California: Biochar enhanced concrete
SOM, OurCarbon, and CarbonPilot enable 16.6% carbon reduction in concrete by integration biochar made from biosolids.
Dec 9, 2024
NEW YORK, NY (March 14, 2025) — CarbonPilot, a platform for developing and verifying carbon removal and waste-to-value projects, has announced the successful completion of a biochar-enhanced concrete application at a school campus in Oakland, California. The project was delivered in collaboration with global architecture firm SOM, material innovator OurCarbon, technology provider Bioforcetech, and concrete supplier Central Concrete.
This milestone project integrated OurCarbon®, a PFAS-free biochar made from biosolids, into structural concrete as a partial replacement for traditional aggregates—reducing the environmental impact of the mix while maintaining all performance and strength requirements.
The results were substantial: a 16.6% reduction in global warming potential for footing concrete and a 14% reduction for site work concrete, with each cubic yard of enhanced concrete storing approximately 76.5 pounds of CO₂. The project achieved a total carbon benefit of 2.38 metric tons of CO₂e removed and avoided.
CarbonPilot played a leading role in coordinating and verifying the project from start to finish—supporting project management, ensuring data integrity, and delivering digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) to quantify environmental performance. The platform tracked every stage, from biosolid conversion to concrete placement, enabling partners to confidently report carbon outcomes and climate benefits.
“This project proves how local carbon removal can be embedded directly into the built environment,” said Tristan Springer, CEO of CarbonPilot. “By turning a waste stream into a carbon-storing material used just miles from where it was produced, we’re demonstrating a new model for urban circularity and climate impact.”
With concrete production responsible for nearly 8% of global CO₂ emissions, scalable solutions like biochar-enhanced concrete represent a critical opportunity to decarbonize infrastructure. When applied globally, this model could remove hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO₂ annually, while reducing hauling costs, eliminating landfill dependency, and creating circular economies from overlooked waste streams.
About Valorize Systems
Valorize provides comprehensive management software for organizations developing waste to value projects. Their end-to-end platform enables companies to develop, verify, and monetize biomass valorization programs through offsets or insets, with specialized expertise in biochar and other nature-based solutions. Operating in 10 countries across five continents, Valorize's solution helps companies maximize the financial and environmental returns from their carbon projects. For more information, visit www.ValorizeSystems.com.
About Bioforcetech
Bioforcetech develops technology to transform organic waste, including biosolids from wastewater treatment, into carbon-negative biochar products. Their OurCarbon® material offers a sustainable alternative to landfilling that sequesters carbon while providing value in applications such as construction materials and soil amendments.
About SOM
SOM is a collective of architects, designers, engineers, and planners working together to build a better future. The firm has created some of the world's most technically and environmentally advanced buildings and urban environments, with a focus on innovative, sustainable design strategies.
About Central Concrete
Central Concrete, a subsidiary of Vulcan Materials Company, is a leader in developing and supplying low-carbon concrete for construction projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The company offers a comprehensive range of concrete solutions with a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of construction materials while maintaining superior performance and workability.
For more information, contact:
CarbonPilot: founders@carbonpilot.com
24 W 35th St, Ste 500, New York, NY 10001