Advancing Carbon Dioxide Removal in Indonesia
Utilising agricultural waste products that are otherwise left to burn or decay to produce Biochar – a carbon dioxide removal solution and natural soil amendment.​
The time for carbon dioxide removal is now.
The countdown to mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change is rapidly ticking away. The pressing need to exponentially increase our capacity for CO2 reduction and removal cannot be overstated. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has sounded the alarm, stating that carbon removal technologies must facilitate a colossal 6 billion tonnes of annual removals by 2050. Sadly, current capabilities fall woefully short of this target.
Nonetheless, we firmly believe that the most effective climate change solutions must be multi-dimensional, not solely focused on combating climate change but also advancing the sustainable development of our societies and economies.
Carbon dioxide removal working alongside vital agricultural sectors in South East Asia
The SAWA Project tackles three imperatives:
Urgent demand for scalable and high integrity carbon dioxide removal solutions
Ongoing practices of crop-burning releasing millions of tonnes of CO2-eq into the atmosphere, affecting the climate and health of surrounding communities
Growing concerns for food security given ageing farming populations, higher costs of production, and increasing risks caused by natural disasters.
At SAWA, we work alongside agricultural communities and utilise waste biomass that would otherwise be burned, to create Biochar – a chemically stable form of pyrogenic carbon (charcoal) made through clean pyrolysis.
Our biochar serves two key functions:
The SAWA project's long term plan is to scale up to over 100 sites within Indonesia and across South East Asia.
With an abundance of biomasses available for sustainable biochar production, SAWA has the potential to remove over
1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
Fortunately, we have just the right partners in place to do that.
Our Partners:
SAWA has signed Memorandums of Understanding with six of Indonesia's leading agricultural associations.
Himpunan Kerukunan Tani Indonesia (HKTI)
(Indonesia Farmer Association)
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed 5 August 2022
Our Potential Impact
Integral to the design of the SAWA project, is the advancement of multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Zero Hunger:
Measurable impacts on land productivity and agricultural soil health and addition to increased income to vulnerable farming populations.
Good Health and Well-Being:
Measurable impacts on air quality given the baseline practice of open-burning in the vicinity of populated communities.
Decent Work and Economic Growth:
Increased income for farmers and local communities through the introduction of an additional revenue streams and through job creation
Responsible Consumption and Production:
Raising awareness towards implementing sustainable agricultural practices.
Climate Action:
Measurable carbon dioxide removals through the production and storage of biochar.
Life on land:
Measurable impacts on land and soil quality through the measurement of organic carbon stocks, pH levels, nutrient levels, water retention, etc.
Progress to date and what's next for SAWA
Since the inception of the SAWA project in May 2022, we’ve made significant progress and established a strong framework for the future development of the project.
1.
MoUs signed with national level farming associations to further the development of sustainable agricultural practices and open the door to farming communities across Indonesia.
2.
Established a research and development site in Pulogadung, North Jakarta to experiment with biochar production and biomass processing
3.
Signed 5-year supply agreements with a sugar factory in Jatitujuh, Majalengka. The sugar factory currently has an excess of 22,000 tonnes of waste bagasse stockpiled and produces on average 300 tonnes of waste bagasse per day during operating seasons.
4.
Secured first biochar production site in Majalengka, West Java with close proximity to the sugarcane bagasse feedstock (only 300-400 meters).
What’s next for SAWA:
SAWA is moving quickly to build our first location in Majalengka while also accelerating the identification and development of further sites. We expect the Majalengka production facility to be operational by early 2024 and start issuing carbon removal credits by mid 2025.