Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible is a Spanish privately-held industrial company that uses continuous rotary pyrolysis of olive biomass waste (orujillo, olive pit, and pulp) to produce EBC-certified biochar and clean thermal energy for olive-oil extractors. It sells soil-amendment biochar, barbecue charcoal, and carbon-removal credits across agriculture, construction, industrial, and consumer channels in Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersOsuna, Spain
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible does
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible is a privately-held Spanish industrial company that produces sustainable biochar and clean thermal energy from olive biomass waste (olive pit, pulp, and orujillo). It is headquartered legally in Osuna, Seville, with its primary production facility co-located at the Acesur-Coosur complex in Puente del Obispo, Jaén, and operates a single 8 MWt continuous rotary pyrolytic furnace that has run since 2020. The furnace heats olive biomass indirectly above 500°C in the absence of oxygen, yielding syngas, biochar, and 6–7 tonnes/hour of process steam with water vapor as the only emission — a configuration Carboliva documents as the world's first commercial biochar plant from orujillo feedstock.
The company sells a portfolio of biochar-based products — soil-amendment biochar, barbecue charcoal, activated charcoal, low-emission fuel, and biochar input for green steel production — across agriculture, construction, industrial, and consumer channels. Revenue comes from three streams: physical product sales, recurring managed thermal-energy supply to host olive-oil extractors (where Carboliva installs and operates the pyrolysis system at no capex to the partner), and European Biochar Removal credits under its EBC certification. Named commercial relationships include the Acesur-Coosur host agreement, the Ajuntament de Barcelona urban-pavement pilot, agricultural trials with CASI cooperative and the Soil O-Live consortium, and third-party endorsement/distribution via Green Sport Garden for golf-course applications.
Carboliva holds the European Biochar Certificate (EBC) as the first Spanish entity, alongside ISCC and REACH compliance, and participates in R&D consortia with the Universidad de Jaén, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña (UPC MATCAR and C3S groups), Fundación TECNOVA, and the RESIOLIVA operational group. The company is family-owned and managed by the Espuny family, with Álvaro Espuny Rodríguez as CEO and founder, Beatriz Espuny Contreras as Commercial Director, and a 6-person team. The company has publicly outlined a 10-year roadmap to install 20 additional 10–12 MWt furnaces, which would scale biochar output ~40x and CO2 abatement to over 400,000 tonnes/year.
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible
- Legal name
- CARBOLIVA, S.L
- Website
- https://carboliva.es
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible is a Spanish privately-held industrial company that uses continuous rotary pyrolysis of olive biomass waste (orujillo, olive pit, and pulp) to produce EBC-certified biochar and clean thermal energy for olive-oil extractors. It sells soil-amendment biochar, barbecue charcoal, and carbon-removal credits across agriculture, construction, industrial, and consumer channels in Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biochar and Sustainable Charcoal Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Wood Product Manufacturing (321)
- SIC
- Lumber & Wood Products (No Furniture) (2400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biochar Production & Soil/Material Applications (EUABAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biochar Carbon Projects (Biomass to Biochar & Soil Application) (EUABABAH), Bio-based Carbon Products & Advanced Bioproducts (Biochar, activated carbon, carbon black alternatives) (EUAAAIAM), Biofuels & Renewable Fuels Switching (Biomethane/RNG, Bio-oils, Sustainable Biomass) (EUABAJAD)
Keywords
Where Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Osuna
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Biochar and Sustainable Charcoal Product Sales: Carboliva sells biochar and sustainable charcoal products derived from olive biomass (hueso and pulpa de aceituna) into agricultural, construction, industrial, and consumer markets. Products include biochar for soil amendment, barbecue charcoal, active charcoal, low-emission fuel, and biochar for green steel production.
- Clean Thermal Energy Supply to Oil Extractors: Carboliva provides clean thermal energy (steam) to olive oil extractors as a service, using its pyrolytic system to convert orujillo/orujillo into the energy needed for oil extraction processes. The company does not require extractors to make capital investments, generating recurring revenue from energy supply contracts.
