Resources | The Charcoal Project

(Organized by categories, in alphabetical order)

Arusha Charcoal Symposium Presentations – June 15th, 2011

1. Charcoal Production & Use: World Country Statistics & Global Trends – A presentation by symposium co-organizer, Adrian Ghilardi from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and Florian Steierer, Head of Wood Energy at FAO. Their paper draws attention to the lack of reliable woodfuel and charcoal data from a country and global perspective. (read the blog post)

2. Environmental Impacts of Charcoal Production in Tropical Ecosystems of the World – Presented by Dr. Emmanuel Chidumayo, this paper asses the impact of charcoal production on tropical ecosystems and proposes important policy reforms. (Read the blog post)

3. Predictable waves of sequential forest degradation and biodiversity loss spreading from an African city and how to slow them down. Authors: Antje Ahrends & Simon L. Lewis, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, University of Leeds, UK. (Read the blog post)

4. Challenges & Opportunities to Addressing Gender Issues in the Sustainable Charcoal Industry in Tanzania: Experience of TaTedo & Energia. Authors: Gisela A. Ngoo, Mary E. Sway, Tuyeni Mwampamba

5. The Niche of Charcoal in Climate Change Initiatives (REDD+ & CDM): The Case of Tanzania. Authors: Zahabu, E., Malimbwi, R.E., Luoga, E.J., & Kingazi, S.

6. Environmental Crisis? Or Development Opportunity? Charcoal Sector Reforms, Poverty Alleviation & Economic Development. Author: Klas Sander, Natural Resource Economist, The World Bank.

7. Narok’s charcoal commodity chain: land use change and charcoal production in Southwestern Kenya. Author: Rob Bailis, Associate Professor, Yale School of Forestry.

8. Charcoal Production, Poverty, Alleviation, and Woodland Change in he Kapiri Mposhi District of Zambia. Author: Davison Gumbo & Bravedo Mwaanga. CIFOR

9. The role of charcoal in national energy strategies for Malawi & Tanzania: Cause of Poverty or Driver of Development? Author: Mathew Owen, Energy Consultant.

10. Charcoal Production in Brazil: Does it pass the sustainability test? Author: Alexander Uhlig, PhD. Instituto Acende, Brazil.

11. Makala Project. Author: Jolien Schure & Patrice Levang, CIRAD

Carbon Offsets:

Charcoal:

Climate change:

Organizations: Projects, programs, non-profits, government agencies, multi-lateral, banks, initiatives supporting energy-poverty alleviation.

Mercy Corps: Congo Stove Project – Thanks to funding received for this project, Mercy Corps has been able to construct 20,000 fuel efficient stoves for IDP families. The introduction of these stoves, together with training in improved food preparation techniques, has had a dramatic effect. Not only has firewood consumption been reduced by around 50 percent, but the use of the stoves has improved the security and health of women and their children. It has also reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 24,000 tons to date.

HEDON: Household Energy Network – HEDON is “the place where practitioners, policy-makers, funders, and business-owners actively pursuing a cleaner, affordable and more efficient household energy sector unite to share their experiences, learn from one another, and create new knowledge.” The network is run by by a group called Eco Ltd., which describes itself as “a private consultant firm based in London, England that brings together energy, sustainable development and information technology. The company focuses on project, market, and business development.

Global NTFB – The Global Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Partnership aims to link global, regional, and national organizations currently engaged in research and development activities concerning the systematic conservation and management of NTFPs in four regions: Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and South Asia. Leveraging a regionally-focused global network, the NTFP Partnership will raise the profile of NTFPs and enhance capacities, relevance and effectiveness of partners, producers and all other stakeholders.

The Partnership for Clean Indoor Air – To date, 320 partner organizations are contributing their resources and expertise to reduce smoke exposure from cooking and heating practices in households around the world. You’ll find a list of partner here.

EPA Burn Wise – Burn Wise is a partnership program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that emphasizes the importance of burning the right wood, the right way, in the right wood-burning appliance to protect your home, health, and the air we breathe. Within this site you will find information for consumers to make informed decisions about what it means to burn wise. State and local agencies will discover ways to improve air quality in their communities through changeout programs and education. And partners will learn about how they can work with EPA to bring cleaner-burning appliances to market.

Practical Action – Practical Action’s energy projects aim to increase poor people’s access to energy technology options, through improving the efficiency and productivity of biomass use, and through small scale, low cost, off-grid electricity supply. Projects include improved cooking stoves, small scale wind power generators, micro-hydro plants, and biogas plants

Bio Energy Lists: Biomas Cooking Stoves - The list here links directly to the web sites of each organization but also has designs for stoves, briquette-makers, ovens, etc.

Biocoal.org – An international group of industrial designers who work on the development of technical products for the South. ENERGY-SAVING PRODUCTS, BIO-COAL BRIQUETTES, IMPROVED CHARCOAL PRODUCTION (retort), BIO-MASS STOVES, SOLAR- SYSTEMS, FOODSTUFF STORAGE, TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT for MEDICAL PURPOSES, etc.

