Ponaa Briquettes

Recycles biomass waste into smokeless briquettes for cooking
2019 SEED Low Carbon Awards; IKI BMU
Clean Energy
Tamale
Ghana

The company recycles biomass waste into smokeless charcoal briquettes for cooking that becomes an alternative to the environmentally damaging fuel commonly used in Ghana. The briquettes are produced in a healthy and eco-friendly environment by women employees who are trained in the production and sales of the products.

Ponaa Briquettes also distributes improved cookstoves to customers which complement the clean-burning qualities of the briquettes, thus providing a complete household cooking environment, saving lives, money and time.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts
Ponaa Briquettes provides a clean and affordable fuel alternative for households and commercial establishments. Environmentally, the use of their briquettes reduce the equivalent of 2,700 tonns of CO2 per year as users no longer rely on wood charcoal.
  • Providing a cheaper and cleaner source of fuel for households and commercial establishments.
  • Lowering the household expenses of Ghanaians and reducing respiratory-related health problems.
  • Benefitting 4,000+ households and 20,000+ lives through the distribution of briquettes and cookstoves.
  • Replacing 90% of charcoal use with briquettes, saving 47,000 hectares of trees per year.
  • Reducing the equivalent of 2,700 tonnes of CO2 per year.




  • Creating employment for 90+ skilled, semi-skilled and un-skilled workers in the production chain.
  • Providing additional income for raw material suppliers (e.g. female farmers).
  • Training over 50 agri-entrepreneurs in biomass procurement and preliminary processing.

Partners

Ponaa Briquettes recycles biomass waste such as rice husks into smokeless briquettes for cooking, providing an alternative to the environmentally damaging charcoal commonly used for cooking in Ghana. They also distribute improved cook stoves to complement the briquettes.

National Entrepreneurship Innovation Programme (NEIP) is a government organisation that provides entrepreneurship training and seed capital to grow the business.

Together for Development is a waste management company that supplies the raw materials for briquettes.


Enpact e.V. offers support through its Mentoring programme in the area of product production and mass-market access.

Ghana Climate Innovation Centre provides the enterprise with cutting-edge insights, financing, technical and advisory support.