DATABASE

Project

Waste to Energy for rural development

completed



Abstract

Waste to energy for rural development is a project that was implemented in osusuo Nkpuor community of Cross River state Nigeria to salvage the energy needs of rural women and relief them of their quest for sustainable energy. ECODEV goal is set up an energy galaxy in homes such that every home is mordern energy compliant


Project Description

The project uses Cassava and house whole waste through anaerobic fermentation to generate a bio gas that is used for cooking.The liquid waste from cassava are also used for ethanol production. while the third component of the project which is a sun stove(solar Cooker), cooks with the sun energy directly. All these energy types are renewable/modern energy aimed at salvaging the energy needs of forest communities. Waste discharge poses a serious thread to the inhabitants of a cassava processing plant in Osusuo Nkpuor community and beyond and such a challenge lead to the design an the test running of a low cost bio digester and ethanol, using local materials to instal or distil. We designed a sun stove too as to augment a low gas output and take advantage of sunny days. Our project is more like a modern energy galaxy, using bio gas, ethanol and solar cookers in homes. The project is located