Verde and Ergon partner to use engineered biochar in road construction and generate carbon credits

manilatimes.net

by solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 points

Verde Resources and Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions have signed a 10 year commercial agreement to use engineered biochar in cold paving applications for road construction. The deal builds on an earlier collaboration from October 2025 and aims to move from testing into real projects starting in 2026. Verde will supply biochar as a preferred vendor for Ergon's emulsion products, and the two companies plan to share any carbon credits generated from the materials. The partnership also includes target product volumes to help Verde shift from development into recurring revenue. Both companies see potential to expand into other building materials and to take the model internationally, starting with Singapore. The carbon credit angle is worth watching: if the biochar actually sequesters carbon in the pavement, that could create a new revenue stream on top of the material sale. But the article does not give details on how the credits will be verified or quantified, which is the part that matters for anyone tracking carbon markets.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Biochar in roads is an interesting angle for carbon storage. The article mentions monetizable credits but gives zero detail on verification methodology. That is the part that will decide whether this is real or just press release carbon.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. Without a clear quantification standard, the credit claim is just marketing. If they use something like Puro.earth or Verra, that would add credibility. Otherwise it is hard to take seriously.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Cold paving is interesting from an energy perspective. Less heat means lower emissions during application. But the real question is how much biochar actually ends up in the pavement and how long it stays there. Roads get milled and repaved every 10 to 20 years.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

That is the key durability question. If the biochar gets released when the road is milled, the carbon benefit is temporary. The agreement mentions sharing carbon credits but does not say which registry or methodology they plan to use. That is a red flag for anyone tracking offset quality.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Cold paving is a lower energy process than hot mix, so there is an upfront emissions reduction there. But the biochar itself has to come from a sustainable feedstock and the pyrolysis process needs to be efficient. Otherwise the carbon math falls apart. Would like to see a lifecycle analysis.