Bioenergy Platforms and Technologies

By
Prof. Thomson Sinkala
tsinkala@gmail.com
CHAIRMAN, Biofuels Association of Zambia

Presented at the Regional Workshop on

MAINSTREAMING AFRICA BIOENERGY POLICY FRAMEWORK AND GUIDELINES
Organised by
African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
16 – 18 September, Nairobi, KENYA

A powerful
bioenergy
feedstock
from our body

FROM: http://www.sswm.info FROM: http://designtaxi.com

CONTENTS
• Bioenergy production technologies
• Research, development, demonstration and
deployment
• Institutional and technical capacity development
• Conclusions
BIOENERGY PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

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GENERAL ORGANISATION OF TECHNOLOGIES
• Fuel wood
• Charcoal
• Agricultural waste
• Wood pellets
• Biogas
• Bioethanol (equivalent of gasoline)
• Biodiesel (equivalent of diesel), and
• Bioelectricity
 Examples of Firewood Production Technologies and Use

Easy to harvest Easy to transport A lot in store, few trips Clean cooking stove

Strenuous to harvest A burden to carry Little in store, many trips Unhealthy cooking
Examples of Charcoal Fuel Technologies and Use
 Example of Agricultural Waste for
Cooking

Litter Drying Heaping Cooking

Examples of Wood Pellet Processing
 Economics between charcoal and wood pellets

Cost structure of charcoal Blantyre

and Lilongwe
FROM: Kambewa P. etal. 2007. Charcoal: the reality - A study of charcoal
consumption, trade and production in Malawi. pubs.iied.org/pubs/pdfs/13544IIED.pdf.
Energy efficiency of selected cooking fuels

Based on the Malawi study, charcoal costs

 6.0 to 10 US$/40 Kg bag (Malawi), or US$2,700/Ha for 15 tons of wood
cleared.
Pellets from wood shavings cost about
 3.0 to 5 US$/40 Kg bag (Zambia, personal communications with Dr. Per
Lofberg of Vagga till Vagga AB of Sweden)
 Example of Biogas Production

(FROM: http://www.google.co.zm/imgres?imgurl=)
Agro/Bioenergy Production Synergies

(FROM: biogas.ifas.ufl.edu)
Electricity Production from Biogas

(FROM: http://www.google.co.zm/imgres?imgurl=)
 Biogas Market

Biogas generator
Biogas fridge
(Alibaba)
Biogas cookstove Biogas car
(oneighturbo.com)

BIOGAS
(One Stop Gas)
Biogas lamp Biogas train
(www.metaefficient.com)

Biogas truck Biogas bus Biogas motorbike

(Sweden) 13
(www.inforse.org)
Examples of Bioethanol Feedstocks

+ Grass and Wood

 Bioethanol Feedstock Characteristics (Costs are for Zambia)
ITEM SUGARCANE SWEET SORGHUM CASSAVA AGAVE Americana SUGAR BEET
Feedstock unit cost 0.381 0.384 0.15 – 0.47 0.512 0.15 to 0.29
Yield, (Metric Tons/Ha) 110 20 - 100 12 - 40 80 60 to 80
Yield, (Litres/Metric Ton), fresh 110
80 45 170 125
roots.
Yield, (Litres/Ha/Harvest) 8,800 900 – 4,500 2,000 - 6,000 3,600 - 12,000 4,800 – 10,000
Water Requirement, (mm/crop) 1500 - 2500 450 to 700 400 - 750 500 600
N 75-150  
300 basal & 250 NPK N20:P10:K10, 9 (50 kg) bags 150 – 350 Kg Urea
Fertiliser Requirement, (Kg/Ha) P 30-60,
kg urea (if necessary) (if necessary)
K 60-120.
Gestation Period, (months) 12 - 14 4 – 4.3 12 - 16 60 - 72 5-6
Maize, sorghum, vegetables, Corn, sorghum,
Rotation Crops legumes, rubber, oil palm, tropical vegetables, cassava
    sugarbeet (Gokhale, 2010).   (Gokhale, 2010)
Food, Feed, Fiber,
Food, Feed, Fiber, Food, Feed, Fiber,
Examples of Immediate Revenue Biogas, Food, Feeds, Fiber, Biogas, Starch,
Biogas, Electricity, Biogas, Electricity, Biogas, Electricity
Diversification Electricity, Electricity,
Fertilizer Fertilizer
Fertilizer
Harvested and Extensive experience
10,000 – 15,000 plants per hectare,
Can be stored as processed s within in Mexico, but also Must process fresh
Remarks 80cm – 100cm spacing and rows. Can
molasses. a month. Stored as Australia and USA roots
be processed from fresh roots or dry.
molasses. recently.
 Bioethanol, bioelectricity and fertiliser

