AGENDA PREVIEW
Setting the Standard for Biochar
Trust – Scale – Adoption
November 16-18, 2026 | Ernest N. Moral Convention Center, New Orleans
Hosted by the American Biochar Institute, in partnership with the U.S. Biochar Coalition
Schedule Overview
MON, NOV 16
Deep Dive Day
Hands on workshops, technical sessions, and exhibitor move-in
TUE, NOV 17
Keynotes and Exhibit Hall Grand Opening
Main stage keynotes, the Exhibit Hall opening, breakouts, and the poster reception
WED, NOV 18
Markets and Momentum
ABI updates, Biochar Awards, breakouts, and the closing reception
Your First Look at the Program
Here’s an early overview of the schedule. More exciting announcements are on the way as we continue to add and finalize industry leaders.
Check back often for updates. Speakers and session details are subject to change.
16
Monday, Nov. 16: Deep Dive Day
Hands-on workshops and technical sessions, plus exhibitor move-in
DEEP DIVE SESSIONS
Monday runs as concurrent sessions. The Growing with Biochar workshop runs alongside Biochar on Site and Biochar on Site runs alongside the Standards and Permitting sessions, so pick your path or split your team.
12:00 –5:00 PM
Growing with Biochar
For growers and land managers
• Biochar 101
• Biochar for Soil Health
• The Science of Biochar as an Agricultural Amendment: Interpreting Biochar Laboratory Reports
• Biochar Atlas: Selecting the Right Source and Rate
• Integrating Biochar into Regenerative Agriculture: Right Time and Place
• Biochar On-Site: Delivery, Storage, and Safe Handling
• Biochar On-Farm Trials
• Federal NRCS Practice 336 Overview
12:30 –4:30 PM
Biochar on Site
Field production, forestry, and land stewardship
• Carbon Credits for Flame Cap Kiln Biochar in California
• Microclimate and the Limits of One-Size-Fits-All Biochar BMPs: Lessons from Invasive Species Management
• Biochar Use in Disaster Recovery and Climate Change Adaptation
• Optimizing Deployment of Mobile Biochar Production Equipment for Enhanced Slash Management
• Landscape-Scale Biochar and Good Fire: A Decentralized, Community-Operated Stewardship Model
• Industrial Scale Trench Biochar Production
• …and more
12:30 –4:30 PM
Standards Updates and Discussion
• ISO TC 238 Biocarbon Standards Update
Emissions, Permitting, and Labeling
• Air Permitting and Emissions Controls for Biochar Systems: From Theory to Best Available Control Technology
• From Blueprint to Biochar: What It Actually Takes to Build a 40,000-TonIndustrial Facility in the U.S.A
Evening: Special Event
Details soon to be announced. Stay tuned.
17
Tuesday, Nov. 17: Keynotes and Exhibit Hall Grand Opening
Keynotes, the Exhibit Hall opening, breakouts, and the poster reception
ON THE MAIN STAGE
Welcome to the 2026 North American Biochar Conference
Special Guest Speakers and Opening Keynotes
Keynote: NRCS Assistant Chief Jimmy Emmons
U.S. Forest Service Wood Innovations Program PANEL
Panel discussion featuring Alex Kazer, Wood Innovations Specialist, U.S. Forest Service
Federal Policy Fireside Chat
With a welcome from the U.S. Biochar Coalition
Thank You to Our Title Sponsor, BET
Grand Opening of the 2026 Exhibit Hall
Visit our largest Exhibit Hall to date. It’s the heart of the event this year, with the main stage, posters, lunch, and receptions all under one roof.
