Case study: Environmental Keystones

Creating a new green industry from waste

Environmental Keystones is transforming the Territory’s green waste into valuable commodities.

Background

Northern Territory startup Environmental Keystones is focused on sustainable waste management solutions. In partnership with Pyrochar Pty Ltd, the company is commercialising CSIRO-developed pyrolysis technology to transform organic green waste into high-value carbon products.

Located in Wishart, the facility will be the first of its kind in Australia using CSIRO pyrolysis technology. It will process up to 50,000 tonnes of green waste each year, including branches, woodchips, grass clippings, and palm fronds.

Opportunity

Green waste is a largely untapped resource in the Northern Territory.

In the absence of commercial-scale infrastructure, this organic material is often treated as waste rather than a valuable input into a clean energy and carbon-based economy.

Environmental Keystones identified a market gap and an opportunity to establish a new green industry that will also deliver local environmental, economic and employment benefits.

Approach

The company’s innovation is backed by strong collaboration between the private sector, research and government. It has received strategic support from the Northern Territory Government and concessional funding through the Territory Infrastructure Loans program.

Solution

The A$8 million project is being delivered with the support of a concessional loan of A$5.59 million from the Northern Territory Infrastructure Loans program.

This program is funded by the Australian Government’s NAIF and delivered by the Northern Territory Government to support small-to-medium infrastructure projects that improve regional and Indigenous outcomes.

The funding has enabled Environmental Keystones to de-risk early-stage infrastructure investment and accelerate the delivery of a commercially ready facility. Construction will create immediate jobs and establish the foundations of a new green industry in the Northern Territory.

Outcomes

The pyrolysis plant will generate biochar, bio-oil, and syngas, with future plans for fertiliser and carbon-based bioproducts.

These commodities have applications across agriculture, energy, and industry, supporting a circular economy and local manufacturing potential.

Construction of the plant will begin soon with plans to be operational by quarter four of 2025.

At-a-glance