Typha, an Invasive Reed as a Renewable Fuel and Eco-Material (TYCCAO)

Senegal and Mauritania, like most sub-Saharan African countries, face two major challenges: the need for energy to support development and climate change, to which they are particularly vulnerable.

In both Senegal and Mauritania (particularly in the border region), a wild plant with significant energy potential could help address these issues: typha. Utilizing typha would help control its spread in the Senegal River Basin, which currently poses concerns for public health, water supply security, and the preservation of biodiversity in the area.

The creation of a cross-border typha processing industry would contribute both raw material for energy production and insulating construction materials, offering a sustainable and integrated solution to regional energy and environmental challenges.

The TyCCAO project is organized around four main components:

1. Resource Knowledge and Management

To control the risks of invasive spread and ensure optimal methods of utilization, it is essential to deepen understanding of Typha australis’ ecological dynamics and to map its distribution in the environment. This contributes to the development of a typha resource management plan and to the structuring and long-term sustainability of its value chain.

2. Valorization of Typha as a Fuel

This component supports entrepreneurs in establishing three industrial units for converting typha into charcoal, and the creation of a center of expertise and training aimed at developing specific skills in alternative fuels.

3. Valorization of Typha as a Construction Material for Energy-Efficient Building

The project promotes the development of building materials made from typha, adapted to the needs of both new construction and renovation markets. It also supports public policy initiatives to encourage eco-construction practices at both local and national levels.

4. Training and Awareness-Raising

This essential step aims to disseminate the skills and practices required for the sustainable deployment of typha-based value chains.

To learn more about one of the project components implemented by GRET, focused on the valorization of typha as a fuel:

• Implement a jointly developed management plan for the typha resource in the cross-border area between Senegal and Mauritania, which is threatened by the plant’s proliferation.
• Improve and mechanize the initial phases of typha harvesting and processing, particularly cutting and drying.
• Develop a viable industrial value chain for typha-based charcoal production.
• Empower the charcoal sector through gradual support to Senegalese and Mauritanian entrepreneurs to ensure autonomy.
• Continue the development process of typha-based construction materials.
• Support the finalization and implementation of Senegal’s thermal regulation, and contribute to the development of a similar regulatory framework in Mauritania.
• Promote and scale up the use of bio-based materials made from typha, by providing training to professionals in the energy and sustainable construction sectors, including designers and craftsmen.