Water Hyacinth Harvester

Water hyacinth harvesters: Only in theory a good idea...

These harvesters "remove" water hyacinths. The only problem is: They don't! The harvesters create piles of water hyacinths that are left at the lake shore. Methane is formed as soon as the plants start decomposing. At the same time, there is more space for new water hyacinths to grow. It's a Sisyphean task.

This footage was recorded at Lake Tana in Shea Gomengie, Ethiopia.

Check out our website and Facebook page and see how water hyacinths can be utilized.

You buy organic. You take the bike. You recycle. Sustainability is your motto. So is ours!
For years climate policies have been put off. Empty rhetoric doesn’t prevent drought, wildfires and flooding.
At Char2Cool, we turn weeds into BioChar; creating a carbon-negative fuel. Lake Tana in Ethiopia provides the perfect resource: Water Hyacinths. So far the plant poses the greatest problem to the region. It deprives fish and plants of nutrients and poisons the atmosphere with methane. It brings hydroelectric plants and the drinking water supply to a halt. Now it becomes a major opportunity.
Carbonizing Water Hyacinths:
Prevents methane emissions; Water and fish stocks can recover
Restores infrastructure; Helping people to help themselves
Replaces charcoal; CO2 emissions are cut and forests are protected
No material cost, 100% added value. Climate protection becomes self-sustaining.