The project aims to produce and commercialize two types of domestic fuel manufactured from locally abundant biomass waste products. Specifically, it will produce synthetic fuel logs and green charcoal, both of which are made from a combination of invasive aquatic Typha weed and rice husks. These ‘green’ fuels offer direct replacements for fuelwood and charcoal in the target communities, which constitute non-renewable energy sources in the project area due to the scarcity of existing forest resources. Because the area is almost wholly deforested, wood is hard to get and expensive. Yet households lack alternative fuels to wood and charcoal, so they use them even though they are time-consuming or costly to obtain, and contribute to progressive deforestation and environmental degradation in the zone.
The project targets two distinct ‘green’ fuels because the current market uses two different fuels to address distinct fuel needs. In rural areas, the vast majority of fuel is from fuelwood, yet charcoal is still sometimes used for particular needs, notably making tea. In urban areas, households often emphasize charcoal for their various cooking needs. This follows from the fact that charcoal has a higher calorific potential. As such, it is more convenient for households who lack storage space, which is common in urban areas. Also, the transport costs per unit of calorific potential will be lower for charcoal, which may be significant if fuels must be transported over long distances, as is likely to be necessary for fuels provided to urban areas.
Typha is an invasive aquatic plant that occurs in the rice growing zone around Niono, Mali, which is based on a system of canals and irrigation channels constructed in the 1930s. A recent study found that the 200 km2 area around Niono, known as the falais of Molodo, is significantly infested by typha weed. According to a study conducted in 2003 aimed at exploring options to make use of Typha weed, this wider irrigated area has the potential to provide vast amounts of dry vegetable matter each year, given typha’s 8 month regeneration cycle.
Rice husks are produced in large volumes by the rice fields around Niono but are seldom used, to the point that 10,000 tons per year are left to rot next to local husking mills, representing a potent source of methane emissions. Yet rice husks can be readily gathered and transported by local farmers. Similarly, dried Typha weed can be provided by local farmers.