Gulu University opens a briquette factory in Amuru

Jesse Johnson James

AMURU - Gulu University has opened a briquette factory, which it says has the capacity to produce over one tonne of briquettes in eight hours, in Amuru district.

Dubbed “Pabbo Living Laboratory”, the factory is being operated by a group of 27 youths under their association, Yele Ber Youth Group, under the close supervision, monitoring and guidance of experts from the Bio-systems Engineering Department of Gulu University.

The briquettes are made out of agricultural wastes including rice husks and groundnut shells using machines designed and assembled by the university.

The factory, which was officially launched on February 27, 2025, is located in Mission Cell, Pabbo town council.

Dr Collins Okello, the dean faculty of agriculture and environment at Gulu University, said the factory was established to unlock the potential of green charcoal innovations to mitigate climate change in northern Uganda (UPCHAIN Project), a multi-disciplinary Gulu University research project in the production and use of cleaner and greener energy.

Gulu University Deputy Vice Chancellor, Davy David Okello Owiny being gifted a pack of the briquettes by the youth. (Credit: Jesse Johnson James)

The project is being supported by Denmark, Aalborg University, the University of Copenhagen, the National Council for Higher Education, and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, among others.

“We started this project in 2022 with laboratory trials, engineering design of the machines and on December 15, 2024, we opened the factory,” Okello explained.

The briquettes (green charcoal) shall contribute to stopping deforestation, reducing smoke-induced health issues as well as creating local employment, according to Okello in an interview with our reporter, adding that, “these briquettes burn slowly and hotter than charcoal…the quality is almost like that of charcoal from shea nut trees.”

Peter Mwa Okot, a lecturer at BioSystems Engineer at Gulu University who is currently stationed at the factory revealed that the agricultural wastes undergo four stages to become briquettes.

They include the carbonisation stage where the wastes are burnt; the milling stage where the particles of the burnt wastes are reduced to desired density; a binding stage where cassava paste is added to the ground waste to bind it; and compression stage where the briquettes are finally made, according to Okot.

“Currently, we only have one carbonizing machine. For us to scale up our production, we need to install between five and 10 of them,” Okot said.

He revealed that the machines can produce one ton of briquettes in eight hours and that a kilogram costs shs1,000 only.

“Our briquettes are three times better than charcoal …and we have so far sold it to clients in South Sudan and Kenya. They all gave us positive feedback,” he said.

The youth weigh the briquettes before taking them to the market. (Credit: Jesse Johnson James)

More needs to be done

Francisco Abel Akena, the chairperson of Yele Ber Youth Group, said they still need more protective gear, a reliable water source, transport means for transporting the raw materials to the factory, and a better ventilation system, for better production.

“We are forced to fetch water from the neighbourhood, meaning if the person is not around, we suffer,” Akena said adding that, “at least a tri-cycle should be availed to us to transport the agricultural wastes to the factory and the briquettes to the market.”

Akena also added that the market for their briquettes is still limited since many people still prefer to cook using charcoal and firewood.

Amuru Resident District Commissioner Geoffrey Osborn Oceng hailed Gulu University for its solution-oriented approach in the fight against environmental injustice and promised to offer all the necessary support for the factory to thrive.

According to him, they are now going to totally ban the burning of charcoal in the district, since alternatives are now being made available.

Michael Lakony, the Amuru District Chairman, asked Gulu University and its partners in the project to set up similar factories in other parts of the district, and that the local leaders should popularize the use of briquettes to avoid the over-reliance on charcoal and firewood.

“If only the project is extended to other parts of the districts, it would sort out a lot of challenges including youth unemployment and deforestation,” Lakony appealed.

Prof. Davy David Okello Owiny, the Gulu University Deputy Vice Chancellor in–charge of Academic Affairs, said the establishment of the factory makes the true meaning of the university’s motto –For Community Transformation.