Exomad Green’s Concepción Facility

Overview

Exomad Green has rapidly established itself as the world’s largest biochar producer and a leading supplier of durable Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits. The Concepción facility, launched in March 2023, is critical to the company’s mission of recycling biomass residues into biochar, which sequesters atmospheric CO₂ while enhancing soil fertility and tackling localized waste management issues. 

The project represents a crucial case study demonstrating the industrial scalability and financial viability of biochar, a technology recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) as a viable CDRl method. The technology readiness level (TRL) for biochar is estimated at 9.

The facility’s strategic success is derived from a synergy between advanced technological refinement, rigorous verification standards, and substantial, quantified socio-economic co-benefits. The technological optimization utilizes pyrolysis to achieve exceptionally high organic carbon content, reaching up to 86.3%. This is coupled with robust verification standards, notably the Puro.earth CORC 100+ certification and the integration of Carbonfuture’s digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV+) system.

Furthermore, the removal of open burning practices has translated directly into verifiable public health improvements in the local region, aligning the project with critical UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 13, and 15).

Key findings snapshot

The Exomad Green’Concepción facility currently removes 60,000 tons of CO₂ annually. The company is pursuing an aggressive scaling roadmap, targeting an annual removal capacity of 1,000,000 tons by 2027 across five facilities.

Integrity and delivery certainty differentiate Exomad’s credits. Biochar projects, in general, stand out in the CDR market, having delivered 38.8% of total sold credits. This high delivery reliability is further secured by the end-to-end digital tracking provided by the dMRV+ system and robust third-party auditing.

The project’s financial architecture is significantly de-risked by strategic, long-term Offtake Agreements (OTAs) with global corporate leaders. This includes Microsoft’s landmark commitment to remove at least 1.24 million tons of CO₂ over the next decade. These financial commitments validate the asset class and support rapid expansion capital deployment. Moreover, prices for biochar credits associated with Exomad demonstrate robust market appreciation, rising at an annual rate of 29.2% since 2020. 

Critically, the facility’s localized social impact—such as the 89% drop in acute respiratory infections in Concepción resulting from the cessation of open burning—provides high-value co-benefits that appeal to buyers focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics.

1. The Concepción Facility and Advanced Pyrolysis

Location, infrastructure, and strategic context

The Concepción facility is strategically positioned in Bolivia, capitalizing on its association with the parent company, Exomad Green, which is the largest wood exporter in the nation. This relationship ensures a stable and traceable supply chain. 

The facility was established in March 2023 and operates in a region where biomass is readily available. The feedstock supply is sustainably sourced from forestry residues governed under the certification of Autoridad Bosques y Tierra (ABT), the governmental forest authority. The early expansion of the Concepción site, doubling its initial capacity, was instrumental in establishing the company’s foundational removal capacity and demonstrating its strong capital deployment and technical efficiency capabilities.

Feedstock management and waste valorization

The facility exclusively utilizes hardwood forestry residues, specifically sawmill waste. This raw material is crucial because it addresses a significant local environmental challenge: the common practice in Bolivia is the open burning or piling up of this excess biomass, leading to harmful carbon dioxide emissions and localized risks.

The use of this specific waste biomass is key to demonstrating additionality for carbon crediting purposes, as the material previously lacked economic value and was typically disposed of through environmentally damaging means. By converting this waste into biochar through contained pyrolysis, Exomad Green eliminates the need for harmful open burning, effectively reducing air pollution, cutting down local health risks, and minimizing the threat of urban and uncontrolled wildfires. This sustainable waste management solution represents a direct contribution to environmental justice in the region.

Advanced pyrolysis technology and byproduct quality

The core technology employed at Concepción is advanced pyrolysis, which involves heating organic materials in an oxygen-limited environment. This process prevents the organic matter from fully decomposing into CO₂, instead retaining a significant portion of the carbon in a stable, solid form (biochar) that can persist in the soil for hundreds to thousands of years.

