Taking biomass energy seriously makes increasing sense: biomass energy currently makes up 77% of the world's primary renewable energy mix – or put another way, 10% of the world's primary energy. Biomass includes daily household wastes, crop residues, plant weeds, and forest offcuts forest from fodder trees is abundantly available in Nakisunga Subcounty, Uganda. If biomass resources are properly utilized through simple technology to make briquettes, it can provide a cleaner and more efficient form of fuel with reduced air pollution; it will bring many positive changes to the lifestyle, economy and environment of the rural people. It will help maintain clean surroundings using unmanaged biomass, provides an efficient alternative fuel rather than scarce wood, saves villagers' time collecting fuel wood, it helps in protecting and conserving trees and provides incomes as an alternative fuel source to sell to town dwellers.
Global Link Organisation will promote the production and use of biomass briquettes both in Nakisunga towns and villages. It will collaborate with professionals to design and provide appropriate training to the target households, producers and users of briquettes in both villages and towns, promote and disseminate the use of briquettes with an objective to replace fuel wood, which is polluting, less efficient and contributes to global warming, but which is still the commonly used fuel source in Nakisunga Subcounty.
The following project activities will be undertaken:
- A stakeholders' meeting will be held to agree on proper project implementation, then there will be the formation of a joint project implementation committee to manage all the activities.
- Training and capacity-building in briquettes making
- Purchase and distribution of briquettes-making equipments
- Selection, training and deployment of community based extension volunteers
- Publication of fuel briquette leaflets information and dissemination
- Formation and registration of Nakisunga Renewable energy cooperative
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Reporting.
We expect the following outcome and impacts:
- Increased community knowledge, skills and ablility to produce, use and market biomass briquettes with capacity to promote and replicate biomass fuel.
- Renewable fuel cooperative association formed and functioning
- Fuel wood usage decreased by 20% per year
Biomass fuel has significant advantages that adds to calls to take it more seriously in national and local energy planning. It is locally accessible in even the poorest nations and communities and its development can help alleviate poverty and foster community fuel security.
Air pollution from traditional cooking fuels will be greatly reduced with new biomas briquettes technology
