A new biochar research and training facility has opened at the College of Horticulture and Forestry in Neri, Himachal Pradesh. The facility, a partnership between the state forest department, Dr. YS Parmar University, and ProClime Services, will convert pine needles, lantana, and other dry biomass into biochar. The goal is to reduce the fuel load that drives summer forest fires while producing a soil amendment that improves fertility and locks away carbon. The biochar unit has a processing capacity of 1.5 tonnes per day. The project also includes a research component to study biochar applications in local agriculture and horticulture. Local communities will be involved in biomass collection, creating a potential revenue stream from what is currently treated as waste. The center will train students and farmers in biochar production and carbon sequestration techniques. This is a concrete example of using carbon removal and soil health together at a local scale. The key details to watch are the actual throughput of the unit, the quality of the biochar produced, and whether the market linkages for the finished product hold up over time. If the model works, it could be replicated in other forested regions facing similar fire and soil degradation issues.
