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biocharpe
biochar

Enriching African soils while sequestering carbon for long-term climate benefit.

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What Is BioCharPE?

A Waste-to-Value System for Africa

BioCharPE is a small, off-grid, modular waste-to-value system built for real African conditions. It transforms plastic waste into durable recycled plastic boards while producing biochar as a by-product for agriculture, soil regeneration, and climate impact.

It creates local green jobs, cleaner environments, and stronger food security.

WHAT IS BIOCHAR

The Permanent Carbon Sink for High-Yield Agriculture

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Biochar is considered a highly stable, mostly inert, carbon-rich material created via pyrolysis (burning biomass in low oxygen). It persists in soil for hundreds to thousands of years, acting as a permanent carbon sink, soil conditioner, and habitat for microbes. While chemically inert in degradation, it is physically reactive, adsorbing water and nutrients

The Biochar Advantage: Economic & Ecological Impact

Biochar is a carbon-rich powerhouse created through pyrolysis—the process of heating biomass in a low-oxygen environment. This creates a material that is chemically stable yet physically transformative.

1.Climate Benefits

  • Carbon Sequestration: It acts as a permanent carbon sink. Each ton produced can generate approximately USD 200 in Carbon Credits, turning environmental stewardship into a tangible revenue stream.

2. Soil Enhancement & Productivity

When integrated into the soil at the optimal ratio, biochar functions as a "soil battery," providing the following benefits:

  • Superior Water Retention: Its porous structure holds moisture like a sponge, protecting crops during dry spells.

  • Input Efficiency: It locks in nutrients, allowing you to reduce fertilizer use by 50% without sacrificing health.

  • Exponential Yields: Field results have shown the potential to double harvest volumes by optimizing the root zone environment.

3. Permanent Stability

Unlike compost or manure which breaks down quickly, biochar is inert and permanent. Once it is applied to your fields, it remains sequestered for hundreds—even thousands—of years, providing a "one and done" solution for soil health.

The Problem

From Zambia → Africa → Global

In Zambia, 2025 brought extended load-shedding that left communities with as little as two hours of electricity per day. Factories shut down, recycling slowed — yet plastic waste continued to grow.

Plastic Waste Crisis

Centralized recycling facilities are far from waste sources and rely on grid electricity.

Unreliable Power

Heavy dependence on grid electricity makes large recycling factories impractical across Africa.

High Costs

Expensive equipment, transport, and fuel costs limit local value creation

Environmental Decline

Worsening pollution, deforestation, declining soil health, and rising emissions.

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The core problem is not lack of effort. It is the wrong system design.

This challenge is not unique to Zambia. Across Africa, unreliable power supply makes large, centralized recycling factories impractical, while waste continues to accumulate at the community level.

Recycling systems across the continent face the same structural barriers:

  • Centralized facilities far from waste sources
  • Heavy dependence on grid electricity
  • High transport and fuel costs
  • Expensive equipment, spares, and limited local value creation

Globally, the consequences are clear: worsening plastic pollution, increased deforestation, declining soil health, and rising emissions — while the communities closest to the problem benefit the least.

Born From Real-World Failure — Not Theory

In 2025, Zambia’s load-shedding crisis shut down factories while plastic waste continued to pile up. The contradiction was clear: recycling depended on electricity that communities did not have.

So we asked: What if recycling did not depend on the grid?

BioCharPE answers with a modular, off-grid system powered by biomass energy. It transforms plastic waste into durable recycled boards while producing biochar as a valuable co-product for agriculture and climate impact.

Decentralized

Deployed at community scale, close to waste sources

Energy-Independent

Powered by biomass, not the grid

Multi-Output

Boards, biochar, and usable heat from one hub

Locally Repairable

Built and maintained with local skills and materials

Built on Proven Local Expertise

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BioCharPE draws from high-efficiency ceramic kiln and clean cooking stove technologies proven in Zambia.

Built on Proven Local Biomass & Pyrolysis Expertise

BioCharPE is grounded in thermal and biomass energy principles that are already proven, reliable, and locally manufactured in Zambia.

