We published last month an interview with Dennis Tessier of ARTI-TZ, a Tanzania-based non-profit working to promote the manufacturing and marketing of briquettes made from the char produced in improved charcoal kilns.
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Tanzania’s forests are disappearing at a whopping rate of 4,200 square kilometers (1,620 sq. miles) annually. That’s about four times the size of New York City or half the size of Virunga National Park in the DRC.
In our Q&A with Dennis he mentioned ARTI-Tanzania’s Waste to Wealth (W2W) project and we wanted to find out more.
Below are highlights taken from the project description.
The fundamentals of the Waste to Wealth (W2W) Project
Since its formation in January 2007, ARTI-TZ has conducted over 20 training sessions in different locations, funded by various organizations and individuals.
Over 150 Tanzanians have been trained so far. This technology, developed by ARTI- India, being promoted has received the Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy in 2002. Some of the trained individuals are using the knowledge to make briquettes using the abundantly available dry biomass around them but others are not able to use the learning due to the lack of funds to procure the equipment.
The experience from the trainings done in the Mkange village and Kerege village clearly demonstrate that existing wood charcoal producers are keen and willing to adopt the ARTI-TZ method of making char powder and briquettes if provided with the initial cost of equipment and an assured market.
They are willing to convert from the forests to the fields for the following reasons:
1 . The ARTI method is less labourious and simpler than the traditional method of making charcoal.
2 . The required raw material (dry biomass) is available abundantly in close vicinity so they do not have to travel long distances into the forests.
3 . By using the ARTI method, they are producing about 100 kg of char powder and 30 – 40 kg of briquettes per day and do not have to go through the 2 -3 weeks long process of making the same quantity of charcoal from trees.
4 . Joint Environmental Techniques Limited, (JET) ARTI-TZ’s commercial partner guarantees to buy every kilogram of char powder and briquettes produced by them at a price of TSh. 100/kg ($0.075) and TSh. 300/kg ($ 0.22) respectively.
5 . Some of them who own large farms but are not able to cultivate on them due to lack of resources for clearing the existing scrubs and bushes have been able to now clear their farms, using the scrubs and bushes to produce char powder and briquettes. Their land use has improved.
6 . Others have started taking contracts from wealthier land owners to clear their farms of scrubs or of agricultural remains after harvest, at very low costs as they utilize the raw materials to make char powder and briquettes.
7 . They have been able to increase their incomes enabling them to improve their living standards as well as saving to increase the number of kilns and charring drums to enhance their production capacity.
Others from their villages are also ready to follow them provided they are supported to start–up.
However, just these two villages are not sufficient to have any impact on the rate of deforestation for charcoal production.
The Waste to Wealth (W2W) project aims to empower rural inhabitants, especially existing charcoal producers with the knowledge and the equipment to divert them from the forests to the fields. The project area will cover villages from the 4 districts surrounding Dar Es Salaam as they are the major suppliers of the charcoal to the city.
No villages have been identified yet but contacts can be established and agreements signed as soon as the funding for the project is in place.
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Amazing system Dennis! I’d love to learn more about it and see it in action. How do producers ensure a constant supply of ag waste given that the latter tends to be highly seasonal?
And, do you have examples of your work near Morogoro, Tanzania?
Very interesting. here in Sudan we had a goof experience of producing charcoal briquettes from agricultural residues and shrubs, particularly cotton stalk. two factories were established during the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, the factories are no longer operational due to high price of briquettes, acceptability and unsustainable supply of cotton stalk. In recent years, the technology (metal kilns) is used to produce charcoal from Mesquite (prosopis) shrubs in Eastern Sudan. The advantage of the technology is the use of both lump wood and branches for charcoal production. the branches, which are usually left on the field by traditional charcoal makers could be converted into charcoal fines followed by briquetting to enable its use on charcoal stoves. however, we could not develop a simple briquetting technology to be used by the traditional charcoal makers. An intervention of an enterpreneur is needed to buy the charcoal fines from the charcoal makers and produce the briquettes. A step we still looking to develop. in ealier briquetteing factories the agglomeration process was used to produce chacoal briquettes. such a process may not be suitable for small scale entrepreneurs. Can you help us with your charcoal briquetting technology.
Regards
Ahmed Hood
Halloo I do love your initiative, but how can I get hold of your kiln? Oh how is made so as we can make it use of it.
Hi I would like to know more about the machine I would like to start a small business of making charchol I am a Kenyan .thank you