This project aims to promote a local supply of domestic energy by offering charcoal made from the Typha plant as a sustainable alternative to charcoal, through the establishment of local artisanal and industrial production units in the south of Trarza in Mauritania. .

Typha australis (cattail, cattail) is a local plant that became invasive after the construction of the Diama anti-salt dam in 1986. Typha reduces the areas of agricultural and fish production and promotes the development of water-borne diseases. The project aims to make this plant, available in large quantities in the lower delta of the Senegal River, a local energy resource in order to limit its invasion in strategic areas for the populations and to reduce the production of charcoal from non-forested forests. managed from the region. The production of charcoal from Typha will generate economic activity and jobs in the villages affected by Typha which will be equipped with production units managed by village artisans.

In partnership with the Higher Institute of Technological Education of Rosso (ISET) and Diawling National Park (PND), GRET is working on the development of a production process and a product adapted to the local context, the establishment of the local charcoal production sector and support for the marketing of the product in its production area and in Nouakchott.

The latest information on the project

• Sale of Typha charcoal in Nouakchott
• Typha charcoal production in the first pilot unit of Garack: https://gret.org/2013/04/mauritanie-une-tonne-de-charbon-de-typha-pour-la-premiere-unite-de -production/
• GRET and access to energy in Mauritania: https://gret.org/2012/03/favoriser-lacces-a-lenergie-en-mauritanie/
• Two GRET partners recognized as “African innovators”: https://gret.org/2013/12/forum-afrique-2-partenaires-du-gret-parmi-les-21-innovateurs/

Babana Mohamed Lemine from the Mauritanian Institute Iset de Rosso, was selected among the 21 winning African innovators out of more than 800 applications as part of the “Africa Forum – 100 innovations for sustainable development” initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He presented the “Typha coal” innovation carried out in partnership with GRET, in Paris, on December 5, 2013, ahead of the Elysée summit for Peace and Security in Africa.

Read Babana’s interview: https://gret.org/2013/12/3-questions-a-babana-mohamed-lemine-de-liset-de-rosso-selectionne-pour-le-forum-afrique -in France/

See the video:

Expected results:

• Update the technical and economic feasibility studies of the sector
• Identify, structure and train the groups of inhabitants who will participate in the weeding and charring of the typha
• Commission 20 artisanal units and one industrial charcoal production of typha, according to management methods adapted to the context of the production zones (associative, community, private)
• Set up an applied research program to improve typha charcoal
• Optimize the production process and monitor the quality of production
• Carry out a market study on typha charcoal
• Develop a marketing strategy
• Organize awareness campaigns on the benefits of typha charcoal (in production villages, Rosso, Nouakchott)
• Facilitate the marketing of typha charcoal
• Produce recommendations for the use of typha charcoal
• Produce a technical guide on the production of typha charcoal
• Capitalize and disseminate the lessons learned from the project