Exomad Green continuously refines its pyrolysis process by emphasizing controlled conditions, optimal temperatures, and effective oxygen exclusion. This continuous commitment to quality assurance has resulted in a superior product. Recent laboratory analysis from Eurofins confirms the biochar produced contains up to 86.3% organic carbon content. This high organic carbon content directly correlates with the durability or permanence of the sequestered carbon. 

For CDR buyers and investors, achieving this benchmark level provides concrete evidence that the removal meets the high standard required by the Puro.earth CORC 100+ classification, thereby minimizing the risk of carbon reversal over the project’s long lifecycle.

Energy self-sufficiency and biochar utilization

The pyrolysis process is inherently energy-intensive, but Exomad Green has implemented sophisticated systems to manage co-products and boost operational efficiency. The thermal decomposition generates valuable co-products, including syngas, bio-oil, and significant thermal energy (heat).

A core operational feature of the facility is its energy efficiency loop. Exomad employs a system for the effective capture and utilization of syngas and bio-oil by-products, which further minimizes the environmental footprint. Specifically, the syngas produced during pyrolysis is captured and used internally as a source of energy within the plant. Additionally, the utilization process ensures that more than 70% of the heat generated is reused. This displacement of fossil fuels is fundamental to maximizing the net CO₂ removal of the project. 

By maximizing internal energy self-sufficiency, Exomad reduces the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) emissions associated with plant operations, which directly increases the net CO₂ removal value reported per CO₂ Removal Certificate (CORC). This operational efficiency is critical for meeting the high-integrity demands of premium CDR buyers.

Technical Specifications and Performance of Exomad Green Biochar (Concepción)

2. Integrity and Verification: Assurance of Durable Carbon Removal

The Imperative of High-Integrity CDR

The voluntary carbon market (VCM) is experiencing a rapid maturation, shifting focus toward durable, verifiable Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) solutions. Biochar is well-positioned in this environment, offering both a high technological readiness level (TRL 9) and a superior delivery track record (38.8% delivery rate compared to the 2.8% CDR average). The fundamental claim of the biochar process—that it creates a stable, solid carbon form capable of sequestering CO₂ for hundreds to thousands of years—meets the rigorous requirements for permanence that high-quality carbon credit buyers demand.

Certification Framework (Puro.earth Standard)

Exomad Green’s commitment to high standards is demonstrated by its full certification under the Puro.earth standard. Puro.earth is recognized for its rigorous methodology specifically tailored to certifying carbon removal achieved through biochar. The Concepción facility has been issued CORCs under the stringent “CORC 100+” classification, which explicitly validates the permanence claim for over 100 years.

To achieve this certification, the facility has passed both third-party facility audits and output audits, ensuring verifiable compliance with the methodology and the accurate measurement of the net volume of removed carbon. Adherence to the Puro Standard General Rules (v3.1) and the Biochar Methodology (v3.0) ensures transparency, permanence, and additionality—the crucial principle that the removal would not have occurred without the carbon finance mechanism.

Digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV)

A key differentiator of the Concepción project is the integration of Carbonfuture’s digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV+) system. This advanced system is embedded into the contract structure and tracks every ton of CO₂ removed throughout its entire lifecycle—from the point of biomass capture (pyrolysis) to credit issuance.

The mandate to use dMRV+ in major procurement agreements, such as the one with Microsoft, sets a new standard for high-integrity, scalable, and measurable CDR. For investors and corporate buyers, this digital integration significantly reduces counterparty risk and enhances the traceability and transparency required for compliance and rigorous corporate reporting, providing essential justification for the premium pricing of the credits.

Audit and Compliance Record

To ensure continuous adherence to the Puro Standard, third-party auditors are engaged to perform reasonable assurance audits of Exomad’s CO₂ removal calculations. These audits confirm compliance with the detailed eligibility requirements of the Biochar Methodology and the Puro Rules.

