Macadamia Briquettes

Macadamia briquettes are blocks of compressed biomass material from macadamia shells. They are used for fuel in households for cooking, water heating, and space heating. In Kenya, people use firewood and charcoal for cooking. The prices of firewood and charcoal have been increasing drastically, making it less affordable for most users. Briquettes are a proven technology that provides a low-cost fuel for households that is locally made and an alternative to wood or charcoal. Fuel briquettes can also be used in institutions for large-scale cooking, and in industries for productive use.

Macadamia briquettes are made by pressing macadamia shells residues, or waste, to produce compact solid blocks of different sizes and shapes. They are made by applying pressure, heat, and binding agent to the loose materials to produce briquettes of different shapes and sizes. The size and shape can be designed to match the market needs. For household use, a high surface area will enhance burning and reduction in harmful gases and smoke. Fuel briquettes can be made manually or by machines.

Two types of fuel briquettes exist in the market;
Non-carbonized fuel briquettes. These are produced from waste materials that are not carbonized such as sawdust, and waste paper.
Carbonized fuel briquettes. These are made from waste materials that have undergone carbonization such as charcoal dust, or carbonizing non-carbonized briquettes.