(FROM: http://www.sseassociation.org/Publications/feasibilitystudyofsweetsorghum.pdf)
 Modular Biorefineries and their Importance
• Can be commissioned within 5 - 8 months.
• No need for large start-up capital.
• Can process multiple feedstocks.
• Minimum 500,000 L/year (1,670 L/day) bioethanol.
• Minimum 360,000 L/year (1,000 L/day) biodiesel.

E.g. Mansego Modular Bioethanol Refinery

Fermentation module

Distillation module

Dehydration module

Liquefaction module
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 Bioethanol Market

Flexi fuel generator

Bioethanol fridge
Bioethanol cookstove
Flexi fuel car

Eg. BIOETHANOL
A One-Stop Fuel
Flexi fuel plane
Bioethanol lantern

Bioethanol truck Bioethanol bus Flexi fuel motorbike 18

Examples of Biodiesel Feedstocks

Animal Fat, Waste

+ Cooking Oil, Algae
and Wood
 Biodiesel Feedstock Characteristics (Costs are for Zambia)
ITEM SOY PALM JATROPHA MORINGA CASTOR SUN FLOWER

Feedstock unit cost, US$/Litre 0.429 0.426 0.459 0.290 0.562 0.698
Yield, (Metric Tons /Ha) 3.5 15.8 6.0 3.0 1.0 2.0
Yield, (Litres/Metric Ton) 196 230 300 400 489 398
Yield, (Litres/Ha) 686 4,803 1,800 1,200 489 796
3 – 5mm per day during
Water Requirement, mm 450 - 700 500 - 600 250 – 3000 500-600 600 -1000
hot-dry season

Appropriate amount
250 Basal, 100 N170-230, P70-90, K220- 200 Basal, 150
Fertilizers Requirement, (Per Ha) 2.5 t Manure of manure, when and N40,P40, K20
Urea 310 per Year Urea.
if necessary

Gestation Period, (months) 4.5 to 5 24 – 30 24 - 36 12 - 24 4-6 4.2 to 4.5

Feed, Biogas, Food, Feed, Biogas,
Examples of Immediate Revenue Food, Electricity, Fodder, Fertilizer, Food, Feed,
Food, Feed Electricity, Electricity, Fertilizer,
Diversification Building, Furniture Biogas Biogas
Fertilizer Etc
There is
Currently presently no A very
When efficient, ONE
experiencing “Cook Book” to important oil
worker can harvest 10- Among the world’s
Remarks high prices in give definite in high-tech  
hectare (Fact Foundation, most useful plants.
the food yields. Yields are industry as a
2010)
market. currently lubricant.
location specific.
Biodiesel Processing
 Biomass for Electricity Generation in Biodiesel Processing

(SOURCE: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bCNdcYdqloQ/S9jg4-iNsFI/AAAAAAAAAMA/E7jJT3RVEfQ/s1600/palmtree-biomass.jpg)
 Electricity Generation from Biomass

(SOURCE: http://www.mpoweruk.com/biofuels.htm)
Range in recent levelized cost of energy for selected
commercially available renewable-energy technologies

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FROM: www.unep.org/greeneconomy
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION AND DEPLOYMENT

25
 Bioenergy Value Chain
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
PRELIMINARY PRODUCTION FEEDSTOCK BIOFUELS BIOFUELS TECHNICAL SERVICE OTHER
ACTIVITIES INFRASTRUCTURE PRODUCTION and PROCESSING ACTIVITIES SERVICES
TRADE
 Business Plans  Drilling boreholes  Land clearance  Cassava peeling,  Biofuels transportation  Education
 Sourcing funds  Building dams and  Land preparations chipping and  Byproduct transportation  Health
 Land acquisitions / canals  Nurseries drying  Biofuels blending  Recreation
lease contracts  Assessing soils  Plantation  Seed cleaning and  Biofuels transportation  Etc
 Impact assessments  Building access development packaging  Engine conversion
 Obtaining permits roads and bridges  Plantation  Oil extraction  Importation of biofuels compliant
and licences  Building houses and management  Molasses vehicles and appliances
 Securing markets offices  Weed and pest production  Manufacturing of inputs and processing
 Setting-up of  Building processing control  Processing and plants for the biofuels value chain
bioenergy industry plants  Feedstock refining of biofuels  Biofuels R&D
governance  Etc,. harvesting  Byproducts  Training in biofuels industry
 Technology  Feedstock trading production.  Biofuels quality control assessments
assessments  Etc.  Biofuels plant repair
 Etc  Development of appropriate cookstoves
 Etc.

