As Zimbabwe prioritise the exploitation of renewable energy, environmentally smart technologies have the potential of improving the energy generation by the country as well as generating forex for the nation.
Currently, the Government is committed to give impetus to the implementation of renewable energy projects, which will go a long way towards the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number seven that seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
To unlock the potential in renewable energies, with a special focus on export markets, youth-led company in Mutare, Fuel Flip Technologies, has embraced the concept of green fuels and has started making charcoal briskets from timber waste (sawdust).
Fuel Flip Technologies Zimbabwe is a participant in the 2022 edition of the Eagles Nest, which is a ZimTrade-powered programme designed to harness the skills of the youths and inculcate export centric mind frame to these participants.
The programme, which is not in its second year, targets to inculcate an export culture among youth enterprises in Zimbabwe.
The development of the programme was premised on the understanding that meaningful trade and economic development require specific approaches to include marginalized groups, particularly young people.
One critical component of the Eagle’s Nest Programme is support to youth-owned business to reach export market, by promoting their products and services in foreign countries.
From these engagements, Fuel Flip Technologies aims to increase capacity, improve quality of their products, as well as improve production efficiencies.
According to Fuel Flip Technologies, sawdust charcoal has so many benefits such as high density, withstanding high temperatures, long burning time and smokeless.
Since the charcoal is made from waste it makes it to be less costly and affordable to the general populous.
Making charcoal from sawdust is a unique and innovative way of sawdust recycling by processing powdered wood chips which are regarded as waste that are scattered from the wood during wood processing.
Besides generating heating energy from industrial waste, the production of charcoal from sawdust also promotes forest conversation.
The charcoal briquette is an environmentally friendly product because it does not pollute the environment.
Charcoal is mainly used for cooking and barbecues in urban households and can also be used for industrial use.
