Olive Oil Fuel Sources
Bioheat Produces Charcoal Briquets Made from Tunisia's Olive Waste
Kanesa D — May 22, 2025
In Tunisia, where olive oil production is a national industry, mountains of organic waste are often an overlooked byproduct. Entrepreneur Khelifi has dedicated himself to transforming the remnants of olive pressing into a sustainable energy solution.
Through his company, Bioheat, Khelifi has pioneered the production of eco-friendly briquettes made from olive pomace, a dense fruit waste. These biomass briquettes offer a cleaner-burning alternative to wood, helping curb deforestation and slash carbon emissions.
“I always wondered how this material could burn for so long without going out,” said Yassine Khelifi, an engineer who lives and works in the north of the country. “That’s when I asked myself: ‘Why not turn it into energy?'”
By year’s end, Bioheat aims to scale production to 600 tons annually—an amount that would repurpose 1% of Tunisia’s olive waste.
