Under 4-year project from 2022 to 2026, Trong Duc Cocoa in Vietnam began feeding 5,000 tons of discarded cocoa pods into a gasifier. Now, the waste helps dry fresh beans in 7 days instead of 15 during the rainy season

Trong Duc Cocoa Co. Ltd. in southern Vietnam has developed a way to reuse approximately 5,000 tons of discarded cocoa pods generated each year. Supported by the European Union-funded SWITCH Asia program, the project feeds shredded and dried pods into a Torch Updraft Gasifier, where they are converted into biochar while producing usable gas and heat. The heat is used to assist cocoa-bean drying, particularly during the rainy season, when humidity can extend drying times and increase mold risks.