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From the earth.
For community.
For climate.

Our Mission

Community Impact

Tera focuses on partnering with farmers and local communities, creating jobs, promoting sustainable farming, and enhancing food security.

Planetary Health

Tera tackles climate change by using biochar to capture CO2, improving soil health, increasing crop yields, and building drought resilience.
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million tons

Potential biochar produced from sugarcane waste in Africa, annually
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million tons

Potential tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) removable from sugarcane waste-based biochar, annually 
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million tons

Potential agricultural land in Africa improved by biochar-based soil additives, annually

Problem Statement

Food Insecurity

Below average rainfall between 2020-2023 due to climate change is contributing to decreasing yields despite an increase in demand - Soils are not drought resilient.

Limiting Growth

Stockpiles of sugarcane bagasse at sugar mills are becoming a significant issue for producers, wasting a valuable natural resource for local economies.

GHG Emissions

17.8 million tonnes of bagasse is left to rot or is burned annually in Africa alone, contributing  to c.5,000,000t of CO2e in methane and carbon dioxide emissions.

Ecological Damage

Bagasse stockpiles are vastly increasing nutrient concentrations in the rivers and Lake Victoria. Advancing eutrophication by algae is killing fish and severely reducing household water quality.

    Durable and Scalable Carbon Removal

    An integrated system designed in partnership to leverage expertise at every stage ensuring the
    highest standard for our carbon removals, delivering maximum impact for our partners and the
    rural communities we serve.

    Sugar Cane Bagasse(SCB) is a byproduct of cultivating sugar. 75% of total production is waste contributing to CO2 and CH4 emissions through combustion or rotting.

    Heating SCB in low oxygen environment, pyrolyses and stabilises the carbon in the biomass for 1000+ years. This is biochar carbon removal.

    Biochar application in soils increases water and nutrient retention increasing crop yield and making plants more resilient.

    How it Works

    01

    Repurpose waste

    TAMU collate, shred and dry the bagasse. Processed SCB is then pelletised

    02

    Processing

    TERA owns and operates the Takachar Pyrolysis machine. Excess thermal energy is use for SCB drying. TERA use the Carbon Pilot dMRV platform to capture robust primary data for high integrity credits

    03

    Creating Value

    Biochar is sold to a fertiliser manufacturer for mixing prior to agricultural application. Credits are verified through an ICROA backed standard and are sold on the VCM

    04

    Measuring Impact

    Biochar impact is measured through agronomic measurements of applied plantations. Working with government to tackle the issue of eutrophication

    Impact

    Food Security

    Biochar blended fertilisers increase drought resilience, increase crop yields and incomes for smallholder farmers. More abundant yields lower food prices to end consumers

    Job Creation

    We’ll build biochar hubs close to sugar production sites creating jobs for women and young people in management, operations and highly skilled data & technology roles.

    Carbon Removal

    At scale, 500 units across East Africa would have sequestered 1mt of CO2 by 2030. This would require only 20% of the available waste bagasse on the continent

    Protecting Biodiversity

    Reducing runoff into rivers prevents contamination of drinking water and protects ecosystems, helping preserve biodiversity by maintaining healthy habitats for aquatic species

    Our Leadership Team

    A unique blend of expertise within the sugar bi-product supply chain combined with biochar and carbon removal markets experience.

    Rob Palmer
    CEO & Co-Founder
    Nils Razmilovic
    Chairman & Co-Founder
    Caren Akech
    Social & Impact Director