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Circular Carbon, a scale-up for carbon dioxide removal and the production of biochar, has started implementing its largest order to date. The use of 1,000 tonnes of biochar on a large agricultural farm in Brandenburg is intended to improve the quality of the sandy soils there, secure yields, improve barn hygiene and make the use of water and fertilisers significantly more efficient. With this large-scale project, the subsidiary of ClimateTech-Holding econnext AG is pioneering climate-friendly agriculture. The biochar introduced into the fields enhances the soil and also serves as a large-volume CO2 sink. The current project is binding 1,500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in the long term: this is a peak value in the agricultural sector throughout Europe.
Circular Carbon has developed a pioneering business model in which biomass waste is processed into biochar and green process steam with the help of an energy-optimised pyrolysis plant. In this specific case, cocoa shells from the production of a nearby large industrial chocolate factory are used as a raw material. The high-quality biochar produced can then be used in a variety of agricultural applications in line with the circular economy.
"We see this as another flagship project from one of our subsidiaries. This example is an impressive demonstration of how the use of a new business model can make a positive contribution to sustainable and high-yield agriculture. And not in the laboratory, but on an industrial scale. It is precisely this type of scalable, commercially viable ClimateTech innovation that we need to reverse the trend. With the right concepts, new, attractive product classes can be created and large markets developed that simultaneously make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change," says Jobst v. Hoyningen-Huene, Co-CEO of econnext AG.
The biochar produced by Circular Carbon not only offers agriculture the opportunity to produce higher yields, but also aims to generate significant benefits for soil and animal welfare. To this end, it is spread in the barns, where it absorbs excrements like a sponge to minimise unpleasant odours and have a positive effect on the climate in the barns. The nutrients subsequently bound in the biochar are then incorporated into the surrounding arable soil in order to achieve a higher soil quality. In regions with particularly sandy soils such as Brandenburg, this type of utilisation of biochar can be particularly attractive.
About econnext AG:
Founded in 2016, econnext AG is the parent company of a diversified group of ClimateTech companies with a focus on decarbonisation and the circular economy. As the parent company, econnext AG holds majority stakes in Autarq GmbH (solar roof tiles), Circular Carbon GmbH (CDR technology for renewable heat and biochar from waste materials), ESG Screen17 GmbH (sustainability screening for investment portfolios), FLAXTEC GmbH (solar module recycling, among other circular economy technologies), GRIPS Energy GmbH (renewable energy supply worldwide) and LUMENION GmbH (renewable process heating and cooling through round-the-clock energy storage) as well as a minority stake in Ambibox GmbH (e-mobility and decentralised energy systems).
About Circular Carbon:
Circular Carbon was founded in 2018 and develops biomass energy systems for the production of valuable biochar and renewable energy. The CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) company supports industrial customers in decarbonising their processes and binds carbon in the long term via biochar - CO2 negative emissions. At the same time, biochar promotes the build-up of humus in depleted agricultural soils and thus improves their fertility. Biochar is also used in sponge cities and in the construction sector and is utilised as animal feed. Circular Carbon therefore has a promising key technology making a significant contribution to a climate-neutral economy. The company has been part of the econnext Group since 2019.
