Biomass torrefaction for high-yield, water-saving fertilizer

Rapid fertilization for smallholder farms

Many smallholder farmers in rural areas depend on costly, imported synthetic fertilizers that over the long term may acidify and degrade their soils. A biomass pretreatment technology known as oxygen-lean torrefaction can be used to turn agricultural residues into a carbon-rich fertilizer intermediate in just under one hour, without requiring external energy input. The project is developing a series of low-cost reactor designs that can be deployed at a small-scale and in a decentralized manner in rural areas. These locally produced fertilizers should be significantly less expensive than imported fertilizer and could also counteract soil acidity and reduce overall farmland irrigation.