Carbo Culture Awarded €3.5M Dutch Grant to Launch ARC Middenmeer in North Holland

We are thrilled to announce that Carbo Culture has been awarded a €3.5 million grant by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) under the TSE Industry Studies program. This funding is a major milestone that enables us to kick off technical pre-development for ARC Middenmeer, our proposed biochar production facility in Middenmeer, North Holland, in collaboration with the engineering company WOOD. This new funding support from RVO is a critical step towards building an operational biochar facility, scaling a critical climate tool, and reducing CO2 emissions from industry in the Netherlands.

Putting Down Roots in Agriport A7

The Netherlands is a global leader in high-tech agriculture and energy innovation, and we are eager to become a lasting part of this ecosystem. ARC Middenmeer is designed to be a state-of-the-art biochar production facility producing 40,000 m³ of high-quality biochar annually.

We chose Middenmeer, North Holland specifically to integrate with the Agriport A7 cluster, a world-class energy generation hub for data centres and greenhouses. Our goal is to build strong local roots, working directly with partners like ECW Energy to ensure our facility fits seamlessly into the local utility networks for heat and electricity. By co-locating here, we can provide a local, reliable source of biochar to critical sectors like horticulture and industrial manufacturing, directly supporting the Dutch industry’s sustainability ambitions.

Led by Local Expertise

While our technology is global, our execution is local. We are proud to have an experienced Dutch team on the ground driving this project forward.

We are particularly proud to have Jean-Pierre Schenkeveld on our team. A true “local legend” in North Holland, Jean-Pierre brings decades of experience building innovative geothermal energy projects in the high-tech greenhouse sector. His deep knowledge of the region and its industrial landscape ensures that ARC Middenmeer is built not just in the community, but with the community.

A Shared Vision for a Green Future

The TSE Industry Studies project is carried out with a ‘Topsector Energie subsidie’ from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO. ARC Middenmeer relates specifically to the program’s 2025 call. 

The TSE project will allow us to validate our “Carbolysis™” technology at an industrial scale, proving that we can produce high-grade carbon to support the green transition, while simultaneously sequestering CO2 for over 1,000 years.

We are grateful for the support of the RVO and look forward to working with our Dutch stakeholders to make ARC Middenmeer a reality.

Get in Touch

We are eager to connect with the local community and potential partners.

• Jean-Pierre Shenkenveld: For questions regarding the ARC Middenmeer site and our energy integration into greenhouses and data centres
• Jack van Batenburg: For information on the application of high-quality biochar in the horticultural sector
• Dewald de Vos: For inquiries regarding Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits