Over the past 50 years, Kenya has lost half of its total forest cover. Much of this loss has been driven by the fact that more than 65% of Kenya’s total primary energy supply comes from charcoal and firewood. A deficit of sustainable fuel supply is driving illegal timber harvesting and rampant deforestation across East Africa, where the demand for wood is expected to triple by 2050.
Vuma has developed a replacement for conventional firewood made from processed sugarcane waste. Through off-take agreements with two of the largest sugarcane mills in Kenya, Vuma is turning agricultural waste into sustainable energy products.
Sugarcane waste is filtered, dried, milled, and placed under high-pressure compaction to create briquettes and pellets that can be used as fuel for domestic and industrial consumers. Bagasse briquettes and pellets have a high calorific value, low ash content, low moisture content and are classified as carbon neutral by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The briquettes also burn longer and more cleanly than the traditional firewood alternative, which has important, positive health benefits for users.
A 5-year investment of US $500,000 in Vuma Biofuels will enable the company to expand its operations and open its second bagasse-to-briquettes processing plant, increasing its current capacity by two to three times.
Over the next five years, with the increased adoption of Vuma’s products displacing conventional firewood, Vuma’s products can save 1.2 million trees that will sequester 23,606 tons of CO2 and create 50 green jobs in rural communities in western Kenya.