Coffee briquettes present a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional fuels, offering moderate energy content suitable for various heating and cooking applications, including grilling and indoor heating. While they do not generate as much heat as wood or charcoal, their production from coffee husks, dried coffee pulp, and parchment contributes to waste reduction in the coffee industry and helps lower greenhouse gas emissions.

These briquettes are available in various shapes and sizes—such as cylindrical pellets, square blocks, or customized forms—each influencing their burning characteristics. For example: A study showed that fuel briquette made up of coffee husk has a calorific value which is around 8,480 cal/g, greater than the calorific value of fuel briquettes produced from grass (approximately 3817.6 cal/g). These variations allow for tailored applications, optimizing combustion efficiency based on specific energy needs. 

Additionally, the conversion of coffee husks into biofuels, fosters local economic development and promotes energy sustainability. Utilizing simple carbonization and pressing techniques, such projects provide an accessible and practical solution to fuel demands (The Zero Waste Coffee Project, 2023).

Sources: 

• Era of We. (2024). Tapping into the potential of coffee waste as a renewable energy source. Era of We. https://www.eraofwe.com/coffee-lab/en/articles/tapping-into-thepotential-of-coffee-waste-as-a-renewable-energy-source 
• Flammini, A., Brundin, E., Grill, R., Zellweger, H. (2020). Supply chain uncertainties of small-scale coffee husk biochar production for activated carbon in Vietnam. Sustainability, 12(19), 8069. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198069 
• ICO 2024, Beyond Coffee: Towards a Circular Coffee Economy coffee-development-report-2022-23.pdf 
• Tesfaye, A., Workie, F., & Kumar, V. S. (2022). Production and characterization of coffee husk fuel briquettes as an alternative energy source. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2022, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9139766 
• The Zero waste Coffee Project. (2023). Ethiopia: The Dilla briquette factory turning coffee by-products into energy. The Zero waste Coffee Project. https://www.thezerowastecoffeeproject.com/post/ethiopia-the-dillabriquette-factory-turning-coffee-by-products-into-energy