Carbon data provider Sylvera announced that it has launched its first durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) ratings, with the introduction of ratings for biochar projects on its platform.

Biochar, or biological charcoal, is produced by heating biomass, such as forest residue, wood or crop waste, in the absence of oxygen, creating a stable form of carbon, which when buried in soil enables centuries-long carbon sequestration, in addition to leading to improved soil fertility.

The new ratings come as biochar is emerging as an increasingly popular solution for carbon removal, providing a series of benefits and favorable attributes, including the ability to lock carbon for hundreds of years, scalability, with an abundance of biomass available, and low cost relative to other CDR technologies, as well as its agricultural benefits. Several companies have announced large-scale biochar-based carbon removal credit purchase agreements over the past several months, including Microsoft, Google and Swiss Re.

According to Sylvera, the new ratings come as biochar carbon removal still faces challenges, such as Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and leakage assessment, where an increase in biochar production could unintentionally drive demand for fossil fuels, with the company’s newly released Biochar Ratings Framework evaluating projects to ensure that they meet criteria for carbon removal, permanence, and economic feasibility.

Founded in the UK in 2020, Sylvera’s carbon intelligence platform helps organizations evaluate and invest in high quality carbon credits, utilizing proprietary data and machine learning technology to produce comprehensive insights on carbon projects. The company announced a $57 million funding round in 2023, with proceeds used to support its expansion, including the build out of its platform to include new data and information about carbon credits.