Improved and more environmentally friendly charcoal production system using a low-cost retort–kiln (Eco-charcoal)

Abstract

Research into a low-cost retort–kiln, used to produce charcoal from sustainably managed forests in a more environmentally friendly way (Eco-Charcoal), has been completed and pilot units have been built in India and East Africa. The unit is called ICPS (Improved Charcoal Production System). Importantly, it has a much higher efficiency rating than traditional earth-mound kilns, which have until now been the main means of domestic charcoal production in developing nations. The efficiency of traditional charcoal production methods is about 10%–22% (calculated on using oven-dry wood with 0% water content) while the efficiency of the ICPS is approximately 30%–42%. As compared with traditional carbonisation processes, the ICPS reduces emissions to the atmosphere by up to 75%. The ICPS works in two different phases. During the first phase the ICPS works like a traditional kiln; however, waste wood is burned in a separate fire box to dry the wood. During the second phase of operation the harmful volatiles are burned in a hot ‘fire chamber’ meaning all resulting emissions are cleaner, minus these already reduced volatiles. The heat gained by flaring the wood gazes, is used and recycled to accelerate the carbonisation process. Unlike traditional methods the ICPS can complete a carbonisation cycle within 12 h.