Climate-tech startup Releaf Earth announced that it has launched the first industrial biochar production facility in Nigeria.
Through this plant, Releaf Earth is targeting a carbon removal volume of 40,000-60,000 tons of CO₂e by 2030, with intentions to scale to 100 kilotonnes in the future.
Beyond a carbon removal impact, the newly launched biochar facility is also expected to improve the livelihoods of local farmers, improving the yields from their work and introducing a new income stream from carbon credits.
To generate the carbon removal credits, Releaf Earth has partnered with the Riverse registry, which will monitor operations to ensure transparency and traceability.
According to the startup, the plant is expected to bring an income raise of more than 50% for the local agricultural community.
Positioned in Africa, a continent rich in agricultural waste, Releaf Earth is on a mission to clean the air of excessive CO2 emissions and help farmers boost their crop yields and soils through biochar.
Run by a team of supply chain specialists, agro-industry experts, and skilled engineers, Releaf Earth has developed a biochar production technology that uses palm kernel shells as feedstock.
The company’s ambitious biochar plans are enabled through its patented Kraken system, which processes large amounts of palm nuts per week, producing palm kernel products with a 95% purity rate that surpasses the industry standard of 88%.
The resulting residual waste materials from the palm nut processing are then used towards the production of biochar.
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Located in Cross River State, the new production facility follows a successful pilot deployment back in 2024 that Releaf Earth claims resulted in a 25% increase in crop yields for regional farmers.
The company’s potential has been recognized by many in the industry, attracting the interest of investors and organizations that have backed its development so far.
Releaf Earth was recently selected as a finalist in the first Africa-based accelerator cohort to receive assistance from remove. The company has also received support from Y Combinator, Breakthrough Energy, AirMiners, and Angaza Capital.
Read more: Remove Revealed The First Cohort Of Finalists For Its Africa-based CDR Accelerator Program
