Comments on: Charcoal briquette making device in Goma

By: Mecanismo para la fabricación de briquetas de carbón en Goma « EspAfriGadget

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:36:13 +0000

[...] Publicado por Paula Kahumbu en http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/08/01/charcoal-briquette-making-device-in-goma/ [...]

By: Azul

Azul — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:35:45 +0000

Well done! A very interesting idea. Here in Mozambique, charcoal makers are doing unbelievable destruction to woodland forests and there is no (enforced) law to control this mass de-forestation. A 20kg bag of charcoal sells for around USD4.50

I would like to know more details of the construction and estimated output per press, plus ideas on what biomass can be used. obviously to stop charcoal manufacture, the briquetes must be easier to make and cheaper to sell…

By: Claude Kakule

Claude Kakule — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:11:33 +0000

Best wishes over there.

This is a great idea. In fact, to save gorilla lives in the Virunga National Park, not the town of Goma should be the target of the project , but also the town of Butembo (around 300 km north Goma). So the question is: how to produce biomass briquetees at a high scale in order to address the demand? What about the markeing side of this kind of project? is there any best practices in this area?

With thanks

Claude Kakule

By: gmoke

gmoke — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:14:32 +0000

Amy Smith is still working on it. There was another project using corncobs as a feedstock for charcoal briquets at this year’s International Development Design Summit. Pictures at http://www.globalswadeshi.net/forum/topic/show?id=2097821%3ATopic%3A2963

Ran into one of the students who worked on that project by accident today and referred him to afrigadget and this article.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:10:22 +0000

Looks like the same thing that Amy Smith was doing:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/amy_smith_shares_simple_lifesaving_design.html

By: Paula

Paula — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:15:19 +0000

Hi and thanks Erik. Dave the biomass used comprises any waste paper, leaves (eucalyptus leaves work well), grass, any leaves, saw dust, charcoal fines, any green or other wastes, twigs, husks of seeds etc ….anything really. Check out the posts on http://endingcharcoal.wildlfiedirect.org which describe what the villagers are collecting

By: Dave Donelson

Dave Donelson — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:44:02 +0000

This looks fascinating. Can you tell us what the biomass consists of and how it is prepared before pressing? Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds

By: Erik Hersman

Erik Hersman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:20:01 +0000

Paula is our newest AfriGadget contributing author. What a way to start off! Great job, and welcome to the team.

By: Charcoal briquette making device in Goma

Charcoal briquette making device in Goma — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:15:20 +0000

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