- Carbon Credits and Voluntary Emission Markets: Carboliva participates in voluntary carbon credit markets through its European Biochar Certificate (EBC), generating carbon removal credits. The company estimates carbon credit revenue represents approximately one-third of the total value of biochar, providing an additional revenue stream from carbon sequestration services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carboliva valorizes olive biomass (olive pit / hueso and olive pulp / pulpa, plus orujillo olive pomace) through an 8 MWt rotary pyrolytic furnace that produces sustainable biochar, barbecue and activated charcoal, low-emission fuel, and biochar for green steel, while simultaneously generating clean thermal energy (steam) for olive oil extractors and verified carbon removal credits under the European Biochar Certificate.
Product overview
Carboliva is a sustainable biochar and charcoal company that transforms olive orchard biomass (olive stones and pulp) into high-quality biochar through continuous pyrolysis technology. The company operates a product portfolio centered on its core Biochar product, complemented by barbecue charcoal, activated charcoal, low-emission fuels, and green steel production materials. Beyond product sales, Carboliva offers carbon capture services and clean thermal energy generation for oil extractors. The products share a common circular economy foundation: converting olive industry byproducts into value-added biochar that sequesters carbon for centuries while improving agricultural soil health, reducing irrigation needs, and substituting fossil-derived materials in construction and industrial applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 7–24% increase in olive oil production per tree when biochar mixed with compost is applied in olive groves
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Fundació BIT Habitat (Barcelona)flagshipBarcelona City Council's Foundation BIT Habitat selected the Biochar Project as one of two winners of the 'La sección de calle del siglo XXI' initiative, with a 90,000 euro grant for applied research and prototyping through September 2026. Urban pilots with Carboliva biochar are planned for Barcelona streets in 2027. Project partners include AMSA, ELSAN, and UPC.
- Universidad de Jaén (UJA)coreThe SYNBIOCER project (Sinergias de la activación alcalina de residuos de construcción y la adición de biochar), led by professors Juan Salvador Bueno Rodríguez and Ángel Galán Martín, develops new ceramic construction materials integrating Carboliva's biochar to promote circular economy in construction and active decarbonization.
- Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña (UPC) - Grupo C3ScoreThe C3S (Concrete Sustainability, Science and Solutions) group at UPC is researching partial substitution of natural sand in concrete with Carboliva's olive pit biochar, with very satisfactory preliminary results showing maintained mechanical performance and improved impermeability. This research was extended in 2026 with ongoing collaboration on pavements.
- Green Sport GardenminorGreen Sport Garden, a specialist in sports turf maintenance, has publicly endorsed and distributes Carboliva's biochar within its ecological product line for golf courses, promoting water consumption reduction and turf quality improvement.
- Driving the GreenminorThe 'Driving the Green' association has documented the benefits of Carboliva's biochar in golf courses based on research by New Zealand expert Will Bowde, including results such as 30–40% increase in volumetric soil moisture content and 40% increase in root depth.
- Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña (UPC) - Grupo MATCARcoreThe MATCAR research group (Materials de Construcció i Carreteres) at UPC's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is collaborating with Carboliva to develop bituminous pavement mixtures with zero or even negative carbon footprint using Carboliva's EBC-certified biochar. Calculations indicate potential to capture up to 3 million tonnes of CO2 per year if applied nationally.
- Fundación TECNOVA (Centro Tecnológico)minorFundación TECNOVA conducted a 157-day greenhouse trial demonstrating that tomatoes treated with Carboliva's biochar showed 18% yield increase (with 60% manure / 40% biochar) and 17% increase (with biochar-only treatment). Trials were conducted in collaboration with CASI cooperative.
- Soil O-Live Project Consortium (Led by Universidad de Jaén)coreSoil O-Live is a European project led by UJA studying the health of Mediterranean olive grove soils and implementing remediation solutions. Carboliva provides biochar for experiments across olive groves in Spain and extended trials to Italy, Greece, and Portugal. Research showed 7–24% increase in olive oil production per tree with biochar + compost treatment.
- Universidad de Jaén (UJA)coreA collaboration agreement between the University of Jaén and Carboliva for the development of an industrial doctoral thesis titled 'Evaluating the potential of biochar from alperujo and olive pit for soil organic amendment support and remediation of copper and pesticide contamination.' The thesis is conducted by Mar Isabel Reyes under the supervision of Professor José Antonio Manzaneda, coordinator of the Soil O-Live project. Partially financed by UJA's OTRI Action 2 Doctorates in External Entities program.
