The Zero converts organic waste from crops, food, forestry and municipal sources into high‑purity biochar using a low‑energy carbonization process. This drop‑in biochar replaces coal in steel, cement, power generation and other heavy‑industry furnaces without retrofits, providing MRV‑verified permanent carbon storage that lasts over a thousand years while turning waste disposal costs into a carbon‑negative fuel.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Heavy industry sectors such as steel, cement, power generation, and oil & gas emit 20‑30 GT of CO₂ annually, while billions of tons of organic waste from crops, food, and forestry are repeatedly released back to the atmosphere after biodegradation.
Solution
Zero captures this unavoidable organic waste and converts it into high‑purity biochar through a proprietary low‑energy carbonization process. The resulting biochar can be used as a direct, drop‑in replacement for coal and other fossil fuels in industrial furnaces, requiring no equipment retrofits. Because the carbon in biochar is chemically stable, it remains sequestered for over a thousand years, providing MRV‑verified permanent carbon removal. By turning waste disposal costs into a carbon‑negative fuel, Zero creates an economically compelling pathway for heavy‑industry decarbonization.
Target Audience
Primary customers are heavy‑industry manufacturers (steel, cement, power generation) seeking low‑cost carbon‑neutral fuel, as well as agricultural, food, forestry, and municipal waste generators looking to monetize waste streams.
Features
- Proprietary carbonization technology that bypasses the high activation energy barrier, reducing energy input and production cost compared to traditional methods
- Production of drop‑in biochar that matches the physical and combustion properties of coal, enabling immediate use in steel, cement, and power‑generation processes without plant modifications
- MRV‑verified carbon accounting with proven permanence of 1000+ years, supporting regulatory compliance and carbon‑credit generation
- Capability to process diverse feedstocks including crop residues, food waste, forestry by‑products, and municipal solid waste
- Integrated supply‑chain model that converts waste disposal liabilities into a marketable carbon‑negative fuel product