Could an overlooked byproduct of clean energy be the key to fighting global warming? In a new review published in Biochar, a team of scientists argues that instead of being treated as waste, bio-tar can be converted into ‘bio-carbon’, a novel material with applications ranging from water purification to clean energy storage.

Bio-tar, a sticky byproduct from heating biomass like crop residues or wood, has long been a nuisance, clogging pipelines, damaging equipment, and polluting the environment.

Now, a team from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences believes they may have found a long-sought solution.

“Our review highlights how turning bio-tar into bio-carbon not only solves a technical problem for the bioenergy industry, but also opens the door to producing advanced carbon materials with high economic value,” said senior author Dr. Zonglu Yao.

Bio-carbon stands out for its higher carbon content, lower ash, and unique structure. Early studies suggest it could clean polluted water and air by trapping toxins, power renewable energy storage through next-generation supercapacitors, act as a greener catalyst for chemical industries, and even serve as a cleaner-burning fuel that emits fewer harmful gases.

Moreover, economic assessments suggest that converting bio-tar into bio-carbon can deliver net-positive energy, financial, and environmental benefits.

For example, replacing coal with bio-carbon fuels could cut carbon dioxide emissions by hundreds of millions of tons annually, while also generating profits for biomass processing plants.

Still, hurdles remain. Bio-tar’s complex chemistry makes it hard to control, and scaling production from the lab to industry is an ongoing challenge.

To optimize reaction pathways and design bio-carbon with specific functions, the authors recommend combining laboratory experiments with computer simulations and machine learning.

“If perfected, the approach could transform how we produce clean energy and protect the environment,” said first author Yuxuan Sun, noting that combining experiments with AI-driven simulations may be the key to unlocking bio-carbon’s full potential.

While the study was led in China, its implications extend far beyond Asia. Regions rich in agricultural residues, such as Africa and South America, generate millions of tons of unused biomass every year.

For example, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that Africa alone produces over 700 million tons of crop residues annually, much of which goes to waste or is openly burned, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

If technologies for converting bio-tar into bio-carbon were scaled in these regions, not only could they provide a new source of clean energy and materials, but they could also help tackle pollution, reduce rural poverty, and create circular economies around agricultural waste. In this sense, bio-carbon is more than a technical fix, it is a pathway toward global sustainability and equity in the bioeconomy.

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