Organic Waste to Clean Energy: Briquette Du Kivu as a Model for Valorising Urban Waste into Charcoal in the DR Congo

Briquette du Kivu (BdK) is a social enterprise operating in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region facing persistent food insecurity and environmental degradation linked to prolonged conflict. To reduce dependence on wood-derived cooking fuels and associated deforestation, estimated at approximately 300 hectares of forest lost annually, BdK produces clean-burning charcoal briquettes from locally available organic waste. Because food waste cannot be directly carbonized due to its high moisture content, BdK’s process first employs black soldier fly larvae (BSFL, Hermetia illucens; Diptera: Stratiomyidae) to bio-convert organic substrates into a stabilized residue (frass) while substantially reducing substrate volume. The resulting frass is then carbonized in specialized kilns, mixed with a clay binder, extruded into long cylinders and then sun-dried to produce the final fuel product. In addition to providing a renewable cooking fuel, the system generates protein-rich insect larvae that are sold locally as livestock feed, while a portion of the frass is used as fertilizer in BdK’s fruit tree nursery. The nursery supplies grafted trees to regional households, contributing to food production and supplemental income generation. By integrating waste management, insect bioconversion and fuel production, BdK’s model demonstrates how small-scale circular bioeconomy systems can simultaneously address waste accumulation, energy access and livelihood development in conflict-affected regions.