Macadamia nut shells turned into briquettes

Creating value-added products from macadamia nut shells has reduced costs at cracking facilities and contributed to the sustainability of the macadamia nut industry.

As macadamia production grows in South Africa, so does the quantity of shells from the cracked nuts. And while these are generally used as mulch in orchards, entrepreneur Mike Duncan spotted an opportunity to turn the shells into braai briquettes.

According to Duncan, who owns Shisa Eco-briquettes, he wanted to put the thousands of tons of by-product macadamia shells to good use in a way that made a difference. He said the ecofriendly braai briquettes were made from compacted macadamia nut shells, which enabled the shells to burn far longer than they would if left loose. This made them ideal for use in a braai, as the compressed biomass burnt at the same temperature and for the same duration as charcoal.

“The briquettes have an added advantage in that they don’t rely on non-renewable resources that are under threat, such as coal and hardwood. The briquettes have no emissions, less ash than standard charcoal, and a high, slow-burning heat.”

Alex Whyte, sales manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Green and Gold Macadamias, said that having a market for a by-product produced in the cracking process meant that processing facilities could recover many of the rising costs associated with processing nuts.

“Any additional income streams mean our business can better withstand hikes in labour and input costs. As the industry grows, more shells are produced, making businesses like Shisa more viable. And the bigger the market for the shells, the better [it is] for the whole industry.”

He added that macadamia nuts were largely consumed by environmentally conscious consumers, and they expected production methods to be sustainable.

“By finding viable avenues for the whole nut, including its shell, we can walk the talk and safeguard this market.” – Lindi Botha