The Hluma Charcoal Development Co-operative, which is funded by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and the provincial department of social welfare, aims to produce up to 1 440 tons of charcoal a year.

This would treble the province?s current charcoal production.

Project community leader Zukisa Ngudle said the project had improved the standard of living in the community by reducing unemployment and poverty, and had enabled the community to be at the centre of production.

?Our community?s motto is to do what we can, where we live with what we have. In this case, we promote sustainable use of the natural resources which are the wattle trees,? said ECDC project leader Bowell Solwandle.

The project encompasses all stages of production, from cutting and stacking the wood, processing it in four kilns to produce charcoal, and bagging the end product.

The charcoal is then sold to Silicon Smelters, a Limpopo-based company that is a partner in the project.

Silicon Smelters has also provided training and ensures the equipment is adequately maintained and safety procedures are adhered to.

The management of the project is assisted by a steering committee of which the local Amahlathi municipality is also a member. Other members include the traditional authority, councillors and community volunteers.

Solwandle said one of the issues directly affecting the efficiency of the project was the road leading to the project site.

?The recent rains have hampered the project. The 5km road has been washed away, making it impossible for the 30-ton trucks to reach the project. Improving the road is a firm priority for 2007,? he said.

However, the success of the project, despite these challenges, has proven that it can be easily implemented elsewhere.

Areas such as the former Transkei, Wild Coast and Kareedouw further west are ideal locations for the project, but further funding is required for the expansion, said the ECDC.

A big advantage of the project is that its start-up costs are relatively low, which makes sourcing the capital far easier.

Ngudle said it was imperative to start projects such as this because it brought industry into the rural areas.

?Another benefit of using the alien trees is that we are turning aliens into an ally and helping maintain the environmental equilibrium. The use of wattle trees, which typically use a lot of water, helps reduce water usage. Thirdly, the project is labour-intensive, especially during the kiln process. The project is also easy to run.