Cambodia: Green fuel from coconut shells

(Baonghean) - Charcoal has long been the main source of fuel for millions of Cambodians. However, charcoal production has come at a high cost to the environment. Therefore, many environmental activists in the country have come up with an alternative green energy source to charcoal: fuel briquettes made from coconut shells.

Launched in early 2010, the non-profit company Sustainable Green Fuels in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh has been creating fuel briquettes from coconut shells. Indeed, the initiative has created jobs for many poor people. "At the same time, this project has solved many big problems in Cambodia," said the company's CEO. "Waste, including coconut shells, was thrown all over the streets, so we found a way to turn coconut shells into a fuel source that people could use and also create jobs for many people."

Coconut shell charcoal factory set up near a landfill in the capitalPhnom Penh. All the factory workers were former scavengers. So, for them, this project has brought a fairly stable life. The factory also cooperates with local coconut sellers to collect coconut shells. The fuel briquettes from coconut shells are more efficient than traditional charcoal, they can burn longer while being odorless and smokeless.

Green fuel from coconut husks can prevent a large amount of emissions into the atmosphere each year, along with preventing illegal logging for charcoal in many forests in this country, thus helping to preserve many of Cambodia's natural forests.

Nhat Hung (synthesis)