An interview with Dr. Saadat Malghani on research, real-world applications, and collaboration to make biochar scalable.
Biochar might just be one of the most promising tools we have in the fight against climate change. Estimates suggest that biochar can mitigate up to 10.3 billion tons of CO₂-equivalent greenhouse gases each year, pointing to the huge potential. But here’s the catch: researchers are still figuring out how this humble black material can work effectively on a global scale.
Dr. Saadat Malghani, now a postdoc at the University of Copenhagen, has been immersed in biochar research for over a decade. When he started his PhD back in 2010, there were only about a dozen articles on the topic. By 2024, the number has shot up into the hundreds. Yet, most studies look at just a year or two of results. The big, long-term effects? Remain largely unanswered.
Malghani sees this as a crucial gap. “Our primary target is to find out the role biochar plays,” he explains. “We want to mitigate climate change, but we still don’t know the long-term effects of biochar. Academia is finally recognizing this gap.”
From lab to field: Bridging the gaps
There are three areas where research still falls short: long-term field performance, clear energy efficiency metrics, and economic viability. Without this kind of data, policymakers don’t have the evidence they need to support large-scale adoption, and farmers or industry players can’t confidently invest.
Malghani’s work is helping to fill these gaps. He’s comparing different production technologies — like pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) — and evaluating nutrient-rich biochars derived from manure and biogas digestate. His findings are exciting: low-temperature pyrolysis biochars can work as effective phosphorus fertilizers, while HTC could be a lower-energy alternative for wet biomass. By testing different production methods and feedstocks, he’s uncovering both the practical benefits and the potential co-benefits of biochar.
“Both methods have their place,” he says. “But each still needs optimization to get the most benefits and the fewest drawbacks.”
Denmark: A hub for biochar innovation
Denmark is quickly becoming a hotspot for biochar research, thanks to strong collaboration between policymakers, academia, and industry. Government funding, pilot projects, and commercial interest are all coming together, especially around nutrient-rich biochar that has potential to bring real economic value to farmers.
A key part of this ecosystem is the Rockstart Biochar Network, which brings together stakeholders from across the value chain to share knowledge, tackle market challenges, and speed up innovation. For Malghani, attending the network’s kick-off event was exciting.
“It was like a buffet of many stakeholders,” he recalls. “Policymakers, farmers, entrepreneurs, and researchers all in one room. It gave me a much clearer picture of the real challenges the biochar market faces and helped me think about how my research can address both scientific and practical needs.”
Looking ahead
Climate change isn’t going away anytime soon, and neither are the challenges it brings. Biochar could be a game-changer, but only if research and collaboration go hand in hand.
“Climate change needs a long-term solution, which will involve many generations,” Malghani reflects. “With the right research and partnerships, biochar could become one of the key tools to make that happen.”
“Biochar is one of the technologies that has scaled the fastest and has delivered the most [CO2 removals] compared to other carbon sequestration solutions,” he says. With billions of tons of biomass available globally every year combined with strong innovation at home, “Denmark could establish the technology, which later could be expanded to other countries where it’s needed.”
About Dr. Saadat Malghani
Saadat Malghani, PhD, is a soil biogeochemist and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Copenhagen. His work centers on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling, soil-microbe interactions, and greenhouse gas emissions, with a strong focus on biochar applications for climate change mitigation. With over a decade of international research experience across Denmark, China, South Korea, the USA, and Germany, he has published more than 29 academic articles and several book chapters. He has also led research grants, established laboratories, and supervised graduate students and postdocs.
The Rockstart Biochar Network was created with the support of the Danish government’s GUDP – Green Development and Demonstration Program. The initiative aims to advance regenerative agriculture and promote the use of biochar within all stakeholders in the ecosystem. Biochar, produced through pyrolysis, can persist in soils for centuries, enhancing fertility and capturing carbon dioxide. The Network supports Denmark’s climate change mitigation strategies, including improving the fertility of coarse sandy soils and preparing for the government’s 2027 biochar objectives, which encompass CO₂ taxation policies and the integration of climate technologies. Participation in the Biochar Network is free and open to all stakeholders.
Join the Biochar Network if you would like to learn more about Denmark’s biochar ecosystem and join the conversation with Saadat.
