San Salvador is the capital city of El Salvador. The city is located in the Boquerón Volcano Valley, a region of high seismic activity. El Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America with a population of approximately 6.29 million people. The yellow flowering deciduous tree is well known as Tabebuia aurea.

Charcoal is the solid residue remaining when wood is "carbonised " or "pyrolysed" . PUM Netherlands Senior Experts received a request for advice for a Charcoal Company to guide them in the improvement of the productivity and quality of their charcoal. Especially a production system that produces charcoal consistently all year around. Their specialisation is distribution of high quality hardwood lump charcoal.

The kilns include wood neatly and tightly stacked on the ground and a layer of green material, including grass is placed over the stack. The pile is then covered fully with soil thick enough to prevent air entry into the wood. An Earth kiln in El Salvador is made up to 48 m3 of wood and can produce 7,000-8,000lbs in 15-20 days. Sometimes there is not enough soil to cover the whole stack. Therefore special earth has to be bought.

The traditional kiln method of charcoal making is not economically feasible for large-scale production. This is due to the inefficiency of the method, labour and environmental considerations and the inconsistent quality of the charcoal produced.

TPI metal furnace (FAO model) The oven consists of two cylindrical sections that fit and a conical cap. The lid is provided with four output ports for steam, regularly spaced apart, which can be locked, if required, with plugs. The furnace is supported on eight inlet / outlet air racially arranged around the base. During combustion, four chimneys for smoke ducts are fitted on alternate air. The kiln holds 11.4 m3 of wood and produces about between 1,200 to 1,500 LB of charcoal after 7-10 days.

These brick kilns are an adaption of the Brazilian Colmena Kiln. The firm constructed various sizes, trying to find the best result. With a diameter of 2 meters it can contain 6 m3 wood which produce 750 lbs charcoal. With a diameter of 2,5 meters it contains 12 m3 of wood and produces 1.650 lbs of charcoal. With a diameter of 3 meter- 20 m3 of wood produce 2,500 lbs of wood. The approximate time of burn is 15-20 days.

Wood supply is, in the long run, the most fundamental aspect in charcoal-making. Often this fundamental point is ignored or glossed over. Therefore the guiding rule in wood harvesting is to keep the transport distance from stump to carbonization point as short as possible.

Salva Natura is a regionally nonprofit organization which focuses on the field of environmental conservation. In El Salvador they have today 389 certified farms, which translate into an area of 15.000 hectare. The total area around the charcoal firm of all the coffee plantations together is about 180.000 hectares. Coffee plantations are sheltered from direct sun by large trees. Very often the fast growing species of Tabebuia Donnel-smithii is used. The company wants to buy the wood from the farmers that harvest and prune these trees.

Currently the company export only to their subsidiary in the USA. There they sell all the charcoal to restaurants and supermarkets in different presentations. Still there is a large demand of charcoal in El Salvador, for the small and local restaurants beside the roads. Local charcoal burners provide these markets.

El Salvador - San Salvador.