Techno-Economic Feasibility of Biochar Production from Local Biomass Resources in Qatar: A Review

The techno-economic analysis (TEA) of producing biochar (BC) as a sustainable solution for waste valorization and carbon management from locally available biomass resources in Qatar remains insufficiently investigated. This study critically reviews the TEA of BC from local biomass resources in Qatar, where recent reports (2022-2024) indicate the generation of approximately 2.5-3.0 million t/y of municipal solid waste, 2.6 million t/y of agricultural residues, and 0.26 million t/y of sewage sludge. Pyrolysis technologies, including slow, fast, and microwave-assisted routes, are evaluated for yield, cost, and scalability, with reported BC yields of 30-60% and 12-35% for slow and fast pyrolysis, respectively. In this review, plant scale is defined by biomass amount as small- (<0.5 t/h), medium- (0.5-2 t/h), and large-scale (>2 t/h). Global and Qatar-specific assessments report minimum selling prices (MSPs) of 120-1000 USD/t globally and 160-180 USD/t for selected large-scale systems, including Qatar-relevant cases operating above 10 t/h with poultry litter and food waste. The wide MSP range primarily reflects differences in feedstock type, plant scale, pyrolysis technology, process efficiency, and regional economic conditions. CAPEX ranges from approximately 12 million USD for medium-scale systems to 290 million USD for large facilities. Sensitivity analysis identifies CAPEX as the dominant MSP driver (approximately ±9.1%), followed by plant capacity and feedstock cost, while OPEX and BC yield show smaller effects. The available evidence suggests that medium- and large-scale biochar production in Qatar may be economically feasible under favorable conditions. However, pilot-scale validation and integrated TEA-LCA are still needed to confirm commercial viability.