A kiln that turns wood into charcoal continuously rather than in batches, and at a higher efficiency than standard models, could lead to Britain's neglected woodlands being put to economic use, its Yorkshire inventor claims.
In Britain, charcoal is mostly used as fuel for barbecues. It is also used in water and air filters, in horticulture and as a filler in dog biscuits. But just 5 per cent of the 60 000 tonnes used annually comes from domestic sources. The rest is imported, produced from wood from tropical forests and mangrove swamps that are not managed sustainably.
The new kiln, called the Viper, is just beginning a three-month test by the Parks and Recreation department of the London Borough of Croydon. The borough eventually intends to use the Viper to make barbecue charcoal from waste wood. But according to David Hutchinson, a mechanical engineer who invented the new kiln and ...
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