Cebu’s fuel briquette and rocket stove

Rising prices of petroleum based cooking gas  inspired a Cebu-based company to develop indigenous fuel that is as cheap as it is efficient and a lot cleaner.

Iconium Essential Product calls this product “fuel briquettes.”

It is made of organic materials abundant in backyards like leaves, twigs, rice husk and straw, corn cob, sawdust and even shredded paper.

They bundle this cheap and environment friendly fuel with a custom-made stove they call “Rocket Stove.”

Unlike ordinary charcoal, fuel briquettes produce a more heat intensive blue fire rather than ember. As an efficient fuel, it also emits less smoke.

A four inch diameter and one inch thick cylindrical fuel briquette is enough to cook rice said Amy Ouano, chairperson of Iconium.

Compared to ordinary charcoal that cost around P7 per kilo, fuel briquette’s suggested retail price is P2 per kilo.

The rocket stove is well-within the price range of single burner liquified petroleum gas (LPG)-fed or electric powered stove at P600 – P700 per unit.

“We were searching for an alternative method for cooking. LPG is very expensive,” she said.

She added that although there are many known alternatives to LPG and charcoal, “we thought we needed to develop our own product from indigenoues raw materials.”

Thus they hatched the idea of  ‘fuel briquettes’ bundled with rocket stove,” Ouano told Cebu Daily News.

How it’s done

Green raw materials like leaves and grass are moistened and left to partially decompose for several days.

These are then dried and pounded or chopped into small pieces about the size of cornflakes.

They are soaked, mixed in a slurry and pressed with a fuel briquette press into a 4 inch (10 cm) diameter cake with a 1” (2.5cm) center hole.

The briquettes are dried in the sun for 3-5 days and then it’s ready for anybody’s next meal in the making.

Eco friendly

In terms of heat-producing properties, “fuel briquette” is efficient, Ouano said.

“Unlike ordinary charcoal which produces embers and produce noxious smoke, our ‘fuel briquette’ produces fire and emits less smoke or that global warming carbon gases,” Ouano said.

She told Cebu Daily News that smoke from charcoal also poses health risk as an air pollutant.

Ouano said Cebu Vice. Gov. Agnes Magpale was impressed with Iconium’s product when it was exhibited during a Women’s Month event at the Cebu International Convention Center last month.

She said she asked Iconium to conduct livelihood seminars and workshops to women organization across the province. /Carmel Loise Matus, Correspondent