Sinoka Bioenterprise Cooperative Society Ltd. is a green business enterprise located in Ndhiwa Sub-County and Homabay County, Kenya, where they utilize sugarcane bagasse waste to make carbonized briquettes for sale to local communities. Their mission is to contribute to environmental conservation and reduce reliance on fuel wood by providing an alternative source of high quality briquettes at an affordable price. They also provide capacity building trainings to cooperative members to enable them run their individual businesses within the community.

The area around Homabay has an abundance of sugarcane cultivation and bagasse is a waste stream from the processing of the sugarcane.  Sinoka Bioenterprise carbonizes bagasse with four kilns in under an hour, then uses two extruders and sun drying racks to produce stick briquettes. They are currently testing out greenhouses to dry out the briquettes as well as the bagasse feedstock and are working on upgrading to carbonizer kilns to capture heat for drying.

In addition to the carbonized briquettes sold under the Sinoka Briquettes brand name, the cooperative sells an improved charcoal cookstove under the name of Bri-Gass. The cookstoves provide additional energy saving and health benefits when combined with the briquettes and further increases the group’s positive impact on the environment.