Namibia. Revised Report On The Potential For Charcoal Production in Omaruru, Namibia (20648.en)
Namibia. Revised Report On The Potential For Charcoal Production in Omaruru, Namibia (20648.en)
Namibia. Revised Report On The Potential For Charcoal Production in Omaruru, Namibia (20648.en)
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REVISED REPORT ON
PROJECT : XP/NAM/93/075
UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION
1 Introduction
3 Availability of Charcoal
5 Choice of technology
6 Production
7 Capital Funding
8 Production Costs
9 The Market
10 Conclusions
11 Recommendations
1
1 IN'l'RODUCTIOH
3 AVAILABILITY OF CHARCOAL
3 .1 General
At present there are between 35 and 40 small producers in
3
Installed capacity:
Actual output:
OMARURU 10 KM 20 KM 30 KM 40 KM 50 KM
@ 50% farmer
participation = 16 years supply
@ 50% farmer
participation = 24 years supply
Raw Material
Unlike other charcoal producing are~s, the bush is spread
relatively 'thinly' here, causing transport of wood to
become a major cost and thus favouring decentralised
production.
Labour
Profit margins are such that only the lowest paid labour
can be used. These are less likely to be dissatisfied if
employed in the rural farming atmosphere of low wages, than
in a "factory" se~up where better conditions are expected.
Management
While co-ordination of producers wi 11 require a sound
management and administrative structure, day to day
9
Cost
As benefits derived from economies of scale are restricted
by item 1 above, small producers with small overheads are
able to produce at lower costs than large scale producers.
Quality control
PRODUCERS
5 CHOICE OF TECHNOLOGY
5.1 General
The technology presently used by most farmers is extremely
wasteful. A substantial increase in efficiency can be made
if they use the right type of technology. Theoretically,
a recovery rate of 33% of charcoal with a fixed carbon
content (FC) of ± 85% can be achieved. In practice this
should be about a 25% recovery rate with a FC of 80%·-82%.
This means that producers will have much lower production
costs per ton of charcoal and a higher market price. The
industrial market bases the price on quality, ie. the fixed
carbon content (FC) of the charcoal, percentage of
volatiles and percentage of ash. A high ash content of
between 6%-8% seems characteristic of the bush species of
Namibia. A high ash content of charcoal is unacceptable to
some industries.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Advantages:
monitored
High lumps ratio, 80% +20mm
Disadvantages:
High cost RSO ooo
Complicated operation
No by products recovered
Pollution
Batch system
Not mobile
Output: 1 - 3 ton/day
Advantages:
Quality can be controlled - temperature is monitored
High lumps ratio, 90% + 20mm claimed
High yield - 30% + claimed
By products can be recovered
Non polluting operation
Can easily be re-positioned
Disadvantages:
High cost R40 000 - est
Complicated operation
Engine driven fan
Batch system
5.4.2 Discussion
Of the three systems in usH, the pipe k i 1n seems on
19
5.5 su-ary
It is clear that mobile plants will have to be employed in
charcoal production of any scale in Namibia. This is due
to the thinly spread ava i labi 1 i ty of raw material. The
decision to invest in low cost/low yield plants or higher
cost/higher yield plants, i~ governed by the availability
20
6 PRODUCTION
6.1 General
The 15 000 tpa charcoal required by the ferrosilicon plant,
can be produced by Namibian Metals itself, or by
subcontracting to various interested farmers. The concept
would be to have mobile production units, and as the veld
is cleared of noxious bush, the harvesting and the plant
moves on to other regions.
6.2.3 Packaging
The production scheduled for export will be packed in
25 kg paper bags. Production scheduled for the
ferrosilicon plant will be trucked in bulk.
repair people.
6.4 Quality
While quality is not a major factor in the existing local
and export barbecue markets, most of the charcoal produced
in the country is regularly tested. Typical results are as
follows:
Typical Range
Value
Fixed carbon content 78% 70% - 86%
Volatiles 14% 10% - 20%
Ash 7% 3% - 10%
Moisture content 2% 1% - 5%
Moi::;ture % 2,72
23
Volatiles = 14,09
Fixed Carbon = 81,60
Ash = 4,31
Triability Test
Ash Analysis % in
Production Co-operative
Unit total
Wood required per month 333 tons 4330 tons
Production breakdown:
- IJumps + 20 mm 90 tons 1170 tons
- Fines 10-20 mm 4 tons 52 tons
- Fines -10 mm () tons 78 tons
7 CAPITAi, YUNDING
24
8 PRODUCTION COSTS
CAPI'rAL OUTLAY
Price Amount
N$ N$
25
TOTAL 70 000
OPERATING COSTS
Labour:
1 ton (3 M3) p/man
p/day. ie monthly
earning N$250 15 75 3 750
Tools: 1 3 125
Wood Transport
Driver/Foreman: 1 5 250
Fuel 1 5 250
Maint.& Repair 3 15 750
Production:
$29 000
Ton/month/retort 100
No of retorts 1
Yield 30%
Lumps +20mm : 90%
Fines -20mm 10%
Fines -lOmm 6%
CAPITAL OU'ILAY
OPERATING COSTS
Labour:
1 ton (3 M3) p/man
p/day. ie monthly
earning N$250 15 50 5 000
Tools: 1 3 300
Wood Transport
Production:
96.66 9 666
$33 300
Less: Operating costs 12 000
Interest on loan 833
Capital repayment 2 615
9 THE MARKET
Due to various factors, they have now cut back to about 250
ton/mnth with a possibility of further cutbacks in the near
future.
Summary: Surplus/
(shortage)
ton p.a. ton p.a.
-1 622 **
Market TCL: Present 3 000
-4 978 **
Production Lumps +20mm (50%) 7 978
Market:
Barbecue Local & RSA (+20mm) 3 300
Export Western Europe 3 500
1 178 **
** Note: TCL buys unsifted charcoal from farmers who do
not export. The apparent surplus has thus
previously been taken up by them, balancing
supply and demand.
Export 11arket
• Advantages
Better price. (Can improve if Rand/N$ weakens)
Export advantages
Large potential - as yet not penetrated by local
producers
Disadvantages
Seasonal
Packaging required
Marketing - difficult and expensive
Cash flow problems
Sophisticated procedures - beyond the reach of small
producers
Advantages
Disadvantages
Price
No export advantages
Prices:
Export prices fetched in 1993 by Jumbo Charcoal of
Okahandja, amounts to:
N$550 pmt FOB Walvis Bay
Less:
10 CONCLUSIONS
11 RECOMMENDATIONS
May 1994
•rv-au.R.R94
35
A P P E N D I C E S
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~ ~ PR£SSun£ f?EL/Et=
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- CHFIRCOA£ our
EYC£SS VOlRTllES USED ro
Fu£L /:"IRE
METHOD
1 Wood loaded through top door
2 Fire is started and blower starts heating up system by blowing heated g~s
through the wood in a closed system
3 Once sufficient temperature is reached, excess volatiles from the wood are
used to fuel fire
4 Once the rquired temperature is reached, the system is stopped and allowed
to cool - Batch Process
bOUBLF WRLL
STEFL CONTRINEA
//OL .:!. 12 m 3
·.
WOOD CHRHBER
1£1'1/"EP.RTURE~ ;
1
GRUGE
DOOR
l'FR FOl?nn:.t>
5;T£LL FLOOP.
EJ
- FIRE" BOX
IJOOll
~~------------------__;L.
METHOD
I,
Wood is packed into wood camber
"
2 Fire is started in fire box
3 This heat~ up the wood, driving off moisture and volatiles
4 When the required temperature is reache~, all doors are closed to avoid
further combustion
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