Short answer: both are carbon-rich solids made by heating biomass without oxygen. “Biocarbon” usually means the product replaces fossil carbon in industry, such as steel or silicon smelting. “Biochar” usually means it is stored durably, often in soil or materials, where it can earn certified carbon removal credits.
Different specifications
Industrial buyers care about fixed carbon, ash, sulphur and strength. Biochar buyers and registries care about stability (often measured by the hydrogen-to-organic-carbon ratio), contaminants and how permanently the carbon is stored.
Different revenue models
- Biocarbon is sold per tonne against the fossil coke it replaces, with a premium tied to the buyer’s emissions savings.
- Biochar is sold per tonne to agriculture or construction, and can also generate carbon dioxide removal credits on registries such as Puro.earth.
Why one plant can serve both
A slow-pyrolysis plant can direct metallurgical-grade lots to steel and silicon buyers and route fines and off-spec material to biochar markets. That flexibility lowers the risk that any single market sets the plant’s economics.