Inspector in-charge of Renewable Energy at the Energy Commission, Prosper Ahmed Amuquandoh, has revealed that the importation of charcoal into the Ghanaian market is on the rise.
According to Mr Amuquandoh, the rise is due to low quality of charcoal being produced locally.
“Some of the charcoal that is produced locally produces ash; it burns faster; it is not efficient and some of them, depending on the kind of tree that was used to produce the charcoal, produce sparks. For instance, if you use a shea nut tree to produce charcoal, you are most likely to have sparks.
“But the imported ones have been processed, are efficient and clean, do not produce ash or sparks and are packaged. These and other factors why people purchase the imported ones.”
According to him,
“Even though the market for the imported product is not huge, it is rising; and its existence is not because locals are not able to meet demand, but because some locals are not assuring the market of the quality needed.”
Mr. Amuquandoh, added that some local producers have started producing quality charcoal, not only to satisfy local demand but also for export and these locals are being policed by the Energy Commission to ensure that they follow the laid-down regulations for production and export of the commodity.
Charcoal Usage and Contribution to the Economy
Data from the Energy Commission shows that, Woodfuels account for more than 60 percent of total energy used in Ghana and it is the traditional energy source of Ghana. The bulk of the country’s primary energy supply comes from wood and 14-16 million tonnes of wood were consumed as fuel annually between 2000 and 2004.
Woodfuels provides the bulk of the energy needs for most informal enterprises such as bread-baking, processing of oil-palm, brewing of local drinks, tobacco curing, traditional textiles (tie and dye, batik), traditional soap making, fish smoking amongst others.
It is estimated to contribute about 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and indirectly supports the livelihood of over three million Ghanaians, mostly engaged in the informal, commercial and service sectors.
Woodfuel production involving fuel collection and charcoal burning is itself a source of income for the rural population. It has been estimated that more than 65 percent of the people engaged in the charcoal business are women.
According to research, the global wood charcoal market revenue amounted to US$24.2 billion in 2018, remaining relatively unchanged against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price).
The market value increased at an average annual rate of +2.6 percent from 2007 to 2018; the trend pattern indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Global wood charcoal consumption peaked in 2018, and is likely to continue its growth in the immediate term.
The countries with the highest volumes of wood charcoal consumption in 2018 were Brazil (5.5m tonnes), Ethiopia (4.4m tonnes) and Nigeria (4.2m tonnes). They together accounted for 28 per cent of global consumption. These countries are followed by India, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, China, Thailand, Madagascar, Egypt and Zambia, which together accounted for a further 33 per cent.