Envirofit – “Envirofit International was established to develop well-engineered technology solutions to improve the human condition on a global scale, with a primary emphasis on applications in the developing world. Envirofit’s goal is to develop and distribute well-engineered energy products that address major environmental problems in the global emerging markets that traditionally have been overlooked.”

Legacy Foundation – “Legacy Foundation provides training, technology and media services for biomass fuel briquette production, environmental conservation and income generation throughout the world. The foundation has released 8 technical/training manuals and two devices on all known aspects of briquette making.”

Improved Charcoal Kiln-making instructions (SPANISH) / Manual de Construccion de un Horno de Carbón Mejorado – Practical, illustrated guide to managing charcoal production and building an efficient dome-shaped charcoal kiln using red bricks.

Projects Around the World: Projects and programs broken down by continent, region, country.

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Virunga National Park – Official Website of the Virunga National Park in the DR Congo. Virunga blog and Virunga Charcoal Project

Mercy Corps stove project in Goma – Mercy Corps has been able to construct 20,000 fuel efficient stoves for IDP families. The introduction of these stoves, together with training in improved food preparation techniques, has had a dramatic effect. Not only has firewood consumption been reduced by around 50 percent, but the use of the stoves has improved the security and health of women and their children. It has also reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 24,000 tons to date.

Malawi

Bamboo Lota: The Dream for a Sustainable Malawi. Bamboo Lota hopes [this is the operative word as the project so far looks like a business plan more than a reality] to bring environmental, health, and economic improvements to poverty-stricken Malawians through the establishment of a diverse bamboo company producing mainly bamboo charcoal.

Tanzania Forest Conservation Group – Working in the country’s Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forests, TFCG has a strong energy-efficient stove adoption project. “Through our training of trainers programme, an average of 3000 households per year convert to these stoves.”

Indian Ocean Region

India

Project Surya – Reduction of air pollution and global warming by cooking with renewable sources. A nexus between mitigation of climate change, alleviation of poverty, and improvement of public health, water, and food security in Asia. A UNEP pilot program.

Asia-Pacific Rim

China

The Nature Conservancy in Yunnan Province and local government agencies are providing joint subsidies and technical assistance to install energy alternatives in rural homes and schools. These units range from household scale biogas furnaces and fuel-efficient stoves, to integrated energy demonstrations at school communities.

South Asia

Philippines

Charcoal Production in Davao, Mindanao, Philippines – A not-too-technical, well written 2006 article about charcoal habits and kiln construction in Mindanao. The article (pdf) introduces the Yoshimura and Iwate Kilns,The Paidis: A Charcoal Producing Family, and a discussion on New and Traditional Practice.

Oceania

Caribbean

Papers, Reports, Studies

(Presented in Johannesburg at the Africa Energy Minister’s Conference (September 15 – 16, 2011)

Foresterie Urbaine & Periurbaine — Quelles Perspectives pour le bois energie en Afrique? (FAO/CIRAD)

Wood-Based Biomass Energy Development for Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank)

Bundles of Energy: The Case for Renewable Biomass Energy (IIED)

Enabling Reforms: A Stakeholder-based Political Economy Analysis of Tanzania’s Charcoal Sector (World Bank)

Forests & Climate Change Working Paper 6: Woodfuels & Climate Change Mitigation (FAO)

Charcoal: Environmental Crisis or Sustainable Development Opportunity? (World Bank)

What woodfuels can do to mitigate climate change. (FAO)

Haiti

Terrier Rouge in Haiti is a rural environment where the main activity is farming – The charcoal project strives to improve the method by which charcoal is produced, allowing the charcoal makers to use agricultural mass to produce more high quality fuel for a lower price.

Central America

Nicaragua

Proleña – Mission: To research, validate and promote modern technology and biomass usage in the industrial as well as domestic sectors. To promote the sustainability of forestry resource use for energy, through plantations and forestry management. Discuss, debate, opinionate, encourage changes in energy policies and forestry towards favorable use of biomass and renewable energy

North America

South America

Middle East

Although slightly jumbled, Cooking Stove News by Country (via BioEnergyLists.org) has a good breakdown by regions.

Technology: Briquettes, Biofuels, Kilns, Stoves, Studies

Stoves

BioEnergy List has great information about different types of fuels, how-tos, notes from experts, a much more. Click on “fuels.” This should be a first stop when looking for specific content about a biofuel / biomass. We are including below links and info to resources not available on BioEnergy List.
Biomass Cooking Stoves – “Web archive of information to help develop better stoves for cooking with biomass fuels for use in developing regions.” This site is not terribly user friendly but I would still make it your first stop if you are ready to build your stove.
Improved Stoves and Solar Ovens – Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improving Environmental Degradation by Daniel M Kammen (HEDON, Household Energy Network)

