Coconut Biochar to Capture Carbon in Maldives

A plan to use coconuts to capture CO2 emissions has been unveiled for the Maldives – the group of 26 atolls (coral islands) that, earlier this year, pledged to become 100% carbon neutral by 2020.  Coconut shells are an abundant resource in this part of the world and these – along with other forms of biowaste – would be used to create biochar to trap CO2. 

Biochar from Coconuts

Biochar (literally: bio-charcoal) is the name for biomass reduced to charcoal through the application of heat.  The end product created from making biochar from coconuts has a heavy carbon concentration and can be blended with soil to form a fertiliser.

The Maldives coconut climate change venture has come about through a collaboration involving a UK firm, Carbon Gold. 

The President of the Maldives pledged in March 2009 that the Maldives would be the first nation in the world to switch over entirely from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like wind and solar.  The Maldives carbon neutral plan proposed at the same time involves 155 wind turbines, as well as a vast bank of photovoltaic (solar) panels. 

No part of the Maldives’ coastline is more than six feet above sea level.  On this basis, the area is especially susceptible to the effects of climate change, and phenomena like rising tides. 

Speaking in response to news of the new coconut initiative, the President said: “Biochar has a crucial role in helping us achieve carbon neutral status as well as providing an economic and environmental boost to our people.”

The biochar will be in place on three of the Maldives islands at first, with others to follow depending on the initial results gleaned. 

Biochar Carbon Capture

According to Carbon Gold, biochar carbon capture represents an effective method of scrubbing the air of CO2.  It adds that the resultant fertiliser is good for the soil, and can trap CO2 for months at a time. 

In comments made to the BBC, Carbon Gold co-founder Daniel Morrel highlighted how no previous government had invested in biochar technologies prior to the Maldives.  Acknowledging the thoughts of some critics that the process does not promise to lock the trapped carbon away for all eternity, he nonetheless added:  “...the great thing about biochar is while everybody is talking about reducing the CO2 emissions, this is actually taking CO2 out of the atmosphere.”