Takachar

Takachar is a limited company based in Boston as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It is developing torrefaction reactors which will cook agricultural waste to create biochar or biocoal – a modernised form of charcoal burning. The target market is India where traditional methods such as stubble burning create large amounts of smoke and have been a significant cause of air pollution.

Traditional burning of rice stubble

In 2021, the company won an Earthshot prize in the "Clean our Air" category, as its process and products are expected to reduce the amount of waste that is burnt in the open air.[1] [2]