Our projects> Pilot Project: Efficiency Enhancement and Entrepreneurship Development in Sustainable Biomass Charcoaling in Ghana

Pilot Project: Efficiency Enhancement and Entrepreneurship Development in Sustainable Biomass Charcoaling in Ghana

Closed

Combination

Energy

Forestry

Call 3

Ghana

Time consumed

Start: 08-Mar-13 End: 08-Jun-16

Lead Nordic partner

Pöyry Management Consulting Oy

Country of Lead Nordic partner

Finland

Local partner(s)

Nature and Development Foundation, NDF (formerly WWF West Africa Forest Programme Office (WAFPO)), Atebubu Traditional Council, Wiase traditional Council, Dwan Traditional Council and Bassa Traditional Council

Other partner(s)

African Plantations for Sustainable Development (APSD), Ghana

NCF grant size

499,998

Total project cost

926,788

Technologies

Briquettes and pellets

Methods

Sustainable forest management

Country of implementation:

Ghana

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Description

The project advocates sustainable forestry in Ghana together with energy-efficient charcoal production. It built and implemented efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly charcoal production technology that is easy to operate and maintain. In addition, the project undertook to ensure a sustainable source of biomass for the production of charcoal by establishing dedicated plantations and training local stakeholders to maintain and utilise the plantations.

The project mitigates climate... The project advocates sustainable forestry in Ghana together with energy-efficient charcoal production. It built and implemented efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly charcoal production technology that is easy to operate and maintain. In addition, the project undertook to ensure a sustainable source of biomass for the production of charcoal by establishing dedicated plantations and training local stakeholders to maintain and utilise the plantations.

The project mitigates climate change through the reduction of illegal harvesting of biomass from natural, old growth forests by providing forest plantations on land that is otherwise unused. The installed kilns also help mitigate emissions from charcoal production by substituting traditional methods with more climate friendly solutions. Traditional methods, such as earth mound kilns, have low yields compared to more efficient retort kilns. The project has installed retort kilns that require only one-third of the raw biomass compared to traditional methods. Due to incomplete combustion, traditional charcoal production methods also lead to emissions of methane, among others, which can be mitigated through the improved technology.

The project has introduced a new technology for producing charcoal in a kiln that efficiently uses heat transfer to produce charcoal - product gases (including the combustion of flammable gases) are circulated between the plant’s four integrated kilns.

The novel technology produces consistently higher quality charcoal and requires fewer natural resources than the traditional methods. The holistic initiative spans across the entire value chain of sustainable charcoal production by creating new jobs in the production process as well as in raw material supplies from plantations, transport and selling the charcoal. The designed retorts are fairly affordable and simple to operate and maintain, but proper management is required to sustain operations. It is envisioned that after project completion, the design could be replicated in nearby wood plantations.

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Objective

The project aimed to create job opportunities in sustainable charcoal production in efforts to fight poverty, reduce GHG emissions and decrease illegal wood harvesting.

More specifically, its objectives were:
- The construction and implementation of charcoal production plants.
- The establishment of approximately 20 energy wood plantations of below 10 ha each of eucalyptus/acacia to feed the 7 charcoal production plants.
- A workshop about entrepreneurship in the...

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Results

The project advocated sustainable forestry together with energy-efficient charcoal production. The project established 21 energy wood plantations (210 ha) to provide wood for seven charcoal kilns for the use of local entrepreneurs. The plants have corresponding plantations in close proximity, from which the biomass will be harvested for charcoal production. Each kiln consists of chamber wood retort of 4 integrated kilns, made of local bricks.

The...

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Relevant links

Pöyry Management Consulting, WAFPO, APSD

Pilot Project: Efficiency Enhancement and Entrepreneurship Development in Sustainable Biomass Charcoaling in Ghana

Time consumed

Lead Nordic partner

Country of Lead Nordic partner

Local partner(s)

Other partner(s)

NCF grant size

Total project cost

Technologies

Methods

Country of implementation:

Description

Objective

Results

Relevant links

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