[Gasification] brush to charcoal

[Joshua Bogart]

Hello

I have been an observer on this list for a while, I don't think I have ever
sent a message. I am a biologist who works with Agroforestry, and would like
some opinions on a potential project.
I am working with a couple of groups in Honduras who own medium to large
tracts of land (30-1,000 acres) which are covered with chaparal (lowland,
secondary forests dominated by species in the generas *Prosopis, Mimosa*,
and *Acacia*) This land is of relatively low quality for agriculture in the
past was used as pasture land but even of low quality for that. We are
currently looking at the potential for firewood harvests through thinning of
multiple stems and rotational cutting. Depending on the quality of
th site we are assuming that we can get a harvest of aprox. 20 tons per acre
on a 10 year cutting scheme, so on the smallest tract we should be able to
harvest 60 tons per year, This is all small diameter wood  <5 inches.

There is a local market for this firewood and at least in the smaller tracts
we would be able to sell as dry firewood, but I am looking into the
possibility of converting to charcoal which would increase the value and
lower the costs of transportation, if it would be possible to produce energy
for local use all the better. How difficult would it be to design a system
that would 1) work on this type of material, 2) provide
an efficient charcoal production, 3) provide some energy for local use?

-- 
Joshua D Bogart
Program Coordinator
Trees for the Future
Siguatepeque HN
Barrio Macaruya, Calle, 21 de Agosto
cellular (504) 9696-3700
home/casa 740-1060
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