Government is seeking to promote ‘briquette fuel’ as one of the alternative wood and charcoal as a source of cooking energy. However, investors have pointed out that the lack of cook stoves that use briquette is still a challenge, and hence hinder its penetration. Briquettes are produced by compressing biomass residues like sawdust (powdery particles of wood produced by sawing) and agricultural byproducts among other waste into a solid unit that is used like charcoal or firewood and are considered as clean while they reduce waste. Government targets to reduce charcoal use from 79 per cent to 42 per cent of the population by 2024 to reduce pressure on Rwanda’s forests. And the Minister of Infrastructure, Claver Gatete, says that briquette fuel should be leveraged. However, Laurent Basabira, the Managing Director of Nyagatare Rice Mill told The New Times that the demand for briquette fuel, which they make from rice husks, comes from correctional facilities and other institutions that need a huge amount of cooking fuel. The product is less common among the local population. “These big institutions like prisons have big improved cook stoves with capacity to heat briquette fuel. The challenge that is hindering the penetration of briquette fuel in urban and rural areas is that they do not have cook stoves that are suitable for briquette fuel. We are doing research on appropriate cook stoves,” he said. He said that their first trial on suitable cook stoves found that it requires ventilation to heat the briquette and yet all communities have not yet electricity that can do it. The second trial produced a cook stove that emits smoke. “We are still doing research on the appropriate cook stoves for briquette fuel that ordinary citizens can use,” Basabira noted. He said they sell one kilogramme of briquette at Rwf80, saying it is cheaper than wood fuel and charcoal. “We have the capacity to produce 20 tonnes of briquette per day. One Kilogramme can cook a huge quantity of beans the whole day because when burnt the briquette fire stays long thanks to its density,” Basabira added. Targeting schools He said that they are now targeting school as another major market since all schools in the country are mainly using firewood in cooking. Anicet Munyehirwe, the CEO of Geni Green Solutions (GGS) Ltd based in Kigali city told The New Times that the company is in pilot phase to manufacture briquette fuel from sawdust where they produce four tonnes per day for the Kigali market. Like his counterpart, a specific cook stove that uses briquette was a challenge hindering the penetration in communities. He disclosed that they have recently produced such cook stoves that appropriately use briquette. “The stove dubbed “Songa stove “can use charcoal, briquettes and plant residues. However, today many citizens have not yet such stoves. We make briquettes that can serve in place of wood and those in place of charcoal,” he said. He said that they are selling one kilogramme of Briquette at Rwf350. “The price might be cheap or expensive depending on types of raw materials. Using agricultural waste can make affordable briquette. There should be manufacturing units in every district using available materials in that area because it also reduces transport cost which will eventually make briquette affordable,” he noted. Meanwhile, he said they are waiting for the establishment of the electric transformer in Kibagabaga so as to embark on mass production. Augustin Nkurikiyimfura, another investor, who manages Bamboo Riverside Ltd Company told this paper that they manufacture 20 tonnes of briquette per day in Mageragere sector in Kigali but supply only four schools in Kigali and refugee camps. “There is need for an awareness campaign in communities to raise uptake of briquette. We sell one Kilogramme at Rwf200 and compared to charcoal, it equals to charcoal that can cost Rwf500. This means it is cheap and clean,” he said, adding that they target to increase production next year and work with as many schools as possible. Oreste Niyonsaba, the Manager for Clean Cooking and Biogas use at Energy Development Corporation Ltd (EDCL), says a combination of few investors and limited public awareness is responsible for the low uptake of briquette fuel in the country. “We need to conduct awareness campaigns because many people in rural areas are not used to buying firewood and charcoal. They are still collecting firewood from the bushes and others cutting forests. Public awareness of the advantages of briquettes is vital,” he said. He said that the campaign will go along working with investors to ensure briquette fuel products that are appropriate and affordable to communities. A total investment of $1.37 billion is needed by 2030 to achieve the government’s target of reducing charcoal use by half.
