Briquette market boosts briquette machine in Uganda

Briquettes are an alternative fuel source that is currently gaining popularity in Uganda, which have also been successfully integrated into the economy in other developing countries such as China and Thailand. Briquettes are composed of commonly found organic household waste, such as peanut shells, banana peels, corn husks, sawdust etc. and are compressed either by hand or by briquette machine into small dense products that can be used instead of charcoal and excess amounts of wood harvested from nearby forests.

1. Briquettes and their Potential 

Biomass briquettes are a form of solid fuel that can be burned for energy. They are created by compacting loose biomass residues into solid blocks that can replace fossil fuels, charcoal and natural firewood for domestic and institutional cooking and industrial heating processes. Briquettes have the potential to be a source of renewable energy if they are made from sustainably harvested biomass or waste agricultural residues. Crops grown in Uganda such as maize, cereals, roots, cane sugar and coffee all produce residues that are suitable for briquetting as does dried organic municipal solid waste (MSW). Data provided by the Ugandan government indicates that 1.2 million tonnes of agricultural wastes are available each year and an additional 1,500 tonnes of MSW are estimated to be produced in the capital city Kampala daily. These two sources combined provide a theoretical limit which indicates that at most 6% of the country’s total wood consumption and up to 50% of the charcoal trade could be replaced by briquettes from waste. Nevertheless practical limitations such as seasonal variations, competing uses and collection significantly lower the amount of raw material available for commercial opportunities. Hence, briquettes alone will not have the potential to fully address the approaching biomass crisis in Uganda, however they will certainly be part of the solution and there is large scope for growth from an industry that is starting from a very low base.  

 
Link to ZBJ-CY Briquette Machine

2. A Commercial Case for Briquette Businesses 

The availability of cheap (and often free) firewood and charcoal has been part of the reason why such biomass has prevailed as the dominant source for energy in developing countries. However, in recent years Uganda has faced significant increases in charcoal prices. In 2008, the average price of a 40 kg charcoal sack was USh15,000 (US$6) and during 2009 it rose to USh25,000 (US$10), an increase of 66% in just twelve months. Prices increased substantially again in 2011, with the cost of a sack in the capital Kampala reaching USh60,000 (US$24). Meanwhile, 4 pieces of firewood (which is estimated to substitute 3.3 kg of charcoal) were sold for Ush2,000 (US$0.8). Research by the Uganda LPG Association expects Ush80,000 (US$33) of charcoal to last 2 weeks, whereas Ush80,000 of LPG would last for between 4 to 10 weeks, depending on the family size and cooking frequency. For the purpose of comparison, the assumption that briquettes can replace charcoal weight for weight means that Ush80,000 could last for between 2 and 4 weeks. These kinds of price trends are beginning to make an economic case for briquettes which can cost between Ush32,000 (US$13) and Ush40,000 (US$16) for a similar 40 kg sack and often last longer than traditional charcoal. As of December 2011, a Kenya based briquette company, Chardust Ltd, estimate a minimum charcoal price of US$0.2 (sold by the sack at the point of delivery to urban wholesalers) as a pre-condition for the financial viability of a briquette venture in an East African setting. Worldwide, many different types of briquettes exist for a variety of applications. In industrialised countries, briquettes are commonly used as a fuel in industrial boilers and biomass cogeneration plants. In East Africa, where biomass dominates the domestic energy market, briquetting technology is gaining momentum particularly as wood resources become scarcer and the price of regular charcoal increases. Although they can come in an assortment of shapes and sizes, there are two main types; carbonised and non-carbonised.

Carbonised briquettes can act as a replacement for charcoal for domestic and institutional cooking and heating, where they are favoured for their near-smokeless use. In comparison to charcoal, they generally burn for longer and have a more consistent heat output, which is preferred by certain market segments such as restaurants, hospitals and schools. Poultry farming is a large industry in Uganda and smokeless, longer burning briquettes are also well suited to heating cages overnight when temperatures are low as a cheaper alternative to electric heating lamps. If the price of a briquette is competitive to charcoal, then domestic users among rural populations as well as the urban and peri-urban poor can adopt  them to replace charcoal for cooking. In terms of burning characteristics, households and institutions have similar requirements as both require the fuel for cooking. The size and shape however may be different because institutions will typically have larger stoves. Non-carbonised briquettes on the other hand serve as a replacement to natural firewood and raw biomass fuel. They offer greater energy per unit weight than wood or raw biomass but release as much smoke. Consequently these are more appropriate for industrial processes or institutions where emissions can be controlled. They can also be offered as a replacement fuel among rural populations where firewood is still dominant. Further commercial processes such as crop drying, tea drying, tobacco curing, ceramics/brick firing can also make use of briquettes.

Briquette producers in Uganda fall into distinct scales of operation characterised mainly by their type of briquette machine. There are hundreds of micro-scale producers in operation who use primitive equipment and are largely engaged in income supplementing ventures. Most are making briquettes by hand in quantities of less than 2 tonnes per year and for their own consumption as well as to sell in their local neighbourhood. Many of the more enterprising of these, often with support such as from the DEEP programme have purchased manual machines to enable them to produce up to 20 tonnes per year. Motorised machines fabricated by skilled artisans are capable of manufacturing up to 200 tonnes of briquettes per year. This is a typical entry point for entrepreneurs to enter the market with powered machinery that they can purchase locally.


7. Briquette for the common people of Uganda 
Betty Ikalany, a Ugandan social worker and entrepreneur, believes her budding community-based, fuel briquette-making enterprise can generate income and also help families save money. An additional but important benefit is that fuel briquettes reduce demand for unsustainably harvested wood and charcoal. For Betty, briquettes are clearly the triple bottom line approach to solving multiple problems. “Fuel briquettes are a no-brainer. They provide income, protect the environment, and improve public health. What is there not to like?” she asks. Mrs. Ikalany says her biggest challenge is not having the appropriate briquette-making machines. As a result, she is presently obliged to mold the briquettes by hand. Such a challenge clearly slows productivity and does not enable her to produce the briquettes on a scale large enough to acquire sufficient financial capital. Despite the challenges, Betty cites her greatest success as managing to convince people in the neighborhoods and in the markets that charcoal briquettes are cheaper, cleaner and efficient. She is also enthusiastic about being able to attract young women and some boys to work with her. Betty looks forward for continued momentum and spreading charcoal briquettes and sustainable development throughout Uganda.

As one of the earliest and largest manufacturers of biomass briquette machine in China, KMEC provides all kinds of briquette machine with competitive price and superior service. We sincerely welcome customers to consult, negotiate and order!

Resource: GVEP (Global Village Energy Partnership) Internatioal