Tunisian startup Bioheat is transforming olive waste into valuable clean energy briquettes. These briquettes help curb deforestation while serving as a sustainable alternative to imported fuel, Tech Xplore reported.
The company addresses a massive waste problem in Tunisia, which is expected to be the world's third-largest olive oil producer this season. After extracting olive oil, mills are left with enormous amounts of thick paste that traditionally goes unused or is burned inefficiently.
Engineer Yassine Khelifi founded Bioheat in 2022 after growing up watching workers in olive mills use this residue as fuel.
"I always wondered how this material could burn for so long without going out," Khelifi told Tech Xplore. "That's when I asked myself: 'Why not turn it into energy?'"
The technology wasn't readily available, so Khelifi spent four years developing his own machine. After traveling across Europe in search of solutions and coming up empty-handed, he returned to Tunisia to build the equipment.
By 2021, he had created a system that compresses olive waste into cylindrical briquettes with just 8% moisture content. The system produces less carbon pollution than traditional firewood, which often contains more than double the moisture even after months of drying.
The innovation couldn't come at a better time for Tunisia, which imports more than 60% of its energy. This dependency strains the country's economy. It also leads to fuel and gas shortages during winter, especially in the northwest, where families struggle to keep warm.
"This is what we need today," Khelifi said, per Tech Xplore.
Local businesses are already enjoying the benefits. Take guesthouse owner Selim Sahli, who switched from firewood to Bioheat briquettes for heating and cooking.
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Saves money 💰 "It's an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative," he told Tech Xplore. "It's clean, easy to use, and has reduced my heating costs by a third."
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Pizza shop owner Mohamed Harrar noted another advantage: "This waste carries the soul of Tunisian olives and gives the pizza a special flavor." He also appreciates how the briquettes produce less smoke than traditional wood, preventing complaints from neighbors.
The cleanest home heating alternative is electricity from renewable sources, but for regions without those options, innovations such as the briquettes offer significant environmental benefits by reducing the production of air pollution from traditional firewood burning.
Agricultural expert Noureddine Nasr pointed out that Tunisia produces around 600,000 tonnes of olive waste annually. "Harnessing this waste can protect the environment, create jobs, and generate wealth," he explained, per Tech Xplore.
Bioheat isn't the only organization looking for clever ways to repurpose waste. The United States-based company Trashie is helping individual consumers turn textile and e-waste into perks. These creative solutions put money back in your pocket.
Bioheat employs 10 people and hopes to produce 600 tonnes of briquettes in 2025, with about 60% destined for France and Canada. Despite funding challenges that Khelifi described as "walking on a road full of potholes," he remains committed to his vision.
"My goal is to leave my mark as a key player in Tunisia's transition to clean energy," Khelifi told Tech Xplore. "And hopefully, the world's, too."
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