GOAL
Spineless opuntia is a commercially viable and scalable feedstock for bioenergy which can be used to produce renewable natural gas, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Opuntia addresses the biomass deficit which is a rate limiting factor to the production of renewable energy produced from other biomethane sources. Many biomass sources introduce new issues such as deforestation, exacerbation of food insecurity, and high energy consumption which results in significant CO2 emissions.
Currently OPUS Cactus is operating a 6 cubic meter (6,000-liter) anaerobic digester that has been in successful continuous operation since early 2025 at our Research Center Waterkloof in Bloemfontein, producing stable biogas from Opuntia cactus biomass. Our biogas optimization program focuses on maximizing methane yields and developing scalable processes that can provide renewable natural gas to the industry. Also, OPUS Cactus has developed a economically viable modular approach with its 0.5PJ Module, a scalable multiplication approach for its goal to set up a global biomethane platform under (semi-)arid conditions on non-arable lands.