UK-based pyrolysis company Onnu has partnered with Agrotech Bioenergy to convert agricultural residues in Malaysia into renewable energy, high-grade biochar, and verified carbon credits. The collaboration, which began operations last week in Sabah, utilises Onnu’s proprietary CarboFlow technology to process plantation residues like palm trunk and bamboo, marking a significant advancement in sustainable biomass utilisation.
Onnu’s CarboFlow technology is designed to make biomass projects viable and scalable, addressing industry challenges such as high costs and long lead times. “CarboFlow is engineered for scalability and commercial viability,” said Giles Welch, CEO of Onnu. The system is priced at two-thirds of traditional systems, can be manufactured 4.5 times faster, and achieves payback in as little as three years.
The project in Sabah will process approximately 41,820 tonnes of wet biomass annually, producing 1,924 tonnes of biochar and generating 2,800 kW of renewable heat. It is expected to deliver 3,937 carbon credits each year, verified under the Puro.earth standard. The initiative has been independently evaluated by BeZero, a leading carbon rating agency.
Agrotech Bioenergy plans to expand the use of CarboFlow technology across plantations in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia over the next five years. This expansion aims to sequester 360,000 tonnes of CO₂e annually and produce 180,000 tonnes of biochar. The energy generated will power a torrefaction plant to produce black pellets, displacing coal in power generation and reducing global carbon emissions by 1.3 million tonnes of CO₂e annually.
