Are biochar and charcoal the same thing? Can they be used interchangeably?

The short answer

It depends!

A good shorthand: look for and buy ‘certified biochar’ – that way you know it is made sustainably and meets the chemical purity as stated.

Why does “it depend”

Although the words are often used interchangeably, charcoal and biochar are not always the same thing. I have been writing on ‘biochar vs charcoal’ for at least 10 years, and still the online confusion (errors!) persists.

Why the confusion?

The industry has two camps:

• Charcoal makers who would like to sell their charcoal fines, ie the small bits that can not be sold as BBQ lumps, as biochar.

• Biochar makers who have invested in expensive pyrolysis equipment – and let’s face it, do not want the competition from charcoal fines sold as biochar.

What you read is almost always biased by who is making the statement. Below is a clear stance supported by years of working with charcoal and biochar, supported by policy and certification bodies.

• Charcoal is traditionally made for fuel (BBQs, heating), often in open kilns or ring kilns with little control over emissions or contaminants. (Note: HMRC customs import duty and chemical risk registrars define ‘charcoal’ as a fuel).
• Biochar is produced through controlled, clean pyrolysis with standards such as EBC or IBI, ensuring sustainable feedstocks, low‑tar chemistry, and suitability for soils or industrial uses.

The role of certification

Ring kilns DO NOT qualify as certifiable biochar production systems under EBC and IBI schemes. Hence, charcoal fines from these systems can never be certified biochar.

However, there are charcoal makers who use advanced ‘retort’ kilns with heat recovery and pollution controls. Many of these are certified under biochar schemes. Their charcoal granules also pass the chemical standard. These charcoal fines are certified biochar.

There are claims that charcoals often contain tars, PAHs. Well yes, some will (as do some biochars that fail the tests!). Most ‘tar’ issues are related to BBQ briquettes made from coal dust.

Summary

You now have the knowledge that charcoal and biochar can be both the same and not the same, ie it depends and what it depends on. A good shorthand: look for and buy ‘certified biochar’ – that way you know it is made sustainably and meets the chemical purity as stated.