EUBCE 2026 - Gert VAN TONDER - Commercial Scale Integration of Waste Biomass Pyrolysis into Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for on-site Renewable Heat, Electricity, Biochar and CO2 Diffusion

Commercial Scale Integration of Waste Biomass Pyrolysis into Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for on-site Renewable Heat, Electricity, Biochar and CO2 Diffusion

Short Introductive summary

This presentation explores modular biomass pyrolysis systems tailored for Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) — greenhouses and indoor farms — focused on delivering dispatchable heat, power, CO2 enrichment and biochar co-products for soil amendment and carbon removal. The study synthesizes process design (compact modular gasifier, syngas cleanup, heat exchangers and control systems), agronomic requirements (thermal profiles, CO2 dosing, air quality thresholds), and business cases (capital staging, payback and revenue stacking from heat/electricity, biochar, and carbon credits). Case studies and techno-economic models illustrate staged roll-out from pilot to multi-module farm deployments and identify operational control strategies to protect crop quality while maximizing co-product value. The study is based on a commercial scale system that has been developed and commissioned within Australia

G. Van Tonder, Regen Biofuels, Moscow, USA
W. Botha, Bara Consultants, Moscow, USA