We conducted the initial feasibility study. The project focused on two sites: a 6,000-tonne-per-year pilot in East Africa, using barley straw, and a larger operation in Southern Africa processing over 20,000 tonnes annually, including invasive acacia.
The analysis showed pyrolysis could generate three revenue streams: biochar for soil application, carbon removal credits, and renewable thermal energy for malting operations.
Beyond the numbers, BioFlux built internal capacity across AB InBev's sustainability, agriculture, and procurement teams. Most stakeholders had no prior knowledge of biochar. The work gave them the technical grounding and commercial arguments needed to advance conversations with leadership across a multinational organisation where cross-departmental alignment moves slowly.
The study identified soil health improvements, carbon impact, and energy security as the strongest value propositions. Data gaps and incomplete stakeholder buy-in, particularly from the agriculture division, remain barriers to full-scale deployment.
AB InBev is now developing business cases for Tanzania and South Africa.
Scaled globally across 11 facilities, the company could remove over 0.5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually while treating 20,000 hectares of farmland and generating over $100 million in combined revenues.
