

The product’s ability to provide essential nutrients and maintain the health of livestock has increased its consumption in livestock farming, including poultry farming, cattle farming, and meat production. Growing government support for organic farming is expected to create huge potential in coming years. Other major applications including water and waste treatment have witnessed rising demand in emerging economies, such as China and India, along with a growing need for advanced water infrastructure and hygiene awareness.

Factors, such as growing demand for organic food, rising health consciousness, and increasing consumer spending capacity, are complementing the organic farming sector’s growth. However, conventional farming is still used in several rural areas as it provides more yield. The use of biochar in mixed farming, zero tillage farming, and biodynamic agriculture would witness strong growth with supportive initiatives taken by the governments and private institutions.

Regional Insights

North America is the largest product consumer and is expected to witness significant growth with increasing demand for organic food and high consumption of meat. Moreover, increasing awareness about the product and its benefits, especially among the farming community, support region’s growth. Low feed costs for livestock are also expected to boost product consumption in this sector. The U.S. has been generating the highest revenue in the world as a result of high awareness about the product in the country. Numerous small- and large-scale manufacturers have contributed to the growth of this sector. Despite several companies exiting from the industry, owing to lack of capital and expected growth, the overall growth prospects will be highly positive in the coming years.

Asia Pacific is expected to witness extremely high growth owing to the presence of large and developing agriculture sector in economies, such as China and India. Various R&D activities and government initiatives are expected to contribute to increasing awareness about biochar and its benefits among the farming community and would result in a high demand. China is the third-largest organic food-producing country in the world. The use of genetically modified crops has affected the soil and crop productivity in the agricultural fields of this country. An amalgamation of biochar in farming led by several research initiatives is expected to increase product awareness and thus, boost its consumption.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

More than 80.0% of medium- and large-scale manufacturers are concentrated in North America while Asia Pacific and Europe comprise lesser concentration. The market, especially in North America, has numerous small entrepreneurs who are completely integrated into the value chain, from the production stage to the selling stage. Aberystwyth University, Massey University, Federal Rural University of the Amazon, and the University of East Anglia are among the few research institutions engaged in the production and R&D activities of biochar.

Timber manufacturers, such as Georgia-Pacific, West Fraser, and Weyerhaeuser, supply wood pellets and waste wood to various manufacturers in North America. This industry has numerous small manufacturers including Cool Planet Energy Systems Inc., who have integrated their value chain at all levels. Companies, such as 3R ENVIRO TECH Group, Phoenix Energy, and Pacific Pyrolysis, deliver pyrolysis technology to manufacture the product and waste to energy solutions.

Global Biochar Market Report Scope

Global Biochar Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue and volume growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the biochar market report based on technology, application, and region:

• Technology Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Pyrolysis

  • Gasification

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Agriculture

    • Livestock

    • Farming

    • Others

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • UK

    • France

    • Sweden

    • Denmark

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

    • Malaysia

  • Central & South America

  • Middle East & Africa