Biomass gasification turns solid feedstocks into combustible gases and biochar. Biochar is a soil amendment which enhances fertiliser uptake, water retention and crop production. It can lock away large amounts of carbon without additional costs. It can also use low-grade agricultural ‘waste’ instead of wood and gives a higher energy efficiency than incineration. For example, using the available residue from just five of Uganda’s main crops for gasification would displace the wood fuel consumption of 6 million people.

Co-REGEN designs and delivers holistic models for generating reliable energy and biochar. This creates a new income stream for farmers who can sell residues such as nut shells, tea prunings, husks, and tree litter that are either burnt or left in the fields. Biochar reduces fertiliser use and increases productivity so farmers earn more from the same parcel of land. Gasifiers obtain more energy from biomass and release less carbon to the atmosphere than incinerators. 150 tonnes of biomass generates enough electricity for 50 low-income families for a year, and enough heat to boil 2.5 million litres of water. The same amount gives 10 tonnes of biochar which removes 33 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere - equivalent to 12,000 litres of petrol. Co-REGEN is now focused on industrial applications. For example, in Kenya’s tea sector, gasification could satisfy power needs for local processing and enable new on-site value addition. It could also generate revenue from carbon credits.