In order to provide heat to the dryer and the trough house, we generate steam from a wood-fired steam boiler.
Our boiler operates on fuel wood produced as a renewable resource and planted and harvested specifically for burning in the boiler. Eucalyptus trees (gum trees) have been planted extensively in the tea-growing areas of Uganda and we use firewood from our own plantations as well as from external plantations which have grown the trees for this purpose.
The cut fuel wood is delivered to the factory site and stacked in the factory compound for air drying for a period of about a year. The moisture content of the fuel wood is reduced to about 10% during this period.
Our consumption of firewood at the boiler is about 1 kilogram of firewood for every kilogram of made tea manufactured.