Welcome to CarboHeroes
We scale biochar and will remove 500 million tons of CO2 until 2050.
Because the Climate can't wait.
Permanent carbon removal is one of the keys to combating climate change. But beyond that, these solutions should already be at the service of people today. Preserving livelihoods, improving soils, securing good jobs, implementing education and technology are the goal and task of the CarboHeroes in addition to the permanent binding of CO2 through biochar.
Why Biochar?
A substantial problem in the past has been the acceptance of extremely high waste rates in numerous production processes, particularly in agriculture.
This interpretation of waste material has been shaped by insufficient technological capabilities to utilise waste meaningfully, a lack of creativity, and the exploitation mentality of modern consumer societies, where the extraction of natural resources has never been adequately priced.
This attitude has led to global pollution, depleted soils, promoted monocultures, limited biodiversity, and significantly worsened many people's lives.
Fortunately, today we can interpret these so-called waste streams differently, recognising waste as a valuable material that can be utilised in cascading and ultimately circular use cases. Depending on the scenario, this is achieved through chemical, thermal, or physical treatment.
Biochar is an outstanding solution for this purpose. Biochar is produced by thermal carbonisation (heating at or over 500 degrees Centigrade in the absence of oxygen – "pyrolysis") of biomass such as untreated wood, hedge or green cuttings, and other residual biomass, e.g., from the food industry. Its porous structure and enormous internal surface area enable it to store water and nutrients and bind pollutants. Additionally, up to one third of the carbon in the source material remains stable in the long term, effectively removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
Combining Impact and Climate Action.
The income from carbon credits allows us to provide the produced biochar at cost or completely free of charge. The biochar is incorporated into agricultural land to improve soils. Side effects are improved water retention, nutrients close to the roots and a habitat where humus build-up is favored. For production, we use only organic matter that would otherwise be composted or incinerated.
Our Commitment
We are experienced entrepreneurs committed to significantly contributing to the fight against climate change. Our goal is to remove 500 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2050.
To achieve this, we are establishing a circular economy model that utilises biochar production and application, combining sustainable agriculture with substantial carbon reduction.
With our extensive experience in coffee, carbon credits, and biochar, and our excellent network of farmers, feedstock providers, pyrolysis plant suppliers, and carbon marketplaces, we are ideally positioned to develop and scale this business. Starting with pilot projects in Costa Rica, we aim to build a global enterprise with local partners that are both commercially successful and sustainable in the truest sense.
We have chosen Latin America because we can make a real difference here, and we know the region like the back of our hand. Our circular economy solutions remove CO2 from the atmosphere while improving soils, securing crop yields, and creating good jobs.
Our local partners share our vision and are instrumental in turning it into reality.
Scaling to Increase the Impact.
We have been intensively studying the use of feedstock in Latin and South America. The sad truth is that significant amounts of waste are accepted for the production of basic food ingredients , which are consumed mainly in the Global North. Sugar cane, pineapple, nutshells, cascara but also woods are just a few examples. CarboHeroes scales exclusively on the basis of feedstocks for which there is no better use. We turn waste into a valuable material and pay for it. In this way we also increase the awareness for the potentials that lie in organic materials.
Technology
Regarding the use of technology, we are always seeking the best solutions available for specific residues. We anticipate that pyrolysis technology will become more mature and affordable in the near future. Therefore, we are utilising technology as a service rather than investing in the development of pyrolysis technology ourselves.
With our team of engineers, we assemble the best technological solutions from established partners. This approach allows us to remain flexible and adaptive, ensuring that we can implement the most effective and efficient technologies for our circular economy model.
Team
Gerrit Peters
As Co-Founder of BELOW2 and LUCRAT Gerrit has a deep understanding of biochar, pyrolysis and carbon credits. The participation in extensive research project with renown universities also gave Gerrit the knowledge how to incorporate biochar into the soil.
Sascha Spittel
As civil engineer and business administrator Sascha founded a coffee company in 2002. Since then, he formed strong collaboration with farmers around the globe and is an expert on Latin and South America and the control of feedstock.
Daniel Pruemers
An experienced entrepreneur with two successful exits - Daniel has proven successfully how to enter new markets, launch innovative products and business models & created substantial growth in international, developing, dynamic market environments. Daniel is also Co-Founder of BELOW2.