• Google has agreed to purchase 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal credits from Indian startup Varaha, marking the largest biomass-produced biochar deal.
  • Varaha’s project will generate industrial biochar using an invasive plant species, Prosopis Juliflora, in Gujarat, India.

In a groundbreaking move, Google has signed a deal to purchase 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal credits from Indian startup Varaha. This agreement marks Google’s first carbon removal partnership with a project in India and is the largest deal involving biomass-produced biochar, a substance often referred to as “black gold” for its benefits to soils.

The offtake agreement stipulates that the carbon credits will be delivered by 2030, stemming from Varaha’s industrial biochar project located in Gujarat, India. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Notably, Varaha is the only Indian company to be listed on the Puro.Earth carbon removal standard and registry.

Biochar can be produced using two primary methods: artisanal and industrial. Artisanal biochar is typically produced in community-driven processes where farmers burn crop residue in simple flasks.

In contrast, industrial biochar, like the one produced by Varaha, is created using large-scale reactors that process significant amounts of biomass daily. Varaha’s project will generate biochar from the invasive plant species Prosopis Juliflora, which has overtaken local grasslands in Gujarat. The company aims to restore native grasslands while producing carbon credits, with a third-party auditor verifying the process to generate these credits under Puro.Earth’s guidelines.

“We will harvest the plant and make efforts to restore native grasslands in the region,” said Madhur Jain, co-founder and CEO of Varaha.

While biochar is viewed as a long-term carbon removal solution, its permanence can range between 1,000 and 2,500 years, depending on various factors. This project provides a promising means of removing carbon from the atmosphere and highlights India’s growing role in global sustainability efforts.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah