Briquettes as Fuel & Stoves in Tanzania

PROBLEM we are trying solve: (1) Biomass briquettes as fuel for cooking, (2) Improved cook-stoves which use biomass, mitigation of green-house-gas. 

Tanzania has about 15 million tons/year of agricultural waste and 1.9 million tons/year of forest residues which could be easily CONVERTED to briquettes.

Tanzania will be provide alternative energy source to end-users of towns & city to substitute commonly used fuel wood, which is less efficient, more polluting and negatively contributing to the environment.

• Utilize unwanted biomass resources, agricultural wastes and forest residues and convert into briquettes substitute fuel-wood, which is major cause of deforestation and environment degradation.
• Generate self-employment, collectors of raw materials, transporters, dealers and entrepreneurs who distribute biomass briquettes & cook-stoves to end users creating 140 full-time jobs and part-time 250 jobs.

Planned production capacity 7,500 tons/year of briquettes will benefit 50,000 households and business in Dar-es-Salaam to reduce fuel costs and less pollution.

Biomass wood-fuels is still the only available energy source for 2.7 billion people worldwide (World Bank Report, 2015). Nearly 80% of 55 million population in the country of Tanzania household energy consumption. Low efficiency cook-stoves causing respiratory disease leading 1.6 million deaths each year worldwide.

Sub-Sahara Africa (995 million people) households spend $1.9 billion per year of biomass wood-fuel, and will spend $12 billion per year on charcoal as cooking fuel.

Charcoal producing countries in Africa rank Tanzania the 4th from the top. Similarly, worldwide rank Tanzania the 8th from the top producing charcoal.

Dar-es-Salaam alone consumes charcoal 750,000 tons/year of which lead to deforestations of 250,000 – 350,000 hectares/year are destroyed in Tanzania causing environmental degradation

Tanzania has about 15 million tons/year of agricultural waste (e.g. maize cobs & rice husk) and 1.9 million tons/year of forest residues (e.g. saw dust & branches of wood) which could be easily CONVERTED to briquettes for cooking.

We have in factory Kibaha, Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania) where we currently make briquettes & manufacturing cook-stoves. Currently, we: (1)Supply briquettes = 9 tons/day, (2)Households & businesses = 13,860 every day, and (3)We have sold cook-stoves = 6,250 as well. 

Charcoal is sold 40,000 bags/day in Dar-es-Salaam which is about 50 kg/bag (i.e. 750,000 tons/year). Out of this, 5% - 10% are wasted as char-dust when vendors are selling charcoal.

In capital city Tanzania (Dar-es-Salaam), there about 100 tons/day are wasted every day. Within one year, about 36,500 tons/year are wasted as char-dust by vendors who sell charcoal in the kiosks. These piles of char-dust are wasted and we are actually collected them in Dar es Salaam which we recycle them to converted to briquettes as fuel for cooking.

PROCESS TO MAKING BIOMASS BRIQUETTES: Char is obtained from carbonization retort kilns & charcoal dust left over as waste when the vendors are selling the charcoal.  Process to make briquettes: (1) We mix: char dust + agricultural wastes + binder + water, (2) Then use oval-press machine and we press them together to form densified to briquettes, (3) Then they are going to the dryer (hot air is blown in) and briquettes are continuously coming out to the other end of dryer. The dried and cooled briquettes are ready to be sold to clients whom as we sell improved cook-stoves.

We target beneficiaries are 5 million people, who living in rural and peri-urban in Dar es Salaam Tanzania.  This people who face a depressed local economy, food insecurity, and very high level of unemployment. While people in these areas often have very little disposable income.

Tanzania including low-income women, children, and elderly people, are especially vulnerable and the project in Tanzania of most threatened and vulnerable area in the country. Without adaptation actions, climate change is likely to magnify the damaging effects of these hazards and to increase existing poverty conditions.

• Generally, using biomass briquettes & cook-stoves will: (1) Reduce fuel consumption by 40% - 50%, (2) Reduce cooking time by 30% - 40%, (3)Reduce particulate matter emission by 70% - 80%, and (4) Mitigating CO2 in the atmosphere by reduced pressure on forests. The market is huge in Dar-es-Salaam and is growing.

• Poverty causes people in Sub-Sahara Africa (995 million people) who need biomass for cooking. Example, capital city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where 5 million people who are living there and who nearly 80% use charcoal for cooking. Cooking energy is one big factor to reducing poverty in Sub-Sahara Africa.

1.0 REVENUE MODEL - Sales channels + pricing at a minimum

We target people of capital city of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania (5 million people) who are 80% depend on unsustainable charcoal every day. Market for CHARCOAL, BRIQUETTES, PELLETS and COOK-STOVES is huge in Tanzania.  

1.1 CHARCOAL RETORT KILNS

Tanzania has 1.8 million tons/year of forest residues, e.g. saw dust & branches of wood which is converted by retort kilns to make charcoal. Machine make charcoal = 1,800 kg/hour (i.e. 6,480 tons/year) and are coming out ready to be sold to our clients. We sell charcoal = $0.50 per kg, equivalent = $ 324,000 per year (Gross Income). 

Will purchase machinery from China to make CHARCOAL = 1.8 tons/hour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TJ5Dqjb7K0&feature=youtu.be

1.2 PROCESS TO MAKE BRIQUETTES

Charcoal is sold 40,000 bag/day in Dar-es-Salaam which weigh 50 kg/bag (i.e. 750,000 tons/year). Out of this, 5% - 10% are wasted as char-dust by vendors of charcoal. About 100 tons/day are wasted every day. Consider 5% are wasted, then we recycle them into briquettes = 36,000 tons/year. We sell briquettes = $0.24 per kg, equivalent of $8.64 million/year (Gross Income). 

Will purchase machinery from China to make BRIQUETTES = 4 – 6 tons/hour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYgQPRSK3lc&feature=youtu.be

1.3 PROCESS TO MAKE PELLETS

Tanzania has 15 million tons/year of agricultural waste, e.g. maize cobs & rice husk which can be converted to fuel.

The machine makes pellets = 1,300 kg/hour (i.e. 3,500 tons/year) and are coming out ready to be sold to our clients. We sell pallets = $0.15 per kg, equivalent of $70,200 per year (Gross Income).  

Will purchase machinery from India to make PELLETS = 1.3 tons/hour.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWVAg6Pd0Tw&feature=youtu.be

1.4 MANUFACTURING COOK-STOVES

Most of these people, use cook-stoves which they are made by local artisans. We have introduced improved cook-stoves which can: (1) Reduce fuel consumption by 40% - 50%, (2) Reduce cooking time by 30% - 40%, (3) Reduce particulate matter emission by 70% - 80%, and (4) Mitigating CO2 in the atmosphere by reduced pressure on forests

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QyZ1KNOuNQ&feature=youtu.be

The project will be able to establish 2 factory in Dar es Salaam, to start with. Then we will purchase the license from China for manufacturing of machinery equipment. Therefore, we can manufacture locally the equipment in Tanzania. This way, we can establish more 80 micro-factories in Dar es Salaam to satisfy the needs for cooking fuel. Our population will use biomass briquettes & pallets instead which is unstainable charcoal which causes deforestation.   

Establishment of new sites in Tanzania for production of our biomass briquettes and manufacturing cook-stoves for cooking. Our briquettes are sold at 50% less cost than charcoal

We sell briquettes $ 0.20/kg and every family use $0.6 per/day.  We sell cook-stove $8 per/stove which can last for 3 to 5 years before they buy new one.

Urban households need average 2 stoves and purchase average of at 45 kg/month of briquettes. The cost approximately $18 /month to buy biomass briquettes they use cooking fuel.

Project will transfer and scale-up proven technology that has worked successfully in China.

The “Pilot” in our organization deploying, tested product and service in Tanzanian community.

We have factory in Kibaha, Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania) where we currently make biomass briquettes & manufacturing cook-stoves.

Currently, we: (1) Supply briquettes = 9 tons/day, (2) Households & businesses = 13,860 every day, and (3) Sell cook-stoves = 5,250 as well.

Hence, we have tested the modal since 2012 and has working very well – we still going on because our clients-base they grow every day.

If we managed to get funds we will purchase machinery from China to make briquettes = 2 – 4 tons/hour, therefore, produce briquettes = 7,500 tons/year. This way we should manufacture machinery locally in Tanzania so that we can establish more factories to make more briquettes in Tanzania.

We will purchase machines from China to make biomass briquettes. Company which will supply the machinery are: Zhengzhou Sinolion Machinery Company Limited China.

KEY MACHINERY:

1. COMBINATION CRUSHER - Machine use to crush the charcoal dust to smaller parts ready to be taken to double-shaft-mixer  

2,DOUBLE-SHAFT-MIXER - Machine used to thoroughly mix: charcoal dust + binder + water ready to go to briquetting  

3.BRIQUETTE MACHINE - Machine used to automatically produce biomass briquettes  

4.BRIQUETTES DRYER – Machine is used to dry briquettes; then they are going in to the dryer (hot air is blown in) and briquettes are continuously coming out to the other end of dryer. The dried and cooled briquettes are ready to be sold to clients whom as we sell improved cook-stoves

Political Economy of Tanzania’s Charcoal Sector (World Bank, 2010) indicates that:

1)Total annual charcoal business volume in Dar es Salaam alone is estimated to be worth $350 million,

2)Government of Tanzania estimated revenue loss of $100 million annually, due to unregulated business of charcoal production and utilization

3)Tanzania estimated that as many as 160,000 charcoal traditional kilns are operated each year,

4)Generates employment and cash income for several hundreds of thousands people are employees,

5)Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania) region alone consumes over 720,000 tons/year of charcoal.

6)Almost 80% of charcoal consumed in the whole country in Tanzania is consumed in Dar-es-Salaam,

7)This leads to deforestations of 250,000 – 350,000 hectares/year of forests are destroyed country-wide causing environmental degradation. 

We are LARGEST company in Tanzania whom: (1) Make biomass briquettes & biomass pallets as fuel for cooking, and (2) Manufacture ceramics cook-stoves to our clients in Tanzania. Therefore, we mitigate green-house-gas by lowering CO2 in atmosphere.  

Our company strength is "WASTE-TO-ENERGY" biomass technologies for sustainable development – green energy.

We have serve our client-base:

●We currently have customer base = 13,860 who we serving every day they our briquettes in this year 2021 

●In ONE year from now we will serve customer = 30,200 who we service briquettes

●In FIVE year from now we will serve customer = 120,500 who we service briquettes

THERMAL ENERGY SAVINGS & ENVIRONMENTAL

The thermal energy savings of the project and qualifying limit under the small scale methodology AMS-II.G. (Gold Standard, August, 2017) by up to the equivalent of 180 GWh thermal in any year.

Thermal energy savings per efficient cook-stoves are calculated by the following formula: 

Each efficient cook stove results in thermal energy savings of 0.0106454 GWh based on the data available. Considering the thermal threshold of 180 GWh thermal. This would allow a distribution of about 14,900 improved cook-stoves. However, since the values for the relevant parameter might differ during monitoring. Energy saving limiting threshold of 180GWh thermal.

●Project is issuing emission reductions less than or equal to 10,000 tCO2eq in each year

●The improved cook-stoves 14,900 will be distributed to the communities in Dar es Salaam. 

Activities we will execute under this grant and results we anticipate to achieving are listed below.

Results (R) and Indicator (I)

(R) Briquettes plant is installed and commissioned. Successful trial runs to the desired production quantity and the quality of the briquettes. As well we manufacture cook-stoves which us briquettes.

(I) The briquettes factory production = 20 to 25 tons/day. Smokeless burning of briquettes in the stoves leading to 40% to 50% fuel savings.

(R) Establish inventory of raw material and start full production = 7,500 tons/year of biomass briquettes.

(I) Total of 50,000 households will benefit from daily access to briquettes therefore substituting wood charcoal for cooking which is more expensive and causing deforestation. The use of biomass briquettes results into annual reduction of 45,000 m3 of forest trees which would have been cut; thereby, potential green-house-gas mitigation.

(R) Briquettes & cook-stoves production run smoothly through project control monitoring mechanisms

(I) Weekly data collection and analysis to assist taking corrective action in  timely manner and coordination between stakeholders.

(R) Employ skilled and unskilled personnel for the operation and maintenance of the briquettes factory.

