Biomass-Powered Thermal Processing of Ethiopian Bamboo

Overview

Innovator	African Bamboo
Project	Biomass-Powered Thermal Processing of Bamboo
Collaborators	Heartland Global (USA)
Location Applied	Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, there are more than one million hectares of bamboo. Recognized as a fast-growing and largely sustainable raw material, there is an increasing global demand for bamboo as a wood substitute for a variety of construction and furnishing applications. However, bamboo resources are often poorly managed. Most in the industry have limited knowledge of modern value-added processing techniques, which limit their earning potential.

Clean Energy Solution

African Bamboo is developing an environmentally friendly bamboo thermal modification process called ThermoBoo. Through this chemical-free process, decay factors such as rot and insects are virtually eliminated, and the thermally-modified bamboo fiber can be further processed into sturdy panels that can be marketed to a range of domestic and international buyers. The ThermoBoo process involves the combustion of biomass dust - a technological approach that is completely new to Ethiopia. Through the project’s successful implementation of a pilot processing facility, African Bamboo envisions developing a replicable model that can lead to prospective business opportunities throughout the region.

Impact

The success of this project will lead to new opportunities for export, employment, and manufacturing in Ethiopia. In addition to its socio-economic impact, bamboo cultivation of native species plays a significant role in reforestation by stabilizing soil. African Bamboo uses environmental impact assessments to ensure the continued promotion of bamboo’s environmental benefits, and the minimization of the company’s ecological footprint.

Storage ©African Bamboo

Processing ©African Bamboo

Organization

African Bamboo is a forestry, wood, and bio-energy company located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, among Africa’s largest reserves of bamboo, African Bamboo develops innovative applications for bamboo, particularly for industrial and commercial uses. The company was established in 2012 as a subsidiary of Fortune Enterprise PLC which, since 1961, has been a manufacturer of wood and metal products in Addis Ababa.

Progress Update

The construction of the bamboo processing factory has been completed and it was inaugurated on July 11, 2016, within the world class Hawassa Industrial Park. African Bamboo has received three factory sheds of 5,500 square meters each. African Bamboo has signed agreements with a variety of suppliers to equip the factory and pre-order agreements with companies for the purchase of the products.

African Bamboo has already organized 2,239 smallholder farmers into 31 cooperatives for the sourcing of the bamboo raw material in Ethiopia’s administrative zones of Sidama and West Arsi and the farmers have received their first training in sustainable bamboo harvesting. On September 14, 2016, African Bamboo signed a frame public-private partnership memorandum of understanding with Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise for joint forest development and utilization.

Latest News

Khalid Duri, General Manager of African Bamboo, was featured in a news story produced by TV2 Africa. The story highlights the potential market for Ethiopian bamboo. African Bamboo is developing an innovative manufacturing process to turn Ethiopia’s plentiful bamboo into flooring.

Further Information

• Ethiopia Energy Situation
• Productive Use of Thermal Energy
• Website Powering Agriculture Homepage, Winners/ Innovators
  
• Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development
  
• Powering Agriculture Newsletters
  
• Website Heartland Global