“…Europe is seeking to generate 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources in 2020, and converting Brazilian wood into easily transportable pellets may help the region reach it’s goal,…
“Demand in Europe for biomass is very big. Many old coal-fired thermoelectric plants are making the decision to co-fire with biomass to extend their lives, principally in England.”
So, why can’t African nations do the same?
A study presented at the June symposium on charcoal organized in Arusha, Tanzania, finds that,
1. At current rates, no high value timber will be left in Tanzania’s coastal forest in 37 years.
2. The Tanzanian government lost $53 million USD in 2005. This is due to the fact that 96% of the timber harvest was undeclared.
3. China imports 10 times more timber from Tanzania that total declared imports.
Dar es Salaam consumes the equivalent of 16 olympic pools in charcoal every day. This figure is increasing daily as rural populations migrate to urban centers. At $350 million per year, charcoal is big business, too.
This great video produced by the World Bank last year (2010) lays out the issue in a way that is well-documented and visually compelling.
A donor asks: “… how much change do people have to go through, to benefit from TCP’s stated goals?”
The charcoal industry has great potential to contribute to rural development because production utilizes locally available and potentially renewable resources.
The charcoal industry can generate employment and local income in both rural and urban areas.
— Dr. Emmanuel Chidumayo, Zambia.