Project of the Year

Eco-friendly Briquettes Improve Quality of Life

Sept 2017

Green Bio Energy has produced and sold over 85,000 energy efficient cookstoves and 1,600 tonnes of eco-friendly briquettes

Green Bio Energy (GBE), a Ugandan Kampala-based business, develops and distributes cost-cutting, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly products under the “Briketi” umbrella brand. Their primary focus is the promotion of green energy through innovative and self-sustaining solutions. GBE aims to continuously improve the quality of life of the local population and to fight deforestation and climate change.

Under the Briketi name GBE produces energy efficient cookstoves and briquettes. The thermal efficiency of the cookstove is 25% so these stoves save up to 40% of the money usually spent on cooking fuel. The briquettes, which are eco-friendly and made of 100% locally recycled materials, burn twice as long as charcoal and save 40% of the money usually spent on cooking fuel.

GBE has developed an innovative method to bring its large-scale production to new regions. They call it PAMOJA, which means ‘together’ in Swahili. PAMOJA is an Integrated Management and Manufacturing Model that creates independent companies which manufacture and sell cookstoves and briquettes under the Briketi name. The objective of the PAMOJA system is to produce affordable and innovative products with a trained local workforce and locally available material.

An example of GBE’s social impact strategy is their Gender Value Action Plan. With this plan GBE aims to tackle prevalent gender issues affecting women in Uganda. As cooking is mainly done by women, they play the role of ‘managers of household energy’ and are clearly the main beneficiaries of GBE’s products and services.

Using these products and services, GBE aims to combat issues affecting them such as inequality at home, lack of financial empowerment, unhealthy livelihoods, dependency, and gender based violence. As part of the plan GBE has recruited 40 % women in the sales and marketing department of the company.

To date GBE has achieved 265,000 tons of CO2 emission reductions and has created permanent jobs for over 250 people. The Briketi products have affected the lives of 750,000 Ugandans and saved its users 6,000,000 USD. GBE will continue its expansion in Kampala and Mbale and forecasts a 25 % yearly growth in sales.

Visit Green Bio Energy’s website here >>