The system draws inspiration from high-efficiency ceramic kiln and clean cooking stove technologies that have operated successfully for years under real African conditions — demonstrating durability, safety, and performance in energy-constrained environments.

A local reference point is the biomass-fed pyrolysis Peko Pe stove, produced in Zambia by Miombo (www.miombo.no). These systems validate the robustness of biomass-based thermal processing in low-infrastructure settings.

BioCharPE builds on this proven foundation — integrating biomass energy, plastic processing, and biochar production into one practical, community-scale waste-to-value solution.

One System. Multiple Outputs. Real Impact.

BioCharPE delivers multiple solutions through one integrated system.

Plastic Waste → Durable Boards

Biochar enhances soil fertility, improves water retention, increases crop productivity, and locks carbon safely into the ground for long-term climate benefit.

Biomass → Reliable Energy

Each hub creates direct employment, supports waste collectors, and builds technical skills within the community — turning waste management into economic opportunity.

Biochar → Soil & Climate Impact

Biochar enhances soil fertility, improves water retention, increases crop productivity, and locks carbon safely into the ground for long-term climate benefit

Local Hubs → Jobs & Skills

Each hub creates direct employment, supports waste collectors, and builds technical skills within the community — turning waste management into economic opportunity. See Our Impact

Impact & Metrics

Measurable Impact From Day One

Every hub generates daily outputs across waste reduction, employment, materials production, agriculture, and climate action.

300kg

Plastic processed daily

7-10

Direct jobs created

90-100t

Recycled annually

250+

Waste collectors supported

95%

Potential yield increase

$200

Carbon credit per tonne CO₂

Clean, Off-Grid Operation

Indirect Thermal Processing

Biochar Agricultural Value

One hub changes a community. Many hubs can change a system.

Watch the BioCharPE Project in Action

Our team

Technical Innovation Meets Real-World Execution

FEEDBACK

Small by design, highly skilled, and deeply committed to solving waste, energy, and environmental challenges.

Tomas Persson

Founder & Concept Architect

Tomas is the visionary behind BioCharPE. With deep expertise in thermodynamics and systems thinking, he conceived the idea of transforming waste plastic using biochar-based heat rather than grid electricity. A Swedish national, he has developed sustainability initiatives across more than ten countries and is the founder of Green Power Solutions.

Castrol Shanobe

Co-Founder & Technical Lead

Castrol is a seasoned recycling innovator with over 17 years of hands-on experience in Zambia’s recycling sector and co-founder of Newtech Recycling. He transformed BioCharPE from early sketches into a locally manufacturable, operational system through years of prototyping and field testing.

WORK WITH US

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BioCharPE scales through partnership — not centralization. It is designed to be deployed in every community, so plastic waste is addressed at its source and local people directly benefit from the value created.

BioCharPE scales through partnership — not centralization.

BioCharPE is not meant to stop in Zambia.
It is designed to be deployed in every community, so plastic waste is addressed at its source and local people directly benefit from the value created.

We work with:

  • Governments seeking decentralized waste management and local manufacturing solutions
  • NGOs and donors advancing climate action, livelihoods, and circular economy programs
  • Communities and entrepreneurs hosting and operating local BioCharPE hubs
  • Buyers sourcing durable, recycled plastic materials

We provide:

  • Hub deployment and hands-on training
  • Ongoing technical support and system replication
  • Scalable models tailored to local needs and realities

BioCharPE is not a one-off project.
It is a platform for building local circular economies, community by community, country by country.

WHAT CAN YOU DO

Partner with us. Host a hub. Sponsor a hub. Invest in scale.
Help take BioCharPE to every community where plastic is a problem, and turn waste into lasting local opportunity.

We call on individuals, companies, NGOs, and institutions to come on board, sponsor a hub, and lets create lasting community impact…. together.

Get In Touch

Ready to partner with us? Reach out for biochar production, biomass equipment, plastic recycling, or recycled plastic boards.

Our Team


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