Biochar carbon removal in Finland : opportunities and challenges under the CRCF - Thesis

[Geoengineering News]

https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/927166

Authors: Kumpumäki, Jenna-Riitta

Abstract 

The carbon removal sector is undergoing a significant transition from a fragmented Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), towards a more unified framework within the European Union. This bachelor’s thesis examines the viability of the biochar industry in Finland under the newly established EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF). The objective of the research was to assess how the certification standards developed by the EU affect the credibility and value of biochar carbon removal credits and aims to identify operational risks perceived by commercial biochar stakeholders in Finland. The findings indicate that the CRCF is trusted to bridge the industry's prevailing "credibility gap", however possible increase in administrative burdens poses potential risks. Regulatory progress has recently stagnated across certain sectors, increasing market uncertainty particularly for novel industrial solutions. In the Finnish context, commercial scaling faces obstacles due to feedstock competition with wellestablished pulp and bioenergy supply chains, which keeps raw material costs high, while demand remains confined to traditional, low-volume applications such as soil conditioning challenging industrial scale adaptation.

Source: Theseus