The audit reports also serve to confirm operational and system integrity. For example, a periodic output audit reported in June 2025 detailed an instance where quality control mechanisms successfully detected an error, leading to the exclusion of 6.88 tons of wet biochar from the carbon credit claim. Importantly, the auditor noted that the source of the error was subsequently mitigated through system automation. This proactive operational commitment to continuously improving verifiable accuracy, rather than relying solely on manual processes, reinforces market confidence in the long-term reliability of the CORC issuance process.

3. Market Dominance and Financial Architecture

Market Positioning and Competitive Landscape

Exomad Green’s rapid expansion has cemented its position as a global leader in the CDR market. It is recognized as the world’s largest biochar producer and the top CDR supplier by delivered volume, according to data from CDR.FYI and Puro.earth. This dominance is reflected in its significant market influence; the company previously accounted for 50% of the biochar-based carbon removal credits available on the market. This market concentration is aligned with the overall CDR landscape, where biochar currently dominates durable CDR delivery, accounting for a remarkable 86% of global durable CDR deliveries in 2024.

Carbon Credit Monetization Strategy

The financial health and expansion capacity of Exomad Green are highly dependent on the monetization of verified CORCs. Revenue derived from these sales plays a pivotal role in funding the expansion and scale-up of all Exomad Green initiatives. The company employs a mixed monetization strategy involving both spot market sales and structured, long-term Offtake Agreements (OTAs). These long-term agreements are essential, as they lock in future supply and provide the financial certainty required to fund the ambitious capacity expansion necessary to reach the 1 megaton goal.

Strategic Corporate Partnerships (Microsoft & Supercritical)

The long-term partnership with Microsoft represents a landmark agreement that validates biochar as a scalable, high-integrity CDR solution. The deal commits Exomad Green to remove at least 1.24 million tons of CO₂ over the next decade. Microsoft specifically cited Exomad Green’s commitment to high standards, biomass sustainability, and the project’s significant co-benefits for community and soil quality as reasons for its investment.

In addition to this anchor deal, Exomad Green expanded its partnership with Supercritical through a multi-year agreement for 130,000 tons of biochar carbon removal, securing all of the remaining 2025 spot market credits. This robust forward market activity—with 62% of available supply for 2025 and 30% for 2026 already locked in by OTAs—confirms accelerating forward demand for durable CDR. This significant market clearance signals to institutional investors that there is low price volatility risk and high certainty of returns on the capital invested in expansion efforts.

Financial Indicators and Price Premium

Biochar-based CDR credits typically range in price from $150–$200 per ton of CO₂ removal. Exomad Green credits transact firmly within this premium bracket, having secured pricing around 140 €/CORC. The market recognition of biochar is increasing, with prices having risen at an annual rate of 29.2% since 2020.

The strong price point and appreciation are directly attributable to the specific configuration and high assurance standards of the Concepción project. Buyers are willing to pay a premium because the credits deliver a unique combination of high durability (CORC 100+ permanence), guaranteed integrity (dMRV+ tracking and successful audits), and demonstrable, quantified social co-benefits (such as the 89% reduction in acute respiratory infections). This convergence satisfies both pure carbon removal objectives and rigorous corporate ESG requirements.

4. Scalability and Expansion Roadmap

Current and Near-Term Capacity Metrics

The Concepción facility, alongside the Riberalta plant, provides the current operational backbone, contributing to the total annual removal capacity of 120,000 tCO₂. The successful and rapid expansion of the Concepción site (doubling its initial capacity) is a model for short-term growth and is instrumental in driving the near-term corporate goal of sequestering 260,000 tons of CO₂ annually by 2025. The secured volume of 2025 credits by Supercritical confirms high confidence in achieving this capacity doubling.

