BAMBOO-BASED FUEL FOR COOKING Case study of Karhongo Grouping and Bukavu

The aim of this study was to assess the technical and economic feasibility of replacement of wood charcoal by bamboo charcoal as a means of protecting the forest resources from deforestation and degradation while giving an alternative to charcoal value chain actors.  Another objective was to carry out profitability and a market systems analysis to assess the bamboo charcoal market in Karhongo grouping, especially in Nyangezi, Kwabakaja, Mushenyi and in Bukavu City which is the largest charcoal market in South Kivu.  To achieve this, a technical study of the various bamboo charcoal production processes was conducted, followed by a comparative analysis between bamboo-based fuels produced by different kilns with hardwood charcoal and waste-based briquettes. After that a bamboo charcoal market systems study and profitability analysis of charcoal value chain actors was done. Species used for bamboo charcoal and hardwood charcoal production are respectively giant bamboo (especially Dendrocalamus giganteus) and Eucalyptus grandis. The results of this study showed that carbonization in the earth mound kiln gave the highest yield (18.48%) of charcoal compared to the raw material used, producing the highest quality bamboo charcoal (calorific value: 29.85 - 30.68 MJ/Kg) which is 6% higher than the calorific value of wood charcoal (27.5 - 29.4 MJ/Kg). Bamboo briquettes and those made from waste have a respective calorific value respectively of 21% and 25% lower than that of bamboo charcoal (23.8 and 22.7 MJ/Kg), producing 578% and 790% more ashes during cooking than hardwood charcoal. Bamboo charcoal produced in the masonry kiln has a higher ash content (47% to 180% more than charcoal), and a calorific value 15.3% lower than that of bamboo charcoal produced in the earth mound kiln. Furthermore, despite its lower density, which makes it less attractive to users, the energy yield of bamboo charcoal obtained through the water boiling Test (WBT) is the highest. Briquettes have a higher density than wood and bamboo charcoal (2 times higher). The overall profit margin of bamboo charcoal carbonized in masonry kiln is negative (-261.3 CDF/Kg). Bamboo charcoal produced in the earth mound kiln, bamboo briquettes, and hardwood charcoal (from eucalyptus) have positive overall profit margins respectively of 527.5 CDF/kg, 336.71 CDF/kg and 459.5 CDF/kg. The profit margin is distributed between charcoal producers (37%), wholesalers (38%) and retailers (25%). Bamboo charcoal is profitable for producers at an optimum selling price of 32,500 CDF for a 65-70 kg bag, with a profit of 125-140 CDF/kg. Dendrocalamus giganteus can have an annual yield of 20 to 30 tons of biomass per hectare, with a harvesting cycle of 3-4 years for bamboo charcoal purposes. Eucalyptus grandis have an annual yield ranging between 4-15 dry tonnes per hectare with a rotation of 3-7 years. Over a 10-year period, one hectare of bamboo planted for charcoal production can protect 1.3 to 1,875 hectares of forest from degradation and deforestation caused by charcoal production, while producing around 1,700 MJ of heat from 50 tonnes of charcoal (with a carbonization efficiency of 25%). With improved carbonization, 10% to 20 % more of forest area can be protected.