GN Biochar 1 (Zambia): equity and project financing for groundnut-shell biochar carbon removal

GN Biochar 1 is a joint project between a Zambian social enterprise working with 30,000+ smallholder farmers across a vertically integrated legume value chain, and Circular Carbon Pathways (CCP), a developer of high-integrity biochar carbon-removal projects in Sub-Saharan Africa that pairs European engineering with African operating partners.

At the processing site the shells left after deshelling ground nuts are a low-value residue today. The project builds a pyrolysis plant on the same site to convert those shells into biochar, a stable form of carbon that locks CO₂ out of the atmosphere for centuries. The biochar is inoculated on site and returned to GNA's farmers as a ready-to-use soil input that improves water retention, nutrient efficiency and yields. Every tonne applied becomes a durable, verifiable carbon sink, and the whole value chain, from field to plant to field, stays in Zambia.

Scale (working ranges, feasibility stage): ~4,500 t of groundnut shells per year by 2030 as GNA's volumes grow, producing roughly 1,000–1,500 t of biochar and 1,500–3,000 tCO₂e of removal per year.

Investment snapshot (indicative, feasibility stage):

• Total project cost of approximately USD 1.5 million, including plant CAPEX, project development, engineering and a liquidity reserve.

• Target structure: a blend of grant, senior debt and equity. Tranche sizing and the equity ticket are shared on request; larger tickets are welcome where an investor prefers to replace part of the debt or grant tranche.

• Revenue from carbon-credit and certified biochar sales, both placed in Zambia. The financial model is being finalised as the OEM and the biochar's verified carbon (CORC) factor are confirmed; detailed economics available under NDA.

Status: MoU signed July 2026. Pre-feasibility and OEM short-listing complete; techno-economic assessment and PDD preparation under way. Commissioning targeted for Q3 2027.

What we're looking for at Africa Day: conversations with angel investors, impact investors, family offices, DFIs and project-finance providers interested in equity, debt or blended financing for a first-of-its-kind, fully in-country carbon-removal and soil-health project in Zambia. We are also open to carbon-credit pre-purchase agreements, biochar offtake and climate/agriculture impact partnerships. Byron is available for meetings during the event and Hannes for the online matchmaking sessions on 20–21 October; a project one-pager is available on request.

Contact: Byron Truscott, byron.truscott@ccp.africa (on site), and Hannes Weiland, hannes.weiland@ccp.africa (online matchmaking, 20–21 October), Circular Carbon Pathways