Pilot technologies

BIO4Africa aims to develop, adapt and pilot bio-based technologies with the potential to help combat poverty and improve food security in African farming communities.

The technologies were all selected following surveys of local farmer needs and assessments of existing agri-food systems and residues. To ensure acceptance, community workshops were also conducted in each of the four pilot countries.

These are the technologies we are working on:

Small-scale green biorefinery

We are developing fully operational, small-scale green biorefinery units for piloting in Uganda and Ghana. Developed by Grassa, the technology was initially adapted to feedstock in Uganda, where the first biorefinery was installed in 2022. The priority is to maintain a simple design for low-cost operation with a minimum of technical skills. Installation in Ghana began in late 2023.

Using local crops and legumes, the biorefinery is designed to produce dry protein concentrate, a fibre/protein press cake and whey juice containing minerals and sugar. Each product will be evaluated in feeding trials – testing the protein concentrate in pig and poultry feed, the press cake in feed for dairy cows and the whey juice in piglet feed.

The press cake will also be tested in biochar production by pyrolysis.

Status and activities:

  • Continuous optimisation of the biorefinery in Uganda underway to improve efficiency, yield and product quality
  • Biorefinery whey concentrator under development in Uganda
  • Construction of the biorefinery in Ghana planned for completion in mid-2024

  

      

Pyrolysis technologies

  

Small-scale, low-cost and robust pyrolysis technologies for biochar production are being developed, adapted and tested. The biochar will be produced from dry feedstock, such as cocoa, peanut and cashew shells, groundnut and rice husks and cassava peelings. Target applications include use as a household fuel and in soil amendment, water and gas filtration and anaerobic digestion for biogas production.

Brazilian kiln is the pyrolysis technology selected for installation in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal. The biochar produced will be primarily used to improve soil fertility by amendment. In Côte d’Ivoire, INP-HB has also constructed traditional pyrolysis furnaces to produce experimental quantities of biochar for a water filtration device.

Lab trials at CIRAD and IHE Delft are focusing on optimising biochar as an adsorbent of lead and cadmium in water and hydrogen sulphide in biogas.

Status and activities:

  • Installation of Brazilian kiln pyrolysis technology complete in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal
  • Biochar production underway for the water purification pilot in Côte d’Ivoire, using biochar as adsorbent
  • Biochar to be produced as catalyst for the bio-fermenter and for cooking fuel briquettes in Senegal
  • Biochar to be tested for soil amendment in Ghana
  • Biochar to be produced for briquettes in Uganda
  • Pyrolysis optimisation using blends of biomass samples

Hydrothermal carbonisation

Small, low-cost hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) units are under development to produce hydrochar from wet biomass streams, such as typha, manure and cashew apple waste. The first pilot scale HTC unit has been constructed at UASZ in Senegal, following adaptation and optimisation at IHE Delft.

Like biochar, hydrochar is suitable for use as a clean household fuel and in soil improvement, water and gas filtration and anaerobic digestion for biogas production.

Status and activities:

  • HTC pilot unit installed, certified and first tests conducted in Senegal
  • HTC pilot unit under construction in Uganda
  • Lab trials to investigate hydrochar as an adsorbent of heavy metals in water and as an additive in anaerobic digestion
  • Two research papers accepted

  

Densification technologies

  

The two densification technologies in focus are briquetting and pelletisation, both using dry biomass materials and biochar to produce household fuel and animal feed.

Fuel briquettes will be produced from biochar based on cashew and peanut shells, for example. Briquetting equipment for this application is being validated by KRC in Uganda and UASZ in Senegal.

In Ghana, SAVANET has acquired a pelletising line for the production of pellets for fish feed trials. Preliminary tests in Côte d’Ivoire have used a pelletisation line at INP-HB to produce pellets for sheep feed.

CIRAD is responsible for briquetting trials with raw biomass, while RAGT Energie is running pelletisation trials.

Status and activities:

  • Optimisation of briquette production for fuel underway in Uganda
  • Extruder pelletisation mill installed for producing fish feed pellets in Ghana
  • New larger pelletising line for animal feed installed in Côte d’Ivoire
  • Construction of briquetting unit underway in Senegal
  • Preparation of three research papers

Biocomposites and bioplastics

Lab-scale studies are investigating the use of locally available agricultural residues and other biomass materials for the production of biocomposites and bioplastics. Initial application areas are non-load bearing panels for housing and light packaging.

CIRAD has acquired a thermo press for adaptation tests using selected materials, including empty palm fruit bunches and cocoa pods.

Status and activities:

  • Adaptation tests on biocomposites
  • Adaptation tests on bioplastics
  • Preparation of two research papers