(I) Annual production of 7,500 tons/year of briquettes will create 140 direct jobs and support 250 jobs in the proposed briquettes production & stoves manufacturing

(R) Reduced poverty by cheaper briquettes and high efficiency gasifier stoves saving 40% to 50% fuel costs

(I) Consumers switching from wood-charcoal to briquettes for cooking. Households will save extra money, for example; provide extra assistance for their school children

The company (Space Engineering Limited) have got 55 employees: 25 full-time and 35 part-time employees. The 7 employees are contractor workers   

The companies consists of three departments: (1) Engineering & Technology, (2) Production, (3) Finance & Planning

The management and staff of Space Engineering Company have wide ranging experience in the bio-energy business.  Key management company staff member are discussed.

PETER MTUI (PhD): Team leader and is Managing Director for Space Engineering Company Limited in Dar es Salaam. He is a Mechanical Engineering who holds a Ph.D. from university of British Columbia (Canada) with specialization in the utilization of alternative fuels. He has work experience over 29 years ranging from academics to industry. Later he joined Ricardo Technical Center in Chicago (USA) as a Senior Software Engineer to develop commercial software.  He later worked as Senior Scientist for Pioneer Process Technology Group (Ontario, Canada).

He is now working in Tanzania and has extensive experience, strong leadership in the design, development and dissemination of biomass briquettes and cook-stoves in Tanzania. Briquettes from agriculture wastes and forest residuals have been key element in addressing energy needs and deforestation problem in Tanzania.

PHILIP SAMBERA: Director of Engineering with 20 year experience in equipment design and commissioning. He was instrumental in the implementation biomass briquettes and improved cook-stoves. His role in this project is to oversee plant installation, commissioning and successful operation of the plant for biomass briquettes and improved cook-stove manufacturing.

GIDEON MANDARA: Consultant for the project and chemical engineer with 31 years of experience. He has extensive skills in wide area including: Planning, management and including: environment, community-based, appropriate technology; community-managed; women’s economic, social empowerment; finance & enterprise development, strategic planning, management, monitoring & evaluation of integrated area-based projects.

IMPROVED COMMUNITY RELATIONS: Gender diversity in the workforce is also correlated with improved community relations. A gender-diverse community engagement our staff gives companies a greater ability to internalize and respond to community concerns. Gender they are essential for starting or improving on gender diversification.

Opportunity for women in the energy industry or both in tandem, but also educating the general public about the sector at large

Project will have multiple-benefits: Social, economic and environmental. Women’s and youths empowerment in terms of economical as well as health benefits depending on emission reductions.

Example, government of Tanzania, non-government organization (NGO) and private sector. All of the stakeholder they play a big role in the cooking industry since more than 80% of Tanzanian depend on charcoal as energy for cooking.

Field visits to conduct consultation meetings and interviews with project stakeholders and get their views and obtain more information. Consultation will be undertaken with a wide range of groups and organizations who are stakeholders in this process, including representatives from the supply chain; to supply biomass producers, local entrepreneurs and community schools and business. Specific stakeholder consultation will include the district authorities which are responsible with waste biomass

With its focus on awareness-raising of top stakeholder group leaders, with its step-by-step process of engaging all key stakeholders, will have a strong impact on the development of the ongoing.

The poverty and social impacts of such policy measures if they were to be implemented with the aim of making the sector more socially sustainable.

Space Engineering Limited is the only company in Tanzania that are producing these briquettes and cook-stoves on a small-scale.

Women empowerment: Capitalizing on women’s role as clean energy entrepreneurs and leaders in national and local efforts lead to the development of effective, culturally-appropriate, and sustainable solutions.

The primary barriers to adoption biomass briquettes as fuel for cooking and cook-stoves are:

• Lack of consumers’ ability or willingness to pay premiums on more efficient cook-stoves which have been are being developed due to absence of wide-spread awareness campaigns.
• Availability of the right models of the cook-stoves that are acceptable to the peri-urban and urban area in Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania) households and cater to the unique preferences cooking needs.
• Cost-revenue shortfall preventing the development of commercial enterprises to promote clean cooking solutions
• Creating consumer awareness about the benefits of cook-stoves through above and below the line marketing.
• Supporting capacity development for the supply chain (Partner Organizations) for distribution of cook-stoves
• Selecting the right stove models that have passed both quality assurance test on performance and durability as well as consumer preference and acceptability tests. Households are expected to purchase the cook-stoves at full price.
• Lack of co-ordination among related government agencies and industry.

