Researchers at the Institute of Environment, part of the Hefei National Comprehensive Science Center in China, have developed a technology that enables efficient production of high-value biochar from agricultural waste through a single-step dry catalytic process. After more than a decade of research, this technology represents a qualitative leap toward converting agricultural waste into a valuable resource, supporting environmental sustainability and industrial upgrading simultaneously. Project leader and deputy director of the institute, Xing Xianjun, explained that the newly developed technology addresses key obstacles that have plagued traditional biochar production processes, such as low yield, poor quality, high energy consumption, and environmental pollution. He noted that a single high-pressure carbonization unit can produce over 50,000 tons of biochar annually, and confirmed that a project for producing eco-friendly aviation fuel from biochar is currently progressing rapidly in Bozhou City, Anhui Province. He added that the technology has been applied in multiple cities, yielding significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. Meanwhile, the research team has developed biochar-based functional materials for use in energy storage, environmental adsorption, and chemical catalysis. Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating biomass in an oxygen-limited environment, characterized by multiple applications with great economic value; it can be used in agriculture to increase crop yields by enhancing the soil's ability to retain nutrients and improving soil structure.

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