A UK-backed project is showing Kenyan tea farmers a new way to turn tea waste into value.
At Browns Plantation in Kericho, a pilot system developed by Compact Syngas Solutions is transforming leftover tea leaves, prunings, and other organic waste into clean energy and fertiliser, thereby helping farmers and factories and reducing pollution at the same time.
The system works by taking tea waste that would typically be discarded or burnt and heating it in a controlled environment to produce syngas, a low-carbon energy source.
This gas can then be used to power tea factories, cutting the reliance on wood fuel and, in turn, reducing emissions. At the same time, the process generates biochar, a carbon-rich material that can be returned to the soil as fertiliser.
Biochar helps to improve soil health, enhances water retention, and boosts tea yields.
Farmers involved in the pilot, like Grace Njeri Koinange near Limuru, noticed a change in the tea quality and the quantity yielded when biochar fertiliser was used.
“The part of my farm treated with biochar grew more tea, and the leaves even tasted better,” she stated.
The system also created additional employment, as workers gather and prepare tea prunings for processing.
The technology addresses multiple challenges in one stroke. Tea factories often burn wood to dry leaves, a tiring process that is harmful to the environment.
The syngas system not only reduces carbon emissions but also cuts energy costs and provides fertiliser that can improve farm productivity.
Scaling the system to other regions could benefit hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers in Kenya.
With over 100 tea factories in the country, the approach could be rolled out widely, improving sustainability across the supply chain and helping farmers withstand climate and economic pressures.
While the system is still new and biochar costs remain high, local factories acquiring the necessary machinery could make it widely accessible.
As Paul Willacy, CEO of Compact Syngas Solutions, explains, “It’s one thing to create green energy, but to also improve livelihoods, that’s the real impact.”
