Note from the field: Cautions regarding charcoal
“Charcoal is made by heating wood or other biomass fuel inside a
relatively air-tight enclosure, such as an earth-covered pit in the
ground. The smoke escapes through holes in the covering and causes air
pollution. The wasted smoke is fuel that could have been used to cook
food. 70% to 80% of the energy in the wood is used to produce charcoal.
The charcoal that is produced retains the same shape of the original
wood but it is 1/5 of the weight, 1/2 of the volume, and 1/3 the
original content. Since so much energy is lost when making charcoal,
wood stoves have been found to be much more fuel efficient. Plus,
Charcoal is known to produce a lot of carbon monoxide.
Charcoal is well-suited for simmering, but is somewhat low-powered
for rapid boiling. It also has lower PM (particulate matter).”
submitted by Vahid Jahangiri, International Lifeline Fund, Darfur Sudan
General overview of energy options for cooking in refugee
situations focusing on three main areas: energy conservation, alternative
energy sources, and fuel provision. The handbook discusses improved stoves and
alternative fuels and case studies are presented to identify successes and
challenges of implementing particular interventions. Essentially a primer on
household energy, this report serves as an uncomplicated source of information
and general introduction to cooking energy in refugee settings.
