An engineer in Africa has discovered a brilliant way to transform organic waste into environmentally friendly charcoal.
Steve Djeutchou — a certified engineer in renewable energies in Yaoundé, Cameroon — developed a way to turn everyday waste into "biochar." Mongabay News published a YouTube video and article detailing this important work.
Biochar is an ecological charcoal. Djeutchou has figured out how to make it out of things like banana peels. Unlike most charcoal, his biochar doesn't require deforestation.
Cameroon has a vast forest, but it's getting smaller. Between 2002 and 2020, over 700,000 hectares of the forest have been destroyed. And it's for the sake of getting charcoal. Djeutchou's biochar process could be the key to saving this land from further deforestation.
Furthermore, burning biochar doesn't create the harmful pollution that most charcoal does. Pollution from burning charcoal reduces air quality, harms human health, and substantially contributes to global pollution. Djeutchou's biochar doesn't have this detrimental impact.Â
Lastly, this biochar production also offers a solution to large amounts of organic waste. Rather than taking up valuable space, this compost can be put to good use.
The African country of Cameroon produces a staggering 356,000 tons of charcoal annually, according to FairPlanet. Currently, Djeutchou can only produce about 36 tons of biochar a year. It isn't making a dent in Cameroon's charcoal production yet, but it certainly has the potential to.
Djeutchou's network of organic waste suppliers can collect around 40 metric tons daily. But he needs more to counteract the massive charcoal production in his area.
One comment on Mongabay's article highlights the remarkability of Djeutchou's work. They said, "Amazing story of creativity and solving several different issues at the same time. Elimination of rotting biomass, creating a renewable heat source and employing people."
And biochar is not the only way Djeutchou is improving his community. He also runs a training school, STEMA Academy, specializing in renewable energy.
Horlane Vidany, one of the STEMA students, explains how these skills and knowledge can help her improve her community. She believes these renewable solutions are "very important for the future." And Djeutchou's work can create a better future for this community and the world.
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