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Carbon Reducing Activities
at HPP Projects
Tree planting
Firewood saving stoves
Planting rows of vetiver grass
Conservation farming systems
Reducing deforestation and fires
Using jatropha as biofuel

Deforestation
accounts for 20%
of global warming.
It is therefore
necessary to show
farmers alternatives
to slash and
burn farming.
And promote tree
from which they
can generate
income.

Planting trees for firewood in Africa
1 tree stores over 15 years: 1.8 tons CO 2
1 tree in Africa per year: 0.1 tons CO 2
50 trees can supply a family with firewood

Thousands of
farmers in Zambia
have been
mobilised to plant
and let new Msangu
trees grow up in
their fields.
They enrich the
soils, and yields are
better under the
trees.

Zambians at DAPP
projects have built
thousands of these
stoves that save
more than 1/3 of the
firewood.
1 stove saves over 1
ton firewood/year
1 stove reduces
emissions with about
2 tons CO 2 /year

This Rocket Stove in Children’s Town,
Zambia, saves over 50% firewood

Contours of vetiver grass reduce loss of
nutrients and more water penetrates into
the soil. But they also store carbon since
they continue to grow for up to 50 years.

Root system of 2-
year old vetiver
grass in China.
It is estimated that
1 km of vetiver row
(8,000 plants)
stores 2 tons
CO 2 /year more than
what would occur
otherwise.

Conservation Farming, here in Zimbabwe,
not only preserves nutrients and water.
1 hectare annually stores ¼ to ½ t CO 2 .

Avoid bushfires. Farmers Clubs and other
HPP projects mobilise people only to use
controlled fires. 3-4 T CO 2 will then be
stored annually in trees, roots and soils.

Farmers are also sensitised to use permanent
fields instead of slash and burn farming.
This reduces labour, preserves biodiversity and
reduces emissions of CO2. Preventing burning
of forested land saves 100-200 T CO 2/ha

Community preserved areas, here in
Zambia, similarly store 3-4 T CO 2 /ha
annually by preventing fires and felling.

Many HPP projects promote jatropha trees
for local biofuel production from the seeds.
The oil is used in stationary engines and -
when production increases - for biodiesel.

The biofuel project
in Chibombo
District, Zambia,
has planted 83,000
jatropha trees.
HPPI have planted
over 200,000.
40,000 jatrophas in
Bilibiza, Moz. and
they will plant
300,000 this year.

Pressing oil from jatropha seeds
Jatropha seeds are pressed manually or
mechanically.
4 kg of seeds are needed to produce 1 l oil.

The dual fuel system
Plant oil does not run so easily as diesel. It is
therefore necessary to heat up the engine first
by running on diesel for at least 10 minutes.
To avoid deposits in filters and injectors, the
engine must run on diesel for 10 minutes before
stopping it.

Testing the use of plant oil in the first
version of the dual fuel system
Two grinding mills have run a total of 107
hours on cottonseed oil without problems.

Running a Zambian grinding mill on plant
oil. 10 mills have the extra tank and
switch, and will use locally made oil.

Delhi College of
Engineering conducts
512 hours endurance
test of jatropha in
dual fuel system at
varying loads.
Engine starts and
stops with diesel to
clean out filters and
injectors.

Testing the use of plant oil in the second
version of the dual fuel system
The oil is heated by the exhaust to make it
more like diesel in viscosity.

HPPI farmers checking an engine running
on jatropha oil. At 2 l fuel/hour, this saves
5 kg CO 2 per hour. About 5 tons CO 2 /year.

Jatropha oil can also
be used as lamp oil.
This oil is – unlike
the candles and
kerosene it replaces
– carbon neutral.
Carbon was stored in
the jatropha seeds
during the growth.
And is again released
to the atmosphere
when it is burned.

ADPP Moz. is importing solar torches.
For many, the USD 15, is less than ½
years expense for candles and kerosene.

ADPP Moz. has now
installed 3 wind rope
pumps – here in
Chimoio.
At about USD 800
they are still too
expensive for most
small farmers.
But they can be used,
where farmers can
get good prices for
their products.