Industrial Biofuel Transition – Southern Africa

Overview

Bivios is collaborating with a blue-chip multinational company to potentially support the decarbonisation of one of its flagship processing facilities in Southern Africa. The project focuses on systematically eliminating fossil fuel use in the facility’s heat generation processes by substituting coal with a renewable, drop-in fuel—torrefied biomass (biocoal).

This initiative forms part of the client’s broader net-zero strategy, supporting international trends aligned with the Paris Agreement and global climate goals. . While the primary intent of the project is to advance climate goals its implementation is anticipated to facilitate broader social and economic developments throughout the region.

Project Scope

• Client: Confidential

• Facility type: Dairy processing (industrial thermal energy demand)

• Current fossil fuel (coal) to be replaced by: Torrefied biomass (biocoal)

• Sustainable fuel: Key project objectives:

  • To prove the concept of BioCoal as drop-in replacement of Coal in existing Package Boiler infrastructure

  • To construct a commercial production unit pointed at the clients facility

  • To provide a sustainable long term BioCoal supply to the Client

The Bivios Solution

Bivios provides end-to-end technical and commercial support to the project. This ensures technical and commercial project feasibility aligned with the client’s own commercial and sustainability objectives.

Key contributions included:

• Financial & Technical Modeling: We conduct techno-economic modeling to ensure the solution is financially viable, providing a solid foundation for investment decisions.

• Full Project Development: Our team manages the entire project lifecycle, from initial planning and business case development to technical design and final commissioning. (This includes preparation for and facilitation of project funding)

• Boiler Integration: We develop technical solutions to seamlessly integrate biocoal into legacy boiler systems without requiring major infrastructure modifications.

• Environmental Impact Assessment: We perform comprehensive Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) to quantify the positive environmental impact, demonstrating significant CO₂ reductions.

• Supply Chain Strategy: We create sustainable sourcing strategies to establish robust regional biomass supply chains, supporting local economic development.

Value Proposition

• Reduction in CO₂ emissions.

• The solution, BioCoal, requires no infrastructure modification.

• Creates the basis for a replicable model for industrial expansion in the  using coal-fired steam market.

• Regional biomass supply chains will be established to support the project and create local jobs, strengthening the local economy.

• Strengthens the client’s position in relation to  global ESG benchmarks and Scope 1 emissions targets.

Strategic Significance

This project demonstrates how industrial emitters – especially in hard-to-abate sectors – can unlock cost-effective, near-term decarbonisation using drop-in sustainable fuels. By leveraging torrefied biomass and existing infrastructure, this solution bridges the gap between current operations and future climate commitments.

It also highlights the importance of regional solutions: emissions reductions, supply chain localisation, and economic development can be achieved simultaneously — when the project is designed with real-world constraints and opportunities in mind.