United for Green introduces organic fuel bio-charcoal

Dar es Salaam. A charitable and environmental organisation United for Green, has introduced a reliable waste-to-energy solution to produce organic fuel bio-charcoal using agricultural waste

The byproduct not only prevents deforestation but has also helped several women in Zanzibar to generate extra income.

According to the World Bank report of 2013, about 71 per cent of all urban households in Tanzania consume charcoal.

In Dar es Salaam 91 per cent of all households use charcoal as their major source of energy. The projection for the demand until 2030 considering population growth shows that more than 18 million tonnes of charcoal will be consumed in Dar es Salaam.

This means more than 2.8 million hectares of forest will be cut to fulfil the city's charcoal demand alone.

The idea of bio charcoal was established in 2019 in Kadzinuni, Kenya, by a group of students from Exeter University, UK.

As part of the BioSmart initiative, the students implemented the innovative program, which focuses on women empowerment and environmental sustainability.

"In 2021, we introduced the biochar project in Zanzibar through the United for Green organisation in Kizimkazi. Working hand in hand with the Tufahamiane Women Development Group in Kizimkazi, we did an extensive research and feasibility study to ensure that our project would empower women whilst saving the environment”, said Mr Augustine Mwombeki co-founder of United for Green.

Mr Mwombeki said bio-charcoal derived from biomass coconut husks, rice husks and bagasse  is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by removing water and other volatile constituents from organic materials. The product is made by slow pyrolysis (heating organic material in the absence of oxygen.

He said in Zanzibar, over 30 women have benefited directly from the project in different women's community centres on the southern coast, who have gone through the training and seminars on the importance of conserving the environment and how to make affordable and efficient bio-energy from green waste.

"We are improving and sustaining the livelihood of this planet, saving the natural environment whilst benefiting from it economically and socially through empowering women, who have proven to spearhead the development of their respective societies, especially in Zanzibar", he said.

For his part, Mr Renos Fountoulakis founder of United for Green said he is currently setting up an automated industrial bio-charcoal production in Jambiani, which can produce over 500kg of briquettes per day.

 "We expect to have a centre of environmental sustainability to implement programs and carry out various training throughout the island”.

The training will focus on utilising the environment and getting the fuel out of green waste. He added that the goal is to see the complete abandonment of the use of traditional charcoal and the selling of firewood for fuel.

Bio-charcoal is cheaper and should be easily accessible and affordable to every local family in Zanzibar. We are a team of six international and local members.

“There is a lot of importance of biochar in conserving the environment. First, we avoid cutting down trees for firewood and producing traditional charcoal as a source of fuel in homesteads. Instead, we use any available green waste combusted and turned to charcoal.” 

There's minimal emission of smoke when using the biochar, so it is healthy and friendly to the user and the environment both during the carbonization process of the waste and the cooking or usage of the briquettes.