Analysis & Tools

2025 Market Analysis Report:

When most folks think of Biochar their thoughts immediately turn to agricultural uses. Me too. Biochar is an amazing way to add essential carbon back to farmland. Additionally, applying biochar to soil sequesters carbon from the atmosphere, helps retain soil moisture, and can prevent nutrient loss from the soil it is mixed into. As a global society reliant on farming for our survival, we should be spreading biochar over every square inch of our farmland. Likely, if you are reading this, you agree.

What if you refine biomass into products with higher concentrations of carbon (>75%)? I like to describe this high-test biochar as Biocarbon. Biocarbon, because of its purity, is perfect for use in industrial processes such as Metallurgy (e.g. iron ore purification) and as an industrial ingredient where high-purity carbon is required. What are some of the products which can be made by refining biocarbon?

Here’s some data from my 2025 Market Analysis:

Product Focus: Metallurgical BioCarbon (Coke)

  • 2025 Global Market $226B / $4.9B Domestic

  • 85% of Global Total Carbon Market

  • Grade 1 Metallurgical Coke – Dry Quenched ~$211 per Short Ton

  • ~23M Short Tons to meet Domestic Market Need

  • Market Requirements: Carbon Content, Moisture Content, Composition, Densification

  • Sales Opportunity: Reducing agent used in Metallurgy to manufacture Green Steel and Titanium

 Product Focus: Carbon Black

  • 2025 Global Market $23.7B / $4.3B Domestic

  • 8.96% of Global Carbon Market

  • 2025 U.S. Producer Price Index of ~$618 per Short Ton

  • ~7.08M tons to meet Domestic Market Need

  • Market Requirements: Purity, Size, Composition

  • Sales Opportunity: 90% Rubber Goods,10% Inks, Coatings, and Plastics

 Product Focus: Graphite

  • 2025 Global Market $8.3B / $3B Domestic

  • 3.14% of Global Carbon Market

  • 2025 North American Prices ~$2-4k+ per Short Ton

  • ~1M tons to meet Domestic Market Need

  • Market Requirements: Purity (99.68+%), Grain Size

  • Sales Opportunity: Electrodes, Battery Manufacturing, Nuclear Industry, Lubricants

 Product Focus: Activated Carbon

  • 2025 Global Market $5.8B / $1.5B Domestic

  • 2.19% of Global Carbon Market

  • 2025 North American Prices ~$1615 per Short Ton

  • ~987K Short Tons to meet Domestic Market Need

  • Market Requirements: Purity, Composition, PH, Surface Area

  • Sales Opportunity: 62% Water, Air, and Gas Purification, 20% Medical, Automotive,18% Food Processing

Product Focus: Biochar

  • 2025 Global Market $775M / $269M Domestic

  • .29% of Global Carbon Market

  •  2025 North American Prices: 85% Carbon at 10% MC: ~$533 per Short Ton, 85% Carbon at 59% MC: ~$272 per Short Ton

  • ~991K tons @ 59% MC to meet Domestic Market Need

  • Market Requirements: Carbon Content, Purity, Surface Area, Moisture Content

  • Sales Opportunity: Agriculture / Nutrient Retention, Water/Land Treatment, Carbon Sequestration

Clearly, there’s more to be done with biocarbon then just use it for agriculture. If you want to download the entire Report (including raw data and sources) just click on the below image.

Units of Measure Calculation Tool:

Let’s discuss some key Units of Measure including Cubic Yards, Short Tons, and how all of this comes into play when you add the additional dimension of moisture content.

Biochar, at least in the U.S., is often sold by either the cubic yard or by the short ton.  Let’s start with the volumetric concept of a “Cubic Yard”.  A cubic yard has 27 cubic feet. You could put biochar into a cubic foot container, determine that its weight is 14.889 pounds, and calculate that a cubic yard of this material weighs ~402 LBS/YD3 (14.889*27).  With this data, it is then easy to calculate that a short ton (2000 pounds) of this carbon would contain ~4.98 Yards of char (2000/402=4.98). As such, if you are paying $44 per cubic yard, a short ton of this material will cost you $218.91.  In theory, you can load your trucks all day long by the ton and know exactly what you are purchasing.  Or at least you think you do…  The question is, how much of the short ton is water weight?

Having said the above, I’ve never been much of a fan of using a Cubic Yard as a form of measurement.  Some biochar can be rather fluffy and some is quite dense.  Additionally, in the world of carbon credits, volumetric terms such as a Cubic Yard have no bearing.  Weight is king.  Here’s where it begins to get confusing: The moisture content of any given biochar material can vary greatly by provider and by batch.  A short ton of biochar with a 75% moisture content has a heck of a lot less carbon in it than a short ton of biochar at 59% moisture content.  How do you adjust the price to match?  In my opinion, the solution is simple: all Biochar/Biocarbon should be sold with 6 data points:

Using the above example, here is the data I would provide for biochar with a density of 402 pounds per cubic yard @ 59% Moisture Content (MC):

  1. As Produced Cubic Yard Price: $44.00 Per Cubic Yard @ 59.00% MC

  2. As Produced Density: 402.00 Lbs/Yd3 @59.00% MC

  3. As Produced Short Ton Price: $218.91 Per Ton 59.00% MC

  4. As Produced Yards per Short Ton: 4.98 Yards Per Ton @ 59.00% MC

  5. Dry Density: 164.82 Lbs/Yd3 @ 0.00% MC

  6. Dry Short Ton Price: $533.92 Per Ton @ 0.00% MC

Below, please find a link to an Excel tool I built to help you perform these calculations.