What is corn-cob biochar?
Biochar is a carbon-rich solid produced by heating biomass with limited oxygen. Corn-cob biochar uses the residue left after corn kernels are removed. Pyrolysis changes that residue into a different material, so the mass of corn cobs received is not the mass of biochar produced.
In ENVIID’s planned project in Lampung, Indonesia, the starting point is a local corn-cob supply and site partnership. Our operating history in gasification informs project development. It does not establish the output or carbon removal of the planned pyrolysis project.
Why moisture and dry yield matter
A tonne of wet feedstock contains water and dry material. Water adds transport and drying demand, but it does not become stored carbon. Record both the mass received and its moisture content before comparing production scenarios.
In the calculator’s default scenario, 2,250 tonnes of wet corn cobs at 43.5% moisture contain 1,271.25 tonnes of dry feedstock. An assumed 25% dry-basis yield produces 317.81 tonnes of dry biochar. These are planning calculations, not measured annual production. A different moisture reading or yield changes the result.
What to measure during pyrolysis
Link each production batch to its feedstock source, weighing records, moisture measurement, operating times and process conditions. Weigh the cooled biochar and distinguish dry-basis mass from any added water. A laboratory sample must represent the material whose properties are reported.
A photograph of a reactor cannot establish its throughput, yield or carbon content. Those values require operating records and measurements. Laboratory results and the selected methodology also determine which carbon fraction can support a storage claim.
Choose the application before making a claim
ENVIID is exploring applications with agricultural users, fertilizer producers, cement businesses and local SMEs. Each use requires its own specification and suitability assessment. Biochar properties, soil conditions and application method can affect the outcome. A general description is not a promise of a specific crop-yield improvement.
For carbon removal, track where the material goes and how it is stored or applied. Producing biochar, delivering it to a buyer and issuing a verified carbon credit are separate steps. The project must also account for emissions and meet the applicable verification requirements.
Explore the project and its evidence
Review ENVIID’s corn-cob biochar project for the supply and site context. Use the biochar and carbon removal calculator to compare assumptions, then follow the digital MRV sample workflow to see how batch, inventory and application records connect.
For a methodology reference, see Isometric’s Biochar Production and Storage protocol. It defines requirements for eligible removal. Referencing it does not establish ENVIID project certification.