Long-term and sustainability efforts: The substantial barriers to accessing cleaner and more efficient cooking energy requires a sustained investment to transform the market.

SPACE ENGINEERING COMPANY Limited was registered in Tanzania 2012 and our partner a local non-government organization; RENEWABLE ENERGY ACCESS PROMOTION established in 2009.

Space Engineering is mandated to conduct activities and disseminates technologies that have direct relevance to the Tanzanian community: (1) Development of technologies, (2) Promotion and commercialization technologies, (3) Supervision of projects aiming at product innovation.

RENEWABLE ENERGY ACCESS PROMOTION (REAP) is mission is to foster competitive, efficient and environmentally sustainable production and service sector in Tanzania by improving skills of these people and knowledge through technology development and entrepreneurship. Relevant areas of expertise for REAP include: renewable energy technologies facilities.

Our goal of this green briquettes projects is therefore to promote and facilitate strategic investing in appropriate technology for producing green charcoal sustainably from locally available biomass resources, thereby enabling a significant shift from the long-entrenched practice of producing charcoal by cutting trees down . As well, we manufacture improved cook-stoves.

1) SPACE ENGINEERING COMPANY Limited was registered in Tanzania 2012 and our partner a local non-government organization; Renewable Energy Access Promotion established in 2009.

Space Engineering is mandated to conduct activities and disseminates technologies that have direct relevance to the Tanzanian community: (1) Development of technologies, (2) Promotion and commercialization technologies, (3) Supervision of projects aiming at product innovation.

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Space Engineering Company Limited

113 Segerea Road, Block B

P.O. Box 24152

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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2) RENEWABLE ENERGY ACCESS PROMOTION (REAP) is mission is to foster competitive, efficient and environmentally sustainable production and service sector in Tanzania by improving skills of these people and knowledge through technology development and entrepreneurship. Relevant areas of expertise for REAP include: renewable energy technologies facilities.

Our goal of this green briquettes projects is therefore to promote and facilitate strategic investing in appropriate technology for producing green charcoal sustainably from locally available biomass resources, thereby enabling a significant shift from the long-entrenched practice of producing charcoal by cutting down trees. As well, we manufacture improved cook-stoves.

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Reliable Energy Access Promotion

P. O. Box 165

Dar es Salaam

Tanzania

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3) MIT faculty or initiatives, or Solve Members we request to be our partner.

WE QUALIFY IN THE ANDAN PRICE

In Tanzania, we have thousands of refugees from the neighbouring countries - Republic of Congo and Burundi.

About 355,000 refugees from Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo live in western Tanzania (Prosper Kwigize reports, 2018), where they are barred from working or setting foot outside their makeshift camps. These refugees they cause a lot of environmental degradation because of falling tress down for the sole purpose of charcoal.

We will supply the biomass briquettes and improved cook-stoves to the refugee camp so that they can get the cooking fuel. These biomass briquettes will reduce the pressure on forests.

Use improved cook-stoves which: (i) Toxic emission reduction by 70% - 80%, (ii) Fuel consumption reduction by 40% - 50% leading to reduced pressure on forest, (iii) Cooking time reduced by 30% - 40%. Reducing time for cooking is by ceramic cook-stoves which we could sell to the refugee camps.

WE QUALIFY THIS PRICE IN OUR INNOVATION.

Women need to be the target group for any marketing and sensitization campaign that have the objective of enhancing the dissemination of briquettes and cook-stoves. Therefore, they generally make choice regards which fuel source value chain.

Providing households with access clean cook-stoves is vital importance in the low-emission cook-stoves serve as an important transitional solution—with benefits for women`s and children`s health and livelihoods.

OBJECTIVES:

• Inclusion of women entrepreneurship & empowerment in the value chain since are target group for any marketing and sensitization campaign that have objective of dissemination.
• We expect to hire men 30%, women 40% and youth 30% employees. The employees will be proportional to house-holds which they use briquettes as fuel for cooking.
• Selling of agricultural wastes and forest residue. Operation and maintenance of the briquettes factory and cook-stoves factory will create employment and reduce poverty.
• Generate employment, collectors of raw materials, transporters, dealers and entrepreneurs who distribute briquettes & cook-stoves. Women and youth will particularly benefit by collecting and selling biomass. Agricultural wastes are disposed-off by burning them in open fields, sometimes causing wild fires.