Closing the Loop: Clean Energy Charcoal Briquettes

For millions of people in Liberia and across West Africa, charcoal is the primary cooking fuel. But traditional wood charcoal production is a major driver of deforestation, requiring 12 kg of wood to produce just 1 kg of charcoal. This process not only strips forests but also releases massive amounts of carbon emissions, worsening climate change. Meanwhile, indoor air pollution from inefficient charcoal stoves leads to serious health issues, disproportionately affecting women and children.

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At J-Palm Liberia, we saw an opportunity to turn waste into a climate solution. By transforming discarded palm kernel shells—a byproduct of our palm kernel oil processing—into SuperCoal, we created the only commercially viable alternative to wood charcoal. Unlike expensive alternatives like LPG, which remain out of reach for most households, SuperCoal is cost-competitive with wood charcoal while offering superior performance:

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• Higher calorific value, meaning more heat per unit

• Longer burn time, requiring less fuel for cooking

• Reduced smoke and indoor air pollution, improving health outcomes

By replacing wood charcoal, SuperCoal directly combats deforestation while offering families a cleaner, more efficient cooking fuel.

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Scaling Impact Through Clean Cookstoves & Carbon Removal

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SuperCoal is just the beginning. In 2026, we will launch a clean cookstoves initiative designed to maximize efficiency and further reduce emissions. These cookstoves will serve as the foundation for a Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) initiative, where we generate verified carbon credits based on the emissions reductions from transitioning households away from wood charcoal.

Our carbon removal targets:

• 2 years: Prevent 50,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions

• 5 years: Scale to 200,000 metric tons of CO₂ removed

• 10 years: Achieve over 1 million metric tons of CO₂ reductions

Income from carbon trading will solidify our impact and accelerate our scale-up, allowing us to expand into more communities, further increase incomes for rural processors, and continue innovating sustainable solutions.

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By closing the loop—from sustainable palm oil to clean energy—J-Palm Liberia is proving that business can drive economic empowerment, environmental restoration, and scalable climate solutions all at once.

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