Overview

A Tunisian agri-tech initiative is pioneering a closed-loop solution to transform agricultural waste into climate-smart products. By converting olive oil residues, livestock manure, and other organic materials into biochar, compost, biostimulants, and renewable energy, the project seeks to cut emissions, restore degraded soils, and advance Tunisia’s green economy transition.

Located in Nabeul’s industrial zone, the facility is designed to process up to 60,000 tonnes of organic waste annually. Alongside soil regeneration products, it is expected to generate 0.87 GWh of clean electricity through biomethanization. With strong local stakeholder backing and alignment with national sustainability strategies, the initiative is scheduled to pilot in 2025 and scale operations through 2026–2027.

The Challenge

Tunisia’s agricultural sector is facing a dual crisis: it is both a major emitter of greenhouse gases and increasingly vulnerable to soil degradation, chemical overuse, and unmanaged waste. Toxic olive mill effluents and other agricultural residues are often dumped or burned, contaminating ecosystems and accelerating biodiversity loss. At the same time, the sector struggles with rural unemployment, particularly among women and youth.

SCF’s Involvement – Technical Assistance

To support the early-stage development of this regenerative model, the SCF Technical Assistance Facility is funding a pre-feasibility study focused on validating its technical and financial viability.

Core areas of investigation include:

• Technical validation of the pyrolysis process and the properties of biochar derived from Tunisian agricultural residues, including alignment with national and international quality standards;
• Regulatory and environmental assessment, to determine the product’s eligibility as a soil amendment and explore potential carbon credit pathways;
• Preliminary techno-economic modelling, to assess production costs, operational feasibility, and long-term revenue potential under local conditions;
• Light-touch market scoping may be conducted, subject to budget availability, to understand demand signals and inform future go-to-market strategies.

While agronomic field trials remain an important next step, they are expected to take place in a subsequent phase outside the scope of this study.

By producing early-stage technical and financial evidence, the study will help inform investment decisions and lay the foundation for broader adoption of regenerative agriculture solutions in Tunisia and beyond.