Carboliva represents a further step in the sustainability of the olive sector, as it offers oil extraction plants clean thermal energy (avoiding emissions), sustainably revalues the dry pomace produced by the industry, and also obtains biochar for various uses. It achieves this through its drying system with a pyrolytic kiln that indirectly heats biomass to produce biogas and biochar in the absence of oxygen, meaning the only emission generated is water vapor.
The importance of oil extraction plants within the olive sector must be highlighted, as only 20% of the olive is oil and 80% is alperujo (olive mill pomace). Furthermore, olive mills only operate during the olive harvesting months, while the pomace industry operates for most of the year.
Generally, extraction plants—which extract the remaining 2% of oil from the alperujo, known as olive pomace oil—operate with kilns fueled by pomace or pits that release ash harmful to the environment. Another option is cogeneration using natural gas, which requires significant investment and faces an uncertain future as the regulating legislation expires in 2030.
Faced with this reality, Carboliva offers its system which, using the same pomace required by the kilns, produces syngas or synthesis gas—the energy needed for olive pomace oil extraction—and charcoal, also known as biocarbon or biochar. This process is emission-free and provides a sustainable solution for organizations.
The advantages of the Carboliva system are numerous. First, extraction plants do not need to make an investment. Second, its operation costs less than drying with traditional kilns, fuel, and maintenance, while saving the high costs of cleaning emitted gases using electrostatic precipitators. Third, but no less important, is compliance with emissions regulations. And finally, it should be noted that when biocarbon is used for soil improvement (Biochar), it is one of the most reliable systems for reducing atmospheric carbon.
Carboliva has already implemented its system in an extraction plant, specifically at the Alcesur-Coosur Complex in Puente del Obispo, where this company has an alpeorujo drying plant, chemical extraction of olive pomace oil, and biomass processing. Each season, Carboliva converts between 12,000 and 15,000 tons of clean, dry olive pits or extracted pomace (orujillo) from Coosur into 6,000 to 8,000 kg/h of steam required by the oil extraction plant, while simultaneously producing 4,000 to 5,000 t of biochar per year. It also abates more than 10,000 t of CO2 annually.
In this case, since Coosur has cogeneration, Carboliva does not provide energy directly for oil extraction; instead, the heat emitted is directed to a boiler that generates water vapor, which is what the company requires. Carboliva’s partner thus obtains the steam it needs in a clean and economical way, and Carboliva produces the biochar that it later markets, which has numerous uses and benefits for agriculture.
Ultimately, Carboliva presents itself as a sustainable solution for the operation of oil extraction plants and another way to revalue byproducts.