In Rwanda, many households use charcoal for cooking, leading to health and environmental concerns. For example, deforestation for charcoal leads to climate change and environmental problems such as erosion, which affect local people. Cooking with pellets is cleaner, safer, faster and cheaper than traditional cooking methods.

Many Rwandan households cook using charcoal. This is not only harmful to health, but also expensive. The smoke causes indoor air pollution, posing serious health risks especially for women and children. Collecting firewood also takes a lot of time. Furthermore, the use of charcoal contributes to deforestation, which causes erosion and landslides with negative impacts on rural communities. In addition, the inefficient production and burning of charcoal lead to unnecessarily high CO₂ emissions: approximately 8 kilos of wood are needed to produce 1 kilo of charcoal. Pellets offer a much more efficient alternative; 1 kilo of pellets can be produced from around 1.5 kilos of sawdust. As a result, they are an affordable and more sustainable fuel.

Cooking with pellets in Rwanda has many benefits in terms of health, climate and environment, social aspects and the economy. Cooking with pellets is cleaner, faster and cheaper than with charcoal. In addition, raw materials for pellet production can be obtained from local sources. This stimulates the local economy and reduces dependence on imported energy solutions. The materials consist of substances such as wood or organic residues, creating a circular solution. In addition, many green jobs are created within the project’s value chain. Pellets provide opportunities for entrepreneurs, farmers and young graduates – especially women – to enter a new sector that offers opportunities in domestic and foreign trade.