- Finca Bonilla (Torres de Albanchez)minorCarboliva is conducting biochar and compost trials on two hectares of the Bonilla estate (one of olive trees and one of walnut trees) in collaboration with this regenerative agriculture demonstration farm, in conjunction with the II Premio Internacional de Poesía Rural event.
- RESIOLIVA - Grupo OperativocoreCarboliva participates in the Operational Group RESIOLIVA ('Mejora de la resiliencia y sostenibilidad del olivar de secano mediante consorcios de hongos beneficiosos, biochar y la certificación fitosanitaria') alongside Plantas Continental, IRNAS-CSIC, Cámbrico Biotech, and Asociaflor. The project is funded by Junta de Andalucía and FEADER, aiming to improve rainfed olive grove resilience against drought and sustainable waste management.
- Coosur / AcesurflagshipCoosur/Acesur hosts Carboliva's pyrolytic system at their complex in Puente del Obispo, Baeza. Carboliva converts 12,000–15,000 tonnes per campaign of olive pit and orujillo into 4,000–5,000 tonnes of biochar per year and 6,000–8,000 kg/hour of steam for the pomace extraction plant. Carboliva avoids needing new capital investment from the partner.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Carbofex: Finland-based biochar producer operating continuous pyrolysis units and EBC-certified output for agricultural and environmental applications. Carbofex is a directly comparable European biochar producer using similar continuous-pyrolysis technology and EBC certification, serving overlapping end markets in soil amendment and carbon removal.
- Biochar Now: US-based biochar producer using proprietary pyrolysis technology to serve agricultural, industrial, and environmental markets. Biochar Now's product portfolio (soil amendment, filtration, livestock, industrial) and carbon credit participation directly parallel Carboliva's diversified biochar offtake model and pyrolysis-based approach.
- Carbon Gold: UK-based biochar producer specializing in agricultural and horticultural applications. Carbon Gold targets overlapping end-use cases (soil amendment, water retention, carbon sequestration) and participates in the European Biochar Certificate framework, making it a directly comparable peer in product mix and EBC-aligned regulatory positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Syncraft: Austrian manufacturer of industrial-scale combined heat and power (CHP) pyrolysis plants. Syncraft's biomass-to-energy systems and biochar output overlap with Carboliva's rotary pyrolytic furnace concept, though Syncraft's broader bioenergy portfolio positions it as an incumbent technology and energy player.
- Pyreg GmbH: German-based pyrolysis technology company offering carbonization systems and certified biochar products across Europe. Pyreg operates as a broader incumbent with equipment sales, project development, and EBC-aligned biochar production, overlapping with Carboliva's rotary pyrolytic furnace concept and certified output.
Emerging players
- Airex Energy: Canadian producer of biocoal/biochar using proprietary pyrolysis technology targeting industrial and metallurgical markets. Airex Energy shares Carboliva's biochar-for-industrial-decarbonization thesis (e.g., green steel, foundry coke replacement), though operating in a different geography and feedstock mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible social profiles
Digital presenceCarboliva BioCarbón Sostenible compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible
What does Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible do?
Carboliva valorizes olive biomass (olive pit / hueso and olive pulp / pulpa, plus orujillo olive pomace) through an 8 MWt rotary pyrolytic furnace that produces sustainable biochar, barbecue and activated charcoal, low-emission fuel, and biochar for green steel, while simultaneously generating clean thermal energy (steam) for olive oil extractors and verified carbon removal credits under the European Biochar Certificate.
Is Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible a public or private company?
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible founded?
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible based?
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible is headquartered in Osuna, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Biochar and Sustainable Charcoal Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are clean Thermal Energy Supply to Oil Extractors and carbon Credits and Voluntary Emission Markets.
Who are Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Carbofex, Biochar Now and Carbon Gold. Broad incumbents are Syncraft and Pyreg GmbH. Airex Energy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible.
What industry is Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible in?
Carboliva BioCarbón Sostenible's product category is Biochar and Sustainable Charcoal Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAFAC, Biochar Production & Soil/Material Applications, with a secondary code of EUABABAH, Biochar Carbon Projects (Biomass to Biochar & Soil Application). Its NAICS code is 321 and its SIC code is 2400.