More main stage speakers to be announced
MORNING BREAKOUTS
Production and Deployment
Technology, feedstock, and scale
• Integrated Biomass Pyrolysis for Renewable Power, Renewable Molecules, and Decarbonized Industrial Products
• An ERP for Biochar: Unifying Plant Operations, Machine Data, and MRV Across Biochar Projects at Scale
Urban, Green Infrastructure, and Stormwater
• Rebuilding the Urban Water Cycle: Biochar’s Role in Soil Modification and Infiltration/Storage Modeling for Stormwater Resilience
• Biochar and Urban Forestry: Positive Effects on Tree Growth and Reductions in Non-CO₂ GHG Emissions
Scaling Markets PANEL
• Biochar Beyond Agriculture: Industrial Markets Driving Scale and Carbon Removal
Forestry
Feedstock supply, landscape management, and opportunity
AFTERNOON BREAKOUTS
Finance and Business
• An “OSCAR” Goes to Biochar: A Standardized CDR Credit Contract to Advance Biochar Projects
• Speaking the Language of Capital: How to Finance a Biochar Carbon Removal Project
• Funding Opportunities for Biochar in 2026
Waste to Energy
• Waste Heat to Energy: A Positive Investment
• Follow the Carbon, Find the Heat
Policy Panels PANEL
• Why and How to Get Involved in Public Policy on Biochar: A Working Discussion
• Aligning U.S. Policy and the Carbon Markets
Environmental and Mine Restoration
• Performance of Mixed Hardwood Biochar as a Soil Amendment on Reclaimed Mine Sites
• Lessons from the Field: A Retrospective on Biochar and Reclamation at the Formosa Mine
Manure Management
• EPA-Funded Biochar Field Science as the Bridge to Scalable Nutrient Runoff Solutions in Watersheds
IN THE EXHIBIT HALL
Exhibitors and Sponsors
Explore our largest Exhibit Hall to date, with companies from across the biochar value chain showing equipment, products, and services.
Product and Art Showcase
Producers’ biochar lined up side by side, plus products and artwork made with biochar. On display through November 18
Poster Session
A large number of posters from industry, government, research teams, and students, featured during the evening reception.
Lunch, Dessert, and Networking
Lunch, the afternoon dessert break, and all the networking happen right on the show floor.
Evening: Reception and Poster Session
Celebrate opening day in the Exhibit Hall, surrounded by posters, exhibitors, and the full biochar community.
18
Wednesday, Nov. 18: Markets and Momentum
Awards, buyers, and the path from promises to performance
ON THE MAIN STAGE
ABI Updates
News from the American Biochar Institute
Biochar Awards
The Southeast’s Biochar Moment: Excess Biomass, Markets, and the People Building Solutions
Markets Matter: Closing the Loop from Forest Residuals to Industry
More main stage speakers to be announced
MORNING BREAKOUTS
What It Takes to Close
Buyers, trust, and data
• Breaking the Chicken-and-Egg: How a Pre-Operational Biochar Project Secured a Megatonne Offtake in 12 Months
• What Biochar Buyers Actually Want: A Map of the Commercial Biochar Market
• What Buyer Engagement Really Requires of Biochar Producers
• From Producer Data to Independent LCI Review: Building Trust in Biochar Carbon Claims
Pelletizing and Advanced Products
• The Formation of High Fixed Biocarbon Pellets and Associated Technical Specifications
• Unlocking Biochar’s Commercial Potential with Agglomeration
From Promises to Performance PANEL
Structural de-risking in the biochar market
Getting to Production
Feedstock, technology, and trust
• Feedstock First: Why Your Biochar Project Starts Long Before You Pick a Technology
• Deploying Biochar in the Concrete Industry: From Carbon Storage to Scalable Construction Solutions
Agriculture
• When Biochar Carbon Meets Biological Carbon: 5 Years of Measured Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation on a Working Farm
• Advancing Horticultural Biochar from Research to Commercial Growing Media Applications
AFTERNOON BREAKOUTS
The Full Stack PANEL
One biochar project told from three perspectives
Closing the Loop PANEL
A science-based approach to industrial biochar from field to farm
Fail Less, Learn Faster PANEL
Peer lessons for making your projects successful
Regional Strategies for Biochar Market Development PANEL
Why Storytelling Matters to Biochar PANEL
IN THE EXHIBIT HALL
Exhibitors and Sponsors
Explore our largest Exhibit Hall to date, with companies from across the biochar value chain showing equipment, products, and services.
Product and Art Showcase
Producers’ biochar lined up side by side, plus products and artwork made with biochar. On display through November 18
Poster Session
A large number of posters from industry, government, research teams, and students, featured during the evening reception.
Lunch, Dessert, and Networking
Lunch, the afternoon dessert break, and all the networking happen right on the show floor.
Evening: Closing Reception
One last chance to connect with the full biochar value chain in the Exhibit Hall.
The full agenda is coming soon. Stay tuned.
More sessions, speakers, and details will be announced shortly. Visit our largest Exhibit Hall to date, home to lunches, breaks, and receptions.
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
biocharconference.com
Questions about the program: conference@biochar.org
Check out our amazing list of exhibitors and sponsors, with more being added daily!