Strategic Expansion Plan (2027 Megaton Target)

Exomad Green has articulated a clear, aggressive strategy to scale to five facilities by 2027. Construction is currently underway for the third facility in the Guarayos region. Once fully operational, this new site is expected to achieve 320,000 tCO₂ removal annually from 128,000 tons per annum (tpa) of biochar output, with the first phase anticipated to be operational by mid-2026. The ultimate, highly ambitious objective is to achieve the critical metric of 1,000,000 tons (one megaton) of CO₂ removed annually by 2027.

Achieving this megaton scale requires overcoming complex logistical and capital deployment challenges typical of industrial operations in remote regions. However, the operational success and early expansion of Concepción, combined with the financial certainty provided by the long-term Microsoft agreement, demonstrate that Exomad has a functional and replicable model for industrialized deployment within the Bolivian operational context. This foundational success mitigates significant risk associated with scaling.

Table: Exomad Green CDR Scaling Roadmap

5. Socio-Economic Impact and ESG Co-Benefits

Environmental Justice and Health Outcomes

The Concepción facility’s operation is rooted in a fundamental act of environmental justice: replacing the hazardous open burning of timber waste, a source of severe local air pollution and fire risk. The conversion of this waste into biochar results in profound, measurable public health improvements for the approximately 250,000 regional inhabitants.

The quantification of these benefits is a significant aspect of the project’s integrity. Data shows that acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in Concepción have dropped by 89% since 2021, and cases of conjunctivitis (eye illnesses) have decreased by more than 80%. This verifiable reduction in respiratory and ocular illnesses provides robust evidence of improved air quality and demonstrates a powerful commitment to environmental justice and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being). This measurable social impact serves as a key differentiating factor, making Exomad’s credits highly attractive to buyers with sophisticated ESG mandates.

Sustainable Agriculture and Deforestation Mitigation

Exomad Green operates a comprehensive biochar donation program, providing all biochar produced free of charge to local indigenous communities and farmers in the Concepción region. The biochar acts as a stable soil amendment, which improves soil health, enhances crop yields (as proven in regional studies on sorghum and soybeans), and bolsters agricultural resilience against climate stress and low rainfall conditions.

By enhancing agricultural productivity on existing land, the project helps mitigate deforestation. The economic incentive for local farmers to clear new forest land through destructive methods like slash-and-burn expansion is reduced. This effect establishes a virtuous cycle where high-integrity carbon removal (pyrolysis) directly supports land conservation and community livelihoods, aligning the project with SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Community Development and Green Job Creation

The project is designed to deliver long-term support and economic acceleration, aiming to improve the quality of life for over 250,000 regional inhabitants. The expansion roadmap links CDR scaling directly to the creation of green jobs in rural parts of Bolivia. The company projects increasing its green jobs count from the current 200+ to over 1,500 by 2027. This focus on stable, high-quality employment is critical for driving local economic growth and supporting the urban transformation of the Guarayos region.

Furthermore, Exomad Green actively supports community development through targeted social programs. The company invests in culture, education (providing school supplies), and healthcare (donating medical equipment), in addition to contributing to local infrastructure projects. This holistic commitment ensures that revenue generated from high-value carbon credits fosters sustainable development and community upliftment broadly.

Table: Quantified Social and Environmental Co-Benefits (Concepción Region)

Conclusion

The Exomad Green Concepción facility functions as a validated operational blueprint for industrialized, high-integrity CDR. Its success is not merely volumetric but stems from the convergence of technological superiority—achieving a product quality benchmark of 86.3% organic carbon content—with rigorous, transparent verification protocols, specifically the Puro.earth CORC 100+ standard enforced by Carbonfuture dMRV+.

Exomad Green has successfully demonstrated a model capable of deploying large-scale climate technology in a developing economy setting, utilizing premium-priced CORCs (which have appreciated at 29.2% annually) as asset-backed finance for aggressive industrial expansion toward the 1 megaton goal. The coupling of carbon removal with deep, measurable positive externalities, exemplified by the 89% reduction in ARIs, elevates these credits from a pure commodity to a high-impact ESG asset.