First EU certification methodologies for permanent CO₂ removals: Regulation (EU) 2026/285 — for biochar a laboratory test of every batch, H/Corg at most 0.7 and limits for metals
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/285, published on 17 April 2026, establishes under Regulation (EU) 2024/3012 (CRCF) certification methodologies for three types of permanent carbon removal: direct air capture with storage (DACCS), biogenic CO₂ capture with storage (BioCCS) and biochar carbon removal (BCR).
- The Commission adopted the methodologies on 3 February 2026; after scrutiny by Parliament and Council the act appeared in the Official Journal on 17 April and entered into force on the twentieth day after publication. According to the Commission, it is the first set of EU rules defining what counts as a tonne of removal, how permanence is ensured and how key risks such as leakage and liability are addressed; projects can now apply for certification.
- For biochar, every production batch is tested in a laboratory: organic carbon content, the molar ratio of hydrogen to organic carbon (H/Corg), energy density from the calorific value and restricted substances. No removal units are issued for a batch with H/Corg above 0.7. Where the feedstock may contain more than 2% non-biogenic carbon, the biogenic fraction is determined by radiocarbon testing.
- Permanence can be assessed by random reflectance: at least three samples per batch go to an authorised laboratory, which determines the reactive fraction by thermochemical analysis and uses incident-light microscopy to determine the share of material with R₀ of at least 2%. If the certification scheme does not specify another method, the act describes one itself: a resin-embedded, polished section of the sample and light reflectance measured at 500 points per sample. The alternative is a decay function using H/Corg and the mean annual temperature of the application site (a 200-year estimate).
- Biochar for agricultural and forest soils must analytically meet limits including lead 120, cadmium 1.5, copper 100, nickel 50, mercury 1, zinc 400, chromium 90 and arsenic 13 g/t dry matter, as well as PCB 0.2 g/t and PCDD/F 0.00002 g TEQ/t (WHO-TEQ 2005), i.e. 20 ng TEQ/kg. Producers set aside 1 litre of retention samples from each batch every production day and keep them for at least two years.