Charcoal Consultancy

Children learning about charcoal in classroom

Practising sustainable forestry means managing our forests in a way that meets our needs at present but that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Opening up the woodland floor is vital to the health of our woodlands and the increased sunlight allows flowers, birds and butterflies to flourish.

Consultantcy Services

Local Charcoal Market Valuation and Appraisal
Education of various forms/ Technologies of Charcoal Production
Full Tuition on Charcoal Production using the mobile ring kiln method

We offer the following consultancy services both in the UK and overseas;

Economics of Charcoal Production including diversification potential
Factors Effecting the Establishment of a Successful Charcoal Business

Please contact Jim Bettle for more details.

Making Overseas Charcoal Production more Sustainable Through Improved Technology

Charcoal's Role in Energy & Economy

Charcoal remains a crucial energy source, especially in Africa and parts of Asia and Latin America
It supports millions of livelihoods but contributes to deforestation, carbon emissions, and land degradation.

Environmental Challenges

Unsustainable charcoal production leads to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change due to high carbon emissions.
Traditional production methods are inefficient, with large amounts of wood lost in conversion.
Sustainable Solutions & Transition Strategies
Improved kilns and modern carbonisation technologies can significantly reduce emissions.
Sustainable forest management ensures wood harvesting is controlled and replenished.

The Charcoal Transition: Greening the Charcoal Value Chain to Mitigate Climate Change and Improve Local Livelihoods is a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2017

This report argues that a transition to sustainable charcoal production is possible and necessary. By adopting better policies, improved technology, and sustainable forestry practices, charcoal can remain a viable energy source without harming the environment.

Jim Bettle of The Dorset Charcoal Company has been producing charcoal sustainably in the UK for 30 years. He has mastered the mobile steel ring kiln production method, a low investment, high yield technology needed by many charcoal producers worldwide.

From kiln design and construction, through efficient production practices, market analysis, mitigation of fire risk and experience of potential problems and issues, Jim has extensive knowledge.

Having delivered training projects in Mongolia (2017/18) and Georgia (2023) for GIZ and the Czech Development Agency respectively Jim is keen for other agencies to be aware of his skills in light of future overseas projects attempting to “Green the Charcoal Chain”.

Modernising charcoal production is key to reducing emissions, improving efficiency, and making the industry sustainable. With better technology and proper training, charcoal production can become a cleaner, more viable energy source while protecting forests.

Teaching Forest Management in Czech Republic

In 2023 Jim Bettle was contracted by Forest Management Institute, Czech Republic to deliver charcoal training in Georgia.

For more details on the project please watch the video below. Charcoal features around 20.5 minutes into the film.

Teaching Charcoal Production in Mongolia

GIZ Mission 1 & 2 Background:

Jim was contracted in 2016 and 2017 by GIZ GmbH from Germany to deliver charcoal training and consultancy for Biodiversity and Adaptation of Key Forest Ecosystems to Climate Change in Mongolia.

The programme “Biodiversity and Adaptation of Key Forest Ecosystems to Climate Change II“ (2015-2018) implemented by the GIZ is aiming to contribute in the conservation of biodiversity through protection and sustainable management of selected ecologically significant areas of Mongolia considering climate change whilst improving the living conditions of the rural population.

The programme’s partner Vocational Training and production Centres (VTPCs) are in a position to carry out a demand-driven forestry vocational education and training through improved curricula and practical teaching methods in close cooperation with private forest enterprises.

VTPCs provide long and short-term trainings in forestry trade to high school graduates, adult learners and forest user group members.

Forests provide a wide range of benefits at the local, national and global levels. Mongolia is distinct in terms of the type of forest resources and utilisation patterns, which vary by ecological zone and socio-cultural area.

Given this situation, there is a need for the forestry sector, in particular and rural households generally to benefit from the utilisation of non-timber forest products.

For instance, in Mongolia most of the purchased charcoal is produced abroad while the country has rich sources for making quality charcoal, which could well substitute the imported products.

This assignment is related to the achievement of Output C of the programme and in collaboration with an expert, it aims to equip the VTPC trainers with a proven technology and techniques for producing charcoal, understanding charcoal value chain, acquiring marketing skills and utilisation methods that the trainers could transfer their knowledge and skills to the learners.

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Yurt in Mongolia with mountains in the distance

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Mongolian students inspecting a stack of birch logs

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VW Campervan in evening sunshine in Mongolia

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Yurt in Mongolia with mountains in the distance

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Mission 3 background:

Mongolia’s forests with its distinct types of forest resources and utilisation patterns provide a wide range of benefits at local, national and global levels.

In order to improve the living conditions of the local forest communities through the use of technical skill trainings and pilot technical approaches as well as to improve the access of forest user groups and marginalised households to income-generating activities, which build climate resilience of the forest ecosystems, there is a need in forestry sector to benefit from the utilisation of non-timber forest products, such as pine nuts, fuel wood, birch charcoal among others.

Given the situation, in 2016 the Programme has initiated the production of high quality fuel wood and charcoal from birch wood, through the training of trainers by the international expert in charcoal making techniques and production.

Two subsequent missions were implemented at the school forest with the GIZ’s partner Vocational Training and Production Centres (VTPCs) in cooperation with private forest enterprise.

These trainings as well as the follow up short-trainings conducted later on by the local trainers proven to be productive and well-sought by the VTPC s learners, adult learners-forest workers and forest user group members. In the meantime, the value chain analyses for charcoal was done by the ECO Consult Sepp & Busacker Partnership in December 2016 and charcoal burning records were taken during the trainings.

This assignment is related to the achievement of Output C of the programme and in collaboration with the international expert and the FAOMN project, it aims to upscale the Charcoal making training and production to equip the VTPC trainers, officials of the Forest Units, workers of FE’s and FUG members with the theoretical and practical knowledge of the techniques for producing charcoal, understanding charcoal value chains and acquire marketing skills and utilisation methods.

The objectives of the assignment:

To implement a Fact-finding mission and elaborate a Plan on charcoal production in local conditions and a plan on construction of an iron charcoal kiln with the local counterparts
To train 12 trainers of partner VTPCs in Charcoal production (use of charcoal kilns, OHS issues, charcoal making techniques and some entrepreneurial skills) in collaboration with the counterparts

Develop guidelines for making charcoal kiln and charcoal production techniques
To elaborate handouts for the trainings
The training is a short-term training with two-week durations and aim to be more practical than theoretical to equip learners with skills for charcoal making in the field and to support the counterparts to produce non-timber forest products, in this case, charcoal.

GIZ Mission 3 - Objectives of the Assignment

To conduct theoretical sessions blended with practices for 18 trainers from partner VTPCs, Forest companies and Forest Units, FUG members in Charcoal making and production (design and use of charcoal kilns, OHS issues, charcoal making techniques and entrepreneurial skills e.g. value chain, marketing etc.).
To conduct short-term skills trainings in Charcoal making and production for 9 FUG members
To elaborate a short–term charcoal making skills training module and handouts for the trainings

The trainings are short-term trainings with 5 days duration each, organised in three sessions over three weeks and it aims to be theoretical with practical applications, to equip learners with sufficient theoretical knowledge and practical skills for charcoal making in the field and to support the counterparts to produce birch charcoal.

Please contact Jim Bettle for more details.