Gel Fuel

Gel Fuel

Ethanol gel fuel was a possible solution proposed by our sponsor that we had previously looked into during our background research. Initially after speaking with our sponsors, gel fuel looked like a plausible solution, however after interviewing a prior user (Laurence, 2009) and doing some additional research, especially on a UCT Gel Fuel Study, we determined that gel fuel would not be a sustainable option in Monwabisi Park for the following reasons:

• Gel fuels release a significant amount of pollutants because the flame is inherently diffusive.

• Gel fuel is comparatively very inefficient because it requires up to 3 times more gel than paraffin to cook a meal and because gel fuel requires up to 3 times more gel than paraffin it is not cost effective as the prices are very similar.

• It is also inconvenient to the user because they must refill the gel fuel when cooking a larger meal such as steamed bread or samp, both common African dishes.
  

For these reasons and after hearing Ms. Laurence’s personal experience with gel fuel, we decided to not pursue the option of gel fuel any further.