Imagine a giant, solar-powered oven on wheels that travels to farms and forests. It bakes organic waste like bark and husks without using oxygen, turning them into a charcoal-like soil booster and liquid fertilizers. It also captures the gases released during this process to use as clean fuel for machinery.
Rural areas struggle with the costly disposal of agricultural and forestry waste. Simultaneously, these regions rely on expensive fossil fuels and chemical fertilizers that increase their carbon footprint.
A mobile, solar-assisted pyrolysis unit consisting of a gasifier burner, a biomass dryer, and a pyrolysis reactor. It converts waste into biochar, wood vinegar, bio-oil, and syngas.
If you are a farm owner dealing with massive amounts of rice husk or olive pomace — this project developed a mobile pyrolysis unit that converts these wastes into biochar and wood vinegar to improve soil health and reduce fossil fuel use.
If you are a forestry company dealing with pine or eucalyptus bark waste — this project developed a solar-assisted system that transforms debris into bio-oil and pyrogas for use in local energy applications.
If you are an energy provider dealing with the high cost of transporting biomass — this project developed a decentralized, mobile conversion system that produces upgraded pyrogas and bio-oil for fuel cells and dual-fuel engines.
Based on available project data, specific pricing for the unit is not provided, though the project received an EU contribution of EUR 6,128,225 for development.
The project focuses on a decentralized, mobile approach rather than a single massive plant, aiming for a TRL 7 demonstration system that can be deployed across different rural contexts.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not listed, but the project includes a consortium of 20 partners including 8 industry players to inform exploitation strategies.
The system produces pyrogas and bio-oil specifically designed to be evaluated as energy carriers for dual-fuel engines and fuel cells used in local agriculture.
The project period runs from 2023-07-01 to 2027-06-30, suggesting that full validation and demonstration will be completed by mid-2027.
The consortium is heavily geared toward commercialization, with a 40% industry ratio (8 industry partners, including 5 SMEs). The mix of 6 universities and 4 research centers across 7 countries ensures a balance between scientific validation and market application, specifically targeting the rural economies of Portugal, Germany, and Türkiye.
Contact Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre in Portugal
Contact us to connect with the PYRAGRAF consortium for licensing or pilot opportunities.
