Takachar
Climate Transformation Fund • India
Bringing biochar production to the field
Takachar produces biochar with a new mobile, low-cost, MIT-developed technology that can latch on tractors and pick-up trucks. The advanced equipment is brought to farmers' fields where the waste biomass they have available is turned into biochar, mixed together with nutrients to be applied on the farmers own fields. In many cases, biomass that otherwise would have been burnt in open air is used, avoiding air pollution. Sales of carbon removal credits subsidise the process, enabling them to scale and serve lower-income farmers as well as new regions where biochar would not be economically feasible in the first place. Waste heat from the equipment can be utilised for value addition such as crop drying, or running small boilers.
Durable carbon removal (CDR)
CDR is one of the most crucial solutions to reach and maintain net-zero emissions and limit global warming. To counterbalance fossil emissions from the long carbon cycle, the carbon removed needs to be stored durably. While solutions for durably removing carbon are still nascent, pre-purchasing carbon removal from startups can help kickstart the sector, making it an affordable and climate-relevant solution in the future. When credits or certificates are bought, they will be retired, meaning they cannot be resold and will not be counted as financial instruments.
Biochar
Biochar is created by heating biomass, such as crop residues, in an oxygen-free environment and high temperature, known as pyrolysis, to produce a stable form of carbon. When applied to soil, biochar locks away CO₂ while improving soil properties, such as water retention and fertility.
Durable carbon removal (CDR)
Canada + 1 countries
Backwater introduces an innovative, shallow-depth geological storage method for dissolved CO₂. This novel approach expands geographic accessibility, enabling co-location of CO2 capture and underground storage. By eliminating transport and reducing well costs, Backwater makes smaller projects cost-effective and unlocks untapped CDR potential in storage-constrained regions.
Durable carbon removal (CDR)
South Africa
CHAI will work on the high impact project of transitioning a portfolio of hospitals in South Africa's Western Cape Province to renewable energy. This could be a high impact measure that is currently not occurring due to the limited capacity of the department of health and because of bureaucratic hurdles to innovative financial and energy contracts. The project has the potential to reduce emissions by hundreds of thousands of tons, and leverages CHAI's extensive experience in health sector procurement and innovative finance.
Durable carbon removal (CDR)
Tanzania
This project develops a mobile app for regreening techniques like Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). The app delivers real-time, location-specific advice directly to farmers' phones. This approach reduces intervention costs by eliminating the need for in-person visits to every location. We already support Justdiggit’s regular work since 2021, and now added this project because it builds on proven FMNR methods, increasing cost-efficiency and potential for rapid scaling in dry landscapes.