Provided qualitative standards are met during production, biochar offers a promising opportunity to make agriculture more climate-friendly and resilient. The prerequisite is that there is no competition with higher-value uses of agricultural by-products and that the biomass used consists exclusively of plant-based residues (see overview “Biochar Feedstock Suitability”).
Biochar has environmental potential, particularly in the area of soil improvement in terms of nutrient supply, reduced fertilizer requirements and improved water availability and retention capacity. There is also potential as a filter material in water and wastewater treatment. Possible areas of application here include the treatment of rainwater, municipal and industrial wastewater. Through the stable binding of carbon in the soil, biochar contributes not least to long-term CO2 sequestation and represents a form of “upcycling” compared to the uncontrolled disposal of plant residues via incineration that is currently practiced in many places.
The effect of biochar depends heavily on the quality, dosage, and integration into existing agricultural systems and habitats. Therefore, proper and professional production requires the application of and compliance with established standards (e.g., European Biochar Standards), as well as advanced expertise in raw materials science, process engineering/pyrolysis, analytics and quality assurance, environmental and legal issues, and practical application techniques.
In the DBU project cluster “Biochar”, a country scoping exercise will initially provide an overview of the current status of biochar production and use as well as the influence of research and development projects on the transformation and innovation processes there. These potentials can then be further explored, developed and activated by knowledgeable local actors through in-depth country studies and concrete implementation projects (see individual responsibility according to Chapter XVI of the procedural provisions in the DBU’s funding guidelines).
In possible funding initiatives, particular attention should also be paid to the training and further education of the stakeholders involved in the areas of biomass use and biochar production. Projects that include a physical production process for biochar describe the safety concept in the funding application (input flows, processing methods, biochar products and their applications, ancillary process flows, approval issues, process monitoring with regard to occupational safety and toxicology/ecotoxicology). A system for regular analyses of the biomass used and the biochar produced by an independent institution must be planned. Projects applying for funding must include appropriate project funds for this purpose.
The regional focus for this international funding priority lies in the DBU target region in Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe. Here, the use of biochar could improve the quality of soils that are prone to erosion and – due to intensive land use and dry periods – are sometimes very poor in nutrients and semi-arid. Furthermore, potential for improving water quality is seen here, particularly in rural areas, especially where no centralized and high-tech treatment systems can be implemented in the foreseeable future.
Call for Proposals for the Preparation of Country Studies on Biochar in Central-Eastern and South-Eastern European Countries
The German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) intends to commission Country Study Assessments on the potential for the sustainable production and sustainable use of plant-based biochar from agricultural side streams. The work is part of the DBU international funding cluster “Plant-based biochar: Environmental potential and applications of biochar from agricultural side streams”. The Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) is the supporting research institution for the cluster.
Target countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. A country study is currently being conducted for Albania as a proof of concept.
Framwork and Purpose: Each study should give a structured picture of the current conditions, opportunities and barriers for plant-based biochar in the country: feedstock, technologies, applications, environmental implications and realistic options for future scaling as well as promising business models for the sustainable production and sustainable use of biochar. The studies will help to identify priorities for later research and implementation projects in the target countries.
All studies follow a shared template provided by the DBU and TU Berlin (see Country Studies Template). Authors may add country-specific points, but should keep the common structure so that the results can be compared across countries. The language of report is English.
Who we are looking for: Experts or organizations should have expertise and access to data, literature and stakeholders in several of the following fields within the respective country: biochar, biomass, agriculture, forestry, waste and residue management, technology, environmental impact assessment, markets, and policy.
Both individuals and organizations may apply.
Budget and Timeline
Budget: Up to 10,000 euros per country study
Duration: Up to 5 months
Study start date: 1st quarter of 2027
Output: One structured Country Study Assessment in line with the DBU/TU Berlin template, based on data, literature and stakeholder input where useful.
Background Information
Interested in conducting a country study?
Please submit your proposal by December 22, 2026, by email to Claudia Domel (c.domel@dbu.de), with Roland Lleshi (roland.lleshi@tu-berlin.de) and Barbara Ivison (b.ivision@dbu.de) in copy.
The country profiles and country studies will be published here gradually.