Jain Irrigation Commissions World's Largest Single-Unit Biochar Facility

Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. (JISL) has commissioned a ~20,000 tonne/annum high-tech industrial-scale biochar facility in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, in collaboration with its partners. This pioneering project, designed with global experts, advances climate-smart agriculture, circular manufacturing, and engineered carbon removal at a commercial scale.

The facility boasts a processing capacity of over 50 metric tonnes of agricultural and fruit processing residue per day, positioning the Jalgaon plant among the world's largest single-unit biochar reactors and placing India at the forefront of the global biochar and carbon removal movement. This is the first of multiple planned reactors, with additional units under development.

Biochar is a stable, carbon-rich material produced by heating agricultural residue in a low-oxygen environment. This process converts waste into a durable form of carbon sequestration, storing carbon for hundreds of years while simultaneously improving soil health. It is recognized as a credible form of carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

The project establishes a farm-to-soil circular economy, transforming agricultural residues into premium biochar for farmers to improve soil fertility, enhance water retention, and support climate-ready agriculture. This initiative creates new income streams for farmers, reduces reliance on synthetic inputs, and promotes a regenerative model. JISL's extensive infrastructure in micro-irrigation, agri-food processing, and solar systems, along with its vast distribution network, provides a unique advantage for returning biochar to farms at scale.

India generates over 500 million tonnes of crop residue annually, much of which is burned. JISL's facility turns this challenge into an economic opportunity by improving farm economics, creating rural employment, supporting India's climate action plan, and enabling farmers to participate in the global carbon economy. The project delivers durable, measurable, and verifiable carbon dioxide removal credits, reducing stubble burning, enriching soil carbon, and improving water-use efficiency.

Alvin Lee, Head of Supply at Puro.earth, congratulated JISL on the significant biochar production output and facility commissioning, highlighting its leadership in CDR and commitment to quality. Anil Jain, Managing Director of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., stated that the project reimagines the agriculture value chain by turning agricultural residue into a valuable resource, creating a circular system benefiting all stakeholders.