If you have been following this blog, you must have read that a couple of weeks ago we gave it a try wit the invention of a drying system in the General Hospital of Bukavu, to quickly get the moisture out of the fuel briquettes.

That first attempt proved to be a little bit weak, so we tried a new robust, stronger and healthier construction that can now hold up to 900 fuel briquettes. 

When it rains, we are covering the whole structure with a huge silver plastic. But our aim is to build a greenhouse, that would accelerate even more the drying process. That is our next step. 

Today we have installed 2 new press machines in the center of Bukavu city. Kivu Press, the biggest printer in Bukavu, owned by the African Missionaries, have decided to take over the fuel briquettes too and make a business out of this renewable energy project.

You might remember that Kivu Press already donates their waste paper to both the General Hospital and ICCN (Institute Congolaise pour la Conservation de la Nature) for their sawdust and paper fuel briquettes production.

Kivu Press is a successful printer that imports more than 100 tonnes of paper per year – 5% of that becomes waste, so it means a loads of paper to be recycled and used as a binder for the fuel briquettes.

You can see the training happening outside at the back

Today we have installed a drying frame in the General Hospital, to get the fuel briquettes dry faster. We think that by suspending them far from the floor, they will get the air flow from all sides speeding the process a little bit. Each frame holds up to 200 fuel briquettes.

I am back in Bukavu since last Thursday, and I will be staying until the end of November. Yesterday I visited the General Hospital, and had a very nice welcoming from all the staff and the children in the Malnourished Children’s Center.

The women were working with the fuel briquettes, and what it seemed to be a good surprise as I was approaching the container where the production is being stored, it ended up becoming quite annoying!

Right beside the fuel briquettes there was a huge pile of cut wood resting to be burnt sometime soon.

You might remember that the Center is currently cooking the children’s food with the fuel briquettes, because their electric stove is broken. But heard many complaints that the briquettes are giving a lot of smoke lately.

The broken stove on the right, the fuel briquette’s one on the left

The reason: the rainy season! It takes a long time for the fuel briquettes to dry. Now my priority is to find a way to speed up the drying process – we cannot do anything about the rainy season, and will have to wait until next April when the dry season starts. Lesson learnt: this time they will be pressing as many briquettes as possible to stock them up for the season to come…..

Even though fuel briquettes have a proven record of burning efficiently, why haven’t they yet taken off as a replacement for charcoal and firewood in the developing world?

For those who have not been following this blog, I have installed one press machine in the General Hospital in Bukavu, almost 8 months ago. The production of sawdust and paper fuel briquettes has been steady, but the sales are increasing at a low pace. Last week 2 stoves and 27 fuel briquettes were sold to the general public.

Nevertheless, there is hope. I am trying to identify which are the negative perceptions and preconceptions towards this new technology. I am convinced that behaviour patterns can be changed, we just need to understand which are the social constrains and how they have to be approached.

One surprise was given by the General Hospital’s kitchen. In the center for the malnourished children, their oven broke down. So they were obliged to start cooking with fuel briquettes. And it has been the case for the last two weeks – and note that NO charcoal has been purchased. They are exclusively cooking with the briquettes, and the consumption has been 634 fuel briquettes for 12 days!

Kizito with the malnourished children of the Hospital’s center

If the Hospital has changed their cooking habits, can the rest of the population do as well?

The team from the General Hospital is getting creative with their production of paper and sawdust fuel briquettes. It first came with the 3×1 (getting 3 briquettes out of one cylinder). Now they have started pressing double the size of a regular briquette, and claim that jumbo briquettes are better for cooking because they last longer and it is simpler because there is no need for adding extra ones in larger meals.

Sister Elena Albarracin checking on her jumbo briquettes

We have done some testing with this new size, and with one large fuel briquette, we got 1 liter of water boiling after 5 minutes.

The problem with such large briquettes is getting them dry. Humid fuel briquettes give smoke when burnt. With the present rainy season, it is taking them over two weeks to get them ready for use.

Kizito, my boyfriend, is helping me out from Bukavu with the data collection for my dissertation.

Bukavu, capital of South Kivu, has experienced fast population growth in the last 15 years, as a result of war. Energy demand has seen the same increase, although the offer has not shown equal results. This has obliged the local population to look for alternative resources, mainly charcoal. The situation worsens as a result of neighbouring Rwanda’s demand (in 1992 wood demand was estimated on 4,7 millions m3). A study carried out by PNUD/UNOPS in 1998 for the east of the DR of Congo            (Kivu provinces) has concluded that:

• 1 to 1,6 m2 of wood are consumed per person per year
• 85 to 90 kgs of charcoal are consumed per person per year

Estimates are that Bukavu is now reaching the 1 million people mark. And that means

a lot of charcoal to be consumed.

My research is focusing on non woody biomass fuel briquettes as an alternative to

charcoal consumption in the DR Congo. If this technology has proven to be efficient

so far, then why hasn’t it yet taken off, after more that 20 years of being around?

Below some pictures of the different measures and containers in which charcoal is

currently sold in the most popular markets in Bukavu: Kadutu, Ibanda and Bagira.

Vyamungu trying to get the right weight for the big charcoal bags

A girl with a charcoal bag bigger than herself!

This is how big the 80k bags are!

Smaller quantities in recycled soap containers

September has been a funny month, and there was a lot of sunshine in Bukavu (usually it shouldn’t be like that). But now the rainy season has oficially started, and October has seen a lot of rainfall so far….

When it comes to drying the fuel briquettes, well, that is a problem! – unless there is an adequate installation in place and a big roof to work comfortably. Of course when the sun is out, briquettes can  take 3/4 days to fully dry, but with this humid weather, they can be waiting to be burn sometimes over two weeks!

The personnel’s strike continues in the General Hospital. So production is still low: 1.000 fuel briquettes per week. I will keep you updated on its progress.

The premises look quiet and empty, but luckily some of the press machine workers have been faithfully showing up to continue with their hard work.

Despite a shortage of staff in the General Hospital in Bukavu (due to personnel’s strike), fuel briquette production managed to continue, with a total of 777 sawdust and paper fuel briquettes pressed during last week.

An update from the General Hospital in Bukavu and their fuel briquette production. Nurses and general staff are on strike since last Monday, complaining that they have not been paid for a long time. Doctors and surgeons are extremely busy, and the Nutricional Center has stopped producing fuel briquettes, for there is not enough people to operate the pressing machine.

Early this morning and the premises still quiet….only one worker (Isidore) showed up.

But at around 12 the container was opened to the public and some women passing by were purchasing stoves and fuel briquettes.

Demand is getting higher and prices are still the same: $3,50 for the stove and CF50 for 3 fuel briquettes (remember you can cook one meal with 3 fuel briquettes, and u$s1 = CF570).