Wood fuel boiler on market

Oct 09, 2001

WITH only 10 pieces of firewood, one can cook enough beans for a whole school. This is possible with a new type of boiler, designed for cooking in schools, institutions and public functions.

By Charity Kalebbo WITH only 10 pieces of firewood, one can cook enough beans for a whole school. This is possible with a new type of boiler, designed for cooking in schools, institutions and public functions. The boiler was invented in Kenya and is now being promoted in Uganda by the Renewable Energy Development Centre, with the assistance of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Mark Ejangu, the operations manager of the Renewable Energy Development Centre, says the new technology not only makes cooking cheaper and quicker, but also saves the environment by reducing the demand for wood fuel. He says the inventors borrowed the idea from the electric boiler. “They wanted to develop something similar that does not use electricity,” Ejangu says. Ejangu said the boiler was developed because electricity was expensive and few people would afford it. “For instance in Uganda, only 4% of the households have electricity. Electric boilers are costly. With the increased power tariffs, the wood boiler is the ultimate solution. We want something similar to the electric boiler but which uses the fuel that is available here,” says Ejangu. He says if a school or household has piped water, they can also use this boiler to provide hot water in their taps. Different pans which can hold between 50 to 600 litres of water can be fitted in the boiler. The boiler is made of stainless steel and looks like the electric boiler that most institutions use. Some of its parts are made of cast iron. The inside is built with bricks, cement and vermiculite, which materials minimise heat loss and keep the energy produced by the firewood, unlike traditional cooking hearths that allow most of the heat to escape into the environment. The temperature in the boiler can reach 1000ºC which is 10 times the temperature of boiling water. This explains why it cooks at a fast rate. The boiler has the ability to cook food and boil piped water at the same time. To enable it boil piped water, a rectangular element is placed beside the pan. The element has two openings. The lower one that lets in cold water and the upper one that releases hot water. The released hot water then flows into a storage tank, which may be insulated. The 50-litre boiler costs sh800,000 while the one with a capacity of 600 litres costs sh2m. The costs include installation since the boilers have to be built into your home or institution. The boiler can be constructed in a day. The boiler with the heating element, ranges between sh2.8m and sh3.4m. Ejangu says the centre has so far constructed seven boilers and would soon begin marketing them since most people do not know that the technology exists. The centre also plans to train local artisans on constructing the boilers. The Development Centre can be reached on Telephone number 285679 or e-mail Arthur @ infocom.co.ug. Mutesa II Road, Ntinda, Kampala. Tel. 285679 or email Plot76/78 ends

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