Articles of September 2009

The south of Uganda is a predominantly agricultural area, growing crops such as coffee, rice, and groundnuts. Large quantities of wood and charcoal are used by households and businesses for cooking and processing. This contributes to the serious problem of deforestation which is directly threatening some of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in Africa. Kampala Jellitone Suppliers Ltd (KJS), was looking for an alternative fuel to LPG for its coffee-roasting enterprise, and invested in equipment to make briquettes from agricultural residues. Because of demand from institutions like schools, KJS diversified into producing briquettes for sale, and installing efficient cooking stoves to use with them.

Agricultural residues collected mainly from the South West of Uganda, and delivered to the KJS factory near Kampala.

Two briquetting machines, with a total capacity of about 2,000 tonnes/year.

1,309 institutional stoves and ovens installed for 36 organisations (March 2009).

About 1,530 tonnes of briquettes manufactured and sold during 2008, replacing mainly fuelwood and also charcoal.

Customers include schools, colleges, Makerere University, hospitals and foodprocessing businesses.

Briquettes cost about US$16/tonne. Cost of cooking is similar to using firewood at US$14/tonne because briquette stoves are more efficient. Cost of cooking is considerably cheaper than using charcoal at US$29/tonne.

Reducing unsustainable use of fuelwood and charcoal.