Activities include identifying and addressing the challenges for sustainable bioenergy production
through good industry governance, field trials, applied research, capacity building, modeling and
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analysis.
Feedstock for Wood, Charcoal and Pellets
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH AREAS

• Fast-growing and water-efficient forest plants

• Sustainable wood harvest
• Efficient/cost-effective forest management
• Incorruptible forestry governance and licensing
 Cookstoves

(FROM: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov)
 General Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment
FEEDSTOCK SUPPLY
 Identify sustainable, high-
quality feedstock supply and
quantify risk
 Baseline sustainable regional
feedstock productivity
 Develop commercial-scale
supply systems
 
SUSTAINABILITY
 Assess effects across full supply
chain
 Establish baselines and targets
for improving sustainability
 Develop best practices
CONVERSION
 Reduce costs/improve quality of
intermediates
 Reduce enzyme costs
 Develop fermentation organisms
 Enable high performance
separations technologies
 Improve catalyst performance–
cleanup/ conditioning and fuel
synthesis
 Maximize carbon utilization
 Optimize reactor performance
 Cross-cutting areas
STRATEGIC ANALYSIS
 Define and validate technology
performance targets
 Guide program planning
 Assess progress
(FROM: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov)
DEMONSTRATION & DEPLOYMENT
 Validate biorefinery operations
 Establish pioneer plants
 Support advanced biofuels compatibility
testing
 Support biopower demonstration and
deployment
 
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
 Increase awareness of accomplishments
 Communicate new technology strategies
 Educate stakeholders on environmental
and oil-displacement benefits
 Feedstock Supply and Logistics
Feedstock constitutes about 70% of final bioenergy product.

Providing biomass for conversion into biofuels represents an

economic opportunity for communities across Africa.

This requires developing the technologies and systems

needed to sustainably and economically deliver a broad range
of biomass in formats that enable efficient use in
biorefineries.
 Feedstock Supply and Logistics (continued)
The diverse biomass transformed by these technologies and systems must be
consistent, quality-controlled commodity products that can be efficiently
handled, stored, and transported to biorefineries for processing.
This work requires a complementary focus on feedstock supply interfaces and
logistics, as follows (http://apps1.eere.energy.gov).
• Interfaces: To develop compatibility at interfaces with commercial-scale
handling equipment and conversion processes, R&D should explore biomass
specifications and characteristics, the effects of various handling techniques, and
the resulting impacts on conversion performance.
• Logistics: R&D is required for systems for harvesting, collecting, preprocessing,
storing, and transporting diverse forms of biomass more efficiently.
 Therefore it is important to also research and develop equipment and
systems to improve biomass quality, reduce costs, and increase
productivity.
INSTITUTIONAL AND TECHNICAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

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INSTITUTIONAL AND TECHNICAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

Government
 Policies, regulations and standards
 Governance
 Information on value for investment (e.g.
balance sheet approach)
 Etc

Industry
 Feedstocks
 Technologies
 Production efficiencies
 Etc
Public / consumers
 Consumer information
 Value chain information
 Products
 Standards
 Etc

Universities / Educational Institutions

 Mainstreaming bioenergy in curricula
 Research, development and demonstration
 Etc
NGOs
 Community needs and information
 Bioenergy industry participatory methods
 Community resource management
 Land rights
 Gender issues
 Etc
RECs
 Identifying and providing info on best
practices in bioenergy development
 Capacity building in cross-border bioenergy
issues
 Etc
CONCLUSIONS

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 Africa has resources (material and human), but lacks
productive action.
 Available technologies can be used to establish a
vibrant bioenergy industry in Africa.
 Bioenergy is (probably) the only industry that can
benefit all on sustainable basis.
 Economic empowerment from bioenergy industry, if
well organised, can reduce conflicts and save the
environment.

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Thank you for your attention