South Carolina is fast becoming a hub of innovation in the US renewable fuels space. The latest example comes from Carolina Renewable Products (CRP), which has announced plans to build a renewable diesel and biochar plant that will redefine how waste, fuel, and energy interact.
The project, which will create 155 new jobs in the state, isn’t just a boon for local economies. It’s a proof point for a larger shift: biochar has officially graduated from “high potential” to real-world adoption.
The southeastern US is home to one of the most productive forestry industries in the world. For decades, vast amounts of forestry residue have gone unused or been left to decompose:
These byproducts release carbon back into the atmosphere, representing a missed opportunity for energy recovery and climate benefit.
Carolina Renewable Products plans to change that. The new South Carolina plant will use forest waste as its primary feedstock, converting what was once a disposal challenge into both renewable energy and biochar.
This process creates a closed-loop system where the region’s abundant biomass resources are repurposed into low-carbon fuels. Simultaneously, this process also reduces waste and emissions.
By turning byproducts of the forestry sector into inputs for renewable fuel, the project embodies what’s known as a “symbiotic circular economy.” This is a system where industrial processes feed into one another, creating both economic and environmental resilience.
Biochar has long been hailed as a climate solution with exceptional potential. Derived from heating biomass in a low-oxygen environment (a process called pyrolysis), biochar is a stable form of carbon that can be used in soils, construction materials, and increasingly as a sustainable energy source.
Historically, biochar was mostly discussed for its ability to sequester carbon and improve soil fertility, helping farmers retain moisture and nutrients. But in recent years, the focus has expanded.
As we previously discussed here on the blog, advances in technology are allowing biochar to play a dual role of capturing carbon while producing energy. The CRP plant will use woody biomass to also create biochar—another tool for achieving sustainability goals.
CRP’s facility will primarily produce renewable diesel, a low-carbon alternative to petroleum-based diesel made from organic matter such as plant oils, animal fats, or in this case woody biomass.
Renewable diesel offers several advantages over conventional biodiesel:
By pairing renewable diesel production with biochar generation, the South Carolina project showcases how integrated technologies can unlock multiple streams of value from a single feedstock. Instead of a linear “use-and-discard” model, it’s a multi-output system:
This kind of system design reflects the future of renewable energy: synergistic, localized, and resource-efficient.
The Southeast’s forestry network is one of its greatest untapped renewable resources. States like Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas produce millions of tons of forestry residues each year. Much of that material could serve as feedstock for similar renewable fuel and biochar facilities.
In South Carolina specifically, the forestry sector contributes nearly $23 billion to the state’s economy annually and employs more than 100,000 people. Projects like CRP’s not only add value to that existing supply chain but also diversify rural economies by introducing clean energy jobs and investment in small communities.
Moreover, locating renewable fuel plants near feedstock sources reduces transportation emissions. Less distance traveled equates to further improvements to the sustainability profile of the entire process.
One of the most exciting aspects of biochar integration is its impact on carbon accounting. When biomass decomposes naturally, most of its carbon is released as CO₂.
But when that biomass is converted into biochar, much of the carbon becomes stable for centuries. The process effectively locks it away when used in applications such as soil integration.
Beyond energy, biochar has numerous secondary benefits:
These cascading benefits illustrate why biochar’s moment has finally arrived.
The South Carolina project represents an important proof of concept. As biochar production scales and renewable diesel technology matures, more facilities will likely adopt similar integrated systems. The greatest sustainability potential comes from facilities that can successfully utilize waste from one industry to power another.
This is where the next phase of the renewable transition lies: not in isolated breakthroughs, but in symbiotic systems that compound benefits across sectors. Forestry, agriculture, fuel, and energy can all operate in alignment. And biochar is emerging as a critical connector between them.
As technology improves, the efficiency of pyrolysis, carbon retention, and energy recovery will only get better. That means lower costs, smaller footprints, and higher returns for communities and investors alike.
South Carolina’s new biochar-powered biodiesel facility isn’t just an industrial development. It’s a concrete signal of transformation. It shows that renewable energy is moving beyond experimental ideas and into practical, region-specific solutions.
By turning forest waste into both clean fuel and carbon storage, Carolina Renewable Products is setting a precedent for what responsible energy development can look like: local, circular, and sustainable.
The story of biochar has long been one of potential. Now, in the heart of the American Southeast, that potential is becoming reality.