Mayon Turbo Stove – The mountains of surplus rice hulls found throughout South and Southeast Asia and other developing regions can now be used as an alternative, convenient and low cost cooking fuel in the Mayon Turbo Stove (MTS). Given that rice is the number one food crop in the world and is produced in many developing nations where households rely on firewood, charcoal and LPG for fuel, the MTS has the potential to reduce cooking costs, slow deforestation, improve air quality and reduce GHG emissions of rural communities around the world.
Rice husk stove – This stove, invented by Alexis Belonio, a Filipino agricultural engineer, uses rice husk for fuel. He says that a ton of rice husk can replace 23 11-kilogram tanks of LPG, a huge savings for households because rice husks are practically free in the countryside.
Design Principles for Wood Burning Cookstoves (revised June 2006)
The Partnership for Clean Indoor Air has published the Design Principles for Wood Burning Cookstoves. Download an electronic copy in PDF format. Also available in Spanish and French

Briquettes & Fuels

International Biochar Initiative – “IBI is a non-profit organization supporting researchers, commercial entities, policy makers, development agents, farmers and gardeners, and others committed to supporting sustainable biochar production and utilization systems. Sustainable biochar is a powerfully simple tool to fight global warming.” Good resource pages.
Corn Cob Charcoal Crusher – MIT’s D-lab developed a method to turn agricultural wastes into affordable smokeless fuels, such as sugarcane charcoal and corn cob charcoal.

Bamboo charcoal – Bamboo Lota hopes [this is the operative word as the project so far looks like a business plan more than a reality] to bring environmental, health, and economic improvements to poverty-stricken Malawians through the establishment of a diverse bamboo company producing mainly bamboo charcoal.
Rice husk briquettes – This study investigates the usefulness of rice husk as an alternative fuel for household energy. The work included an analysis of the production of rice in Perú, visits to the productive zones, evaluation of rice husk, development and test of rice husk briquettes and the stoves that use them as fuel. Posted by ParcticalAction.org
Biomass Cooking Fuels – Often, cooking stoves solutions are limited by the type of fuel that is readily available to the people using it. These pages group, and list information about stoves and fuel processing by the type of fuel used. Via BioEnergy Lists

Charcoal Briquette Device – via (MIT’s D-Lab) The design of an inexpensive, human powered briquetting device is critical if sugarcane waste is to be successfully converted into marketable cooking charcoal in Haiti (see Fuel from the Fields case study and read more about the invention of sugarcane charcoal in the Project Portfolio).
Biochar Machine – This company’s biochar machine was featured in a CNET article earlier this year. It says it can convert 1000 pounds of biomass into 250 pounds of biochar in one hour!

Kilns

Biocoal.org – An international group of industrial designers who work on the development of technical products for the South. Improved (retort) Charcoal Kilns. Also work on biomass stoves, solar systems, briquettes.

Research

MIT’s D-Lab: Introduction to Development – Check out the resource page, it contains a number of really useful case-studies on the use of low-cost technology to solve common problems, including the production of briquettes.

Gender and Renewable Energy in Rural Nigeria – This academic paper argues that increased access to renewable energy sources can contribute to the achievement of the millennium development goals relating to eradication of extreme poverty, hunger, improvement in health, education and environmental sustainability as well as empowerment of women.
Charcoal and Forest Management Could Reduce Greenhouse Gas Levels and Save Lives in Africa (Nasa Earth Observatory, 31/3/05) A study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Harvard School of Public Health, finds that promoting cleaner, more efficient technologies for producing charcoal in Africa can save millions of lives and have significant climate change and development benefits. The findings appear in the April 1, 2005 issue of the journal Science.
Developments in Charcoal Production Technologies – Summary from a UN FAO document.
Fuel for Life: Household Energy and Health – A World Health Organization book that provides a comprehensive look at the public health impact of indoor air pollution on a global scale.

WHO/Indoor Air Pollution and Health – (Factsheet/2005) In poorly ventilated dwellings, indoor smoke can exceed acceptable levels for small particles in outdoor air 100-fold. Exposure is particularly high among women and children, who spend the most time near the domestic hearth. Every year, indoor air pollution is responsible for the death of 1.6 million people – that’s one death every 20 seconds.
Project Surya (India)- Reduction of air pollution and global warming by cooking with renewable sources. A nexus between mitigation of climate change, alleviation of poverty, and improvement of public health, water, and food security in Asia. A UNEP pilot program.
Domestic Biomass Burning in Africa – (Max Planck Institute, Mainz, Germany. 2006) Researchers visited between 1995 and 1999 households in the African countries Kenya and Zimbabwe and tried to get an overview about the common practice. Looking over their shoulders we do not only get an idea how much (or how little) energy African households use up, we also get an impression of daily life.

Cookstoves and Markets: Experiences, Successes and Opportunities (Dec.2009/3.37MB/PCIA) – This GVEP International report has chapters like: Markets and Cookstoves: What works?, Subsidy Schemes for the Dissemination of Efficient Stoves: Experiences and Lessons Learnt, and Three Key Obstacles to Cookstove Adoption (And How to Overcome Them).
Wood Energy This article describes the trend towards increased use of charcoal in Africa, identifies the resource issues and highlights some of the requirements for the sustainable development of this sector. The article is dated but the information contained in it is still very much relevant.