THREE C - Creating The Circular Carbon Economy
THREE C (Creating The Circular Carbon Economy) is a transnational project funded by Interreg North-West Europe (NWE), aimed at advancing the circular carbon economy by transforming biogenic waste into biochar and high-value carbon products. The project focuses on designing sustainable biochar value chains across urban, semi-urban, and rural regions in NWE, supporting innovative business models and promoting carbon-negative solutions.
Coordinated by the University of Kassel (Germany), THREE C connects research institutions, public authorities, SMEs, and civil society to create a networked system for scalable carbon transformation, knowledge transfer, and policy influence.
Start: October 2020
End: June 2023
- Funded by: Interreg NWE (North-West Europe)
- Budget: 5.62 m € (EU funding: 3.37m €)
Project Activities
The THREE C project addresses the environmental and economic potential of biochar—a stable form of carbon produced from biomass via pyrolysis. It aims to:
Develop and implement replicable business models and technologies for carbonization.
Establish local and regional biochar value chains using available biogenic waste.
Promote policy recommendations for supporting a circular carbon economy.
Raise awareness among businesses, municipalities, and the general public through demonstrations, living labs, and a mobile training infrastructure.
Facilitate knowledge exchange across borders by establishing the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Network.
Key Activities:
Set up and test decentralized pyrolysis systems in real-life environments (agriculture, construction, soil enhancement, wastewater treatment, etc.).
Train SMEs and stakeholders through on-site events and mobile demonstration labs.
Develop pilot products, including insulation panels, urban green components, and soil conditioners.
Launch a transnational CCE hub supporting replication and scaling of the models.
