Biochar as the Key to a Climate-Neutral, Competitive & Resilient European Economy

Renewable Carbon for a Successful European Steel and Metals Action Plan

Europe is facing an industrial trilemma: achieving climate-neutrality while securing its strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness. Transforming these challenges into the foundations of a prosperous and sustainable European economy requires holistic solutions that create economic value and strengthen regional cohesion.

Biochar offers a breakthrough solution. Produced via the controlled pyrolysis of sustainable biomass, biochar is a renewable carbon source capable of replacing coal in industrial processes that cannot otherwise be decarbonized.

A new white paper from Biochar Europe, developed by Philipp D. Hauser &. Hansjörg Lerchenmüller, explores how this versatile material is key to Europe's future. This white paper presents a concrete roadmap for aligning climate neutrality, strategic autonomy, and industrial competitiveness through scalable, biomass-based solutions like biochar.

It highlights:

- The role of biochar as a renewable carbon source to replace coal in steel, silicon, and ferroalloy production

- How poly-generation technologies maximize the value of biomass in decentralised regional systems

- The potential for biochar deployment to drive investment in climate-smart forestry and regional development

- The policy frameworks needed to unlock industrial scaling and economic efficiency

Get the complete insights and discover why biochar is central to Europe’s industrial and climate strategy