PROBLEM STATEMENT
The communities living in this part of the Ahafo districts are faced with very few options of economic activities. The area is prone to frequent crop failures due to the poor climatic conditions caused by extensive destruction of forests which has subsequently destroyed all the water catchment areas. In addition the condition is made worse due to continuous cutting of trees for either charcoal or firewood. Charcoal and firewood form the biggest source of fuel for cooking in this area. The two sources of fuel (firewood and charcoal) are environmental hazards in that they pollute the environment through fumes/smoke and gases. There is therefore the need for alternative sources of energy that will be able to address the above problems.

This project seeks to reclaim the tree cover along the relevant water catchment areas and encourage the community use alternative sources of energy. The dwindling forest resources and expensive hydropower could not be the better answer for this ever-growing energy demand mainly for cooking and heating purposes. Therefore, technologies related to alternative renewable energy sources have also been introduced and developed for adoption in different geographical regions.

Solutions to Problem Statement

The proposed project will address the problem at different levels in different magnitudes. Since briquettes can be made out of unwanted bushes that inhibit the growth of forest tree plants,
? It will not compete with fuel wood rather substitute it giving a chance to thrive the growth of forest trees that would greatly contribute to maintain the greenery or better natural environment.
? It will also give self-employment opportunities to the raw material collectors who are generally poor men and women of the villages helping them to generate some additional income and contribute to empower them economically (MDG ? 3).
? The persons engaged in production of briquettes will also get good employment opportunity.
? The transporters and distributors of briquettes will also get job opportunities. Moreover, the users at villages or towns will get more efficient and cleaner form of fuel wood substitute that provides energy for cooking and heating with almost no smoke.
? It will also substitute the consumption of kerosene and LPG in the villages and towns to some extent during the periods of stress in supply of these energy sources as it oftentimes happen in Ahafo due to various reasons domestic as well as increase in importation price factors. This will also greatly reduce the expenses incurred in treating diseases related to smoke pollution, as briquettes do not produce smoke.

1.2 Project Goal

The project seeks to reduce carbon emissions resulting from deforestation and burning of wood waste through the use of improved renewable energy technologies that will utilize saw dust, forest/agricultural waste etc as a source of fuel.

1.3 Primary Objectives:
The main objectives are:
1. to build the capacities of women?s groups to produce briquette charcoal from wood waste and farm residues as alternative efficient energy source in homes, institutions and commercial activities in villages and towns
2. to introduce efficient cost effective energy saving stoves technology to institutions, commercial and industrial operators and home of people
3. to rehabilitate degraded areas through agro-forestry landuse practices trees on farms.
4.
1.4 Project Technology and Strategy

The project will adopt Energy Cake Technology that converts bio-mass (including saw dust, agro-wastes and farm residues) into smokeless high temperature (T max> 500°C) energy source for cooking, heating etc. This technology produces fuel at less cost, less cooking time, less drudgery and less infrastructure. The production of these fuels synchronizes the local resources (all types of agricultural wastes / biomass); need of local low cost renewable smokeless fuel and local opportunity of employment with additional income. The project seeks to produce briquettes as fuel, to replaces raw charcoal and firewood. . The briquettes being renewable in nature, the technology in-use can be classified as renewable energy technology.

The Urja Cake Technology

The technology has four stages of production namely:

5. Preparation of agro-waste char: The charring unit is a drum (20 litre capacity) with a conical grate with fixed chimney, a telescopic removable chimney, and top cover with water seal arrangement. It can be used for almost all local agro-waste materials, even powdery like bumda (Bajra wastes). In this unit, depending upon type of material, about 40 ? 100 kg can be carbonized to give 30 ? 35% yield of charred material over a period of 2 ? 3 hours.
6.
7. Mixing of moist char with clay: About 20% clay is mixed with agro-waste char. Clay acts as a binder and energy extender.

8. Production of cake from the agro-waste char: The mixture having sufficient moisture is put into the mould. The mould has three parts (a) bottom plate with protruding rods, (b) cylinder to fit bottom plate and (c) a perforated plate. The char cakes thus made are then sun dried and subsequently used in locally available ordinary and simple coal pots or burners.
9.
10. Use of clean char cakes: The char cake thus made out of wastes is easily ignitable. This is gently placed on the grate. Dry leaves etc. are placed below the grate and ignited. In about 3 to 4 minutes the flames from the combusting leaves ignite the bottom end of the cake. After a short while the flame starts coming up through the holes. The heat thus generated can be used according to one's requirement. When the char cake is about to be burnt out, a second one can be placed over the first one in such a manner that the holes in both the cakes match each other.

The stages in developing the char cakes is shown in the picture below:




The Strategy

The project has two-fold strategy:

Live demonstrations of clean fuels by establishing 12 Units with women?s groups in the district. The production centers will give live demonstration of technology. This technology primarily caters to rural population as it is based on local wastes. It is simple in operation and capable of producing quality low cost fuel.

Capacity building of the local NGO and communities for production, management and monitoring of units: This will ensure ownership and enable women to be beneficiaries by using the Urja (Energy) Cakes and be managers of the enterprises. This technology will also be proliferated through the wide network of civil society by Green Ghana Ambassador (GGA) acts as a binder in collaboration and energy extender.

The project will continue to link up with Energy Research Applications (ERA) in India for technical backstopping during the training phase. The Sunyani Polytechnic and the ITTU in Sunyani will be working with the project to improve on the technology to meet local standards.

The Project aims at fulfilling the following three focal areas:

a) Contribute to global environmental benefits
Mitigation of climate changes: The Briquettes will substitute the use of firewood and Charcoal at household level mainly in the urban areas. In addition, communities will be assisted to adopt energy saving technologies, especially the use of gasfier cook stove technology. These efforts will contribute to the reduction of emission of Green house gases (GHGs).

(b) Contribute to national priorities and strategies by addressing environmental challenges that are of national concern.

(c) Contribute to improving livelihoods of communities. Ahafo which was part listed as one of the poorest districts in the Brong Ahafo Region on the National Poverty Index

2.0 Project Activities
The main project activities covers
? Educating and sensitizing the people to the effects of deforestation, climate change, and global warming. The target population would be informed about the new technologies of producing briquettes at affordable cost to provide energy alternatives to current charcoal and fossil fuels for domestic use.
? Equipping selected trainees with knowledge and skills in manufacturing Charcoal Briquettes using sawdust, wood chips or wood logs from own wood processing factory and any wood wastes or biomass, and the subsequent use of the products and Agricultural Waste as raw materials.
? Creating entrepreneurs and employment for mainly rural and semi-urban populations.
? Producing sample charcoal briquette making kilns, extruders, and charcoal briquettes.
? To promote the usage of the charcoal briquettes among the rural and urban population
? Promoting agro-forestry and tree growing as a business activity.

First Quarter Results

1. Facilitation and the formation of sustainable land management/ awareness committees.

2. 20,000 seedling capacity community agroforestry nursery established.

3. Farmers from 12 villages were trained and assisted in soil and water management practices.


Second Quarter Results

1. 350 farmers were trained in construction and use of improved wood stoves.

2. 410 farmers in 5 communities were trained in Agro-forestry farming (150 women, 120 men, 152 youth)

3. 10,000 mango seedling transplanted and 8,300 seedlings of Albezia planted

4. 100 farmers supported to established individual/family woodlots