What does the draft VM0044 v2.0 change for biochar projects?
The draft of 15 July 2026 would cover output increases at existing biochar plants, add invasive species and other feedstocks not grown for the purpose, replace the positive list with project-level additionality, and tie soil permanence to each lot's H:Corg and local soil temperature. It is a draft; v1.2 still applies.
Main changes in the draft
- Existing plants: an increase in output at an existing facility can be eligible, not only new facilities.
- High technology plants: pyrolysis gas recovered and used, fossil fuel only for start-up, pollution controls meeting the strictest applicable limits, and temperature measured and reported.
- Additionality: regulatory surplus, investment analysis and a common practice test, in place of the positive list.
- Feedstocks: invasive species, with a plan to stop them spreading or regrowing, and other new feedstocks not grown for the purpose.
- Monitoring: H:Corg and moisture for every production lot, feedstock transport emissions, safe storage and transport, and an uncertainty assessment.
- Optional methane reductions at the sourcing stage, excluding reductions from less open field burning.
Kon tiki kilns and production lots
The draft defines a kon tiki kiln as one that needs no external start-up fuel and burns its pyrolysis gases in the flame curtain. Its feedstock must be under 25% moisture.
A production lot is up to twelve months of output from the same technology, with temperature within 50 °C either way, residence time within 10% and feedstock mix within 10%.
Permanence by H:Corg and soil temperature
For soil use, the draft works out the permanence factor as a soil temperature constant minus a slope times the lot's H:Corg, capped at 1.0. Warmer soils get lower factors.
Where it stands
Verra held a public consultation from 15 July to 17 August 2026. The revision is at step 5, assessment by a validation and verification body, and Verra sought independent expert reviewers by 25 August 2026. Plan on v1.2 until the final version and its transition rules are published.
Example: one lot, two climates (draft formula)
- Lot H:Corg: 0.4
- Soil above 22.5 °C: 0.98 minus (0.66 x 0.4) = 0.716
- Soil below 7.5 °C: 1.13 minus (0.46 x 0.4) = 0.946
- The same biochar counts for less permanent carbon in a warmer field
Coefficients from draft VM0044 v2.0, Table 4. Draft values may change.
What Senseible does here
Senseible's field app has optional audit fields for per-batch moisture, kiln type and number, transport mode and fuel, and lab sample numbers, the kind of lot-level detail the draft asks for. Biochar rules on Senseible cite Verra VM0044 v1.2.
Sources: Verra, Draft VM0044 Biochar Use in Soil and Non-Soil Applications, v2.0 (15 July 2026), Verra, Revision to VM0044 (development ID M0226): status and consultation dates
Last reviewed 2026-11-02. Draft methodology: check Verra's revision page for the final v2.0 text before relying on any figure here.