As a supporter of the Alliance for Development and Climate, carbonauten GmbH is developing injection-molding granulate using CO₂

The use of biochar for the active reduction of greenhouse gases is at the heart of carbonauten GmbH’s work. Since its founding in 2017, this start-up has been developing innovative and sustainable products based on biochar, produced through the pyrolysis (carbonization) of biomass. According to carbonauten, in December 2019, under the brand name carbonauten OCM – Organic Carbon Materials, they introduced a conventionally injection-molded bowl made of biochar: “This patented material family could replace many petroleum-based plastics and building materials in the future. After use, products made from carbonauten OCM are either recycled or shredded and incorporated into the soil“. Incorporating biochar into soil acts as a CO₂-storing super fertilizer. Studies on Terra Preta – the fertile black soil created through human activity in South America – confirm this effect. Biochar therefore plays a key role in combating climate change by enabling negative emissions: plants absorb CO₂ during growth and convert it into biomass. Excess biomass (e.g., plant residues, cocoa or coconut shells) is converted into biochar through pyrolysis and added to the soil, effectively storing CO₂ underground.

Additionally, soil fertility improves because microorganisms can build humus more efficiently with the help of biochar. On degraded soils, biochar can help restore agricultural productivity – representing a major opportunity for promoting sustainable development, especially in non-industrialized countries.

At present, carbonauten is conducting a test with a German automobile manufacturer in which 30% of the plastic polypropylene (PP) is replaced by the company’s biochar. The product’s impact on climate change, measured as its Greenhouse Warming Potential (GWP), is 2.67 kg CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of conventional PP. With 30% biochar, this value drops by over 3 kg CO₂ – to –0.47 kg CO₂!

Further positive side effects include the natural black coloration of the material, eliminating the need for conventional industrial carbon black, and the renewable thermal energy generated continuously (24/7) in significant quantities during biochar production.

About carbonauten GmbH

carbonauten GmbH was founded in August 2017 by Torsten Becker and Christoph Hiemer in Giengen an der Brenz, Germany. The company’s goal is the active reduction and permanent storage of greenhouse gases. Woody biomass residues are carbonized through pyrolysis into biochar, while the surplus renewable energy generated is used as electricity or heat. From these biochars, carbonauten produces materials for the forestry and agricultural sectors, as well as the food, packaging, technical, and construction industries, in addition to architecture and design. In the coming years, the company plans to establish dozens of decentralized, highly efficient production sites worldwide, capable of producing hundreds of thousands of tons of specified biochar annually.