Invasive water hyacinths could fuel PHL kitchens

Several start-ups in the Philippines are turning pesky invasive water lilies into an eco-friendly form of charcoal, fueling tens of millions of kitchens and reducing logging.

Also called water hyacinths, the aquatic plant often clogs up rivers and canals and can kill marine life by draining oxygen out of the water if left unchecked.

HiGi Energy, which started production in December 2015, is among the groups which have capitalized on the problem by converting the harvested water lilies into briquettes.

The plants are burnt in special metal drums fitted with exhaust pipes which reduce any smoke residue. They later add binding agents and mould the burnt lilies after it has cooled.

HiGi Energy Chief Finance Officer Hazel Pajotagana says water hyacinth briquettes produce 50 percent less smoke, making it cleaner than traditional solid fuels.

"Our main goal is to really provide the people with cleaner energy and at the same time by lessening the problem of the pest plant, water hyacinth, because here in the Philippines there are a lot of, say, ponds and rivers infested with water hyacinth," she told Reuters.

HiGi Energy sells their briquette packs for 60 pesos ($1.2 USD), about five times more expensive than regular charcoal, but claim it lasts longer and burns more efficiently.

They hope to sell their briquettes to businesses and lessen the use of regular charcoal which relies on logging trees.

"As long as there is a demand, it provides an incentive for people to keep on cutting down trees to make a new charcoal. So how we intercept is that we use something that is previously perceived as a pest, a waste, which is the water lily and make it of value, of a certain value to the Filipino which is the charcoal product," says Leon Kee, the group's energy officer.

Another group has been making water lily briquettes since 2012 and has provided an alternative livelihood to their members.

The Association of Persons with Disability in Taguig produces briquettes by mixing hyacinths with coconut husks, and burning them inside makeshift drums. It takes them days for a batch to be produced.

While they can only produce around 200 briquettes per day, they are happy they can contribute to the environment.

"Personally, I believe that whatever status you have in life, whether you have a disability or not, rich or poor, you have to take care of our Mother Earth," says Mario Galvez, the group's president.

A 2014 government study reported that more than half of the 100 million Filipino population use charcoal when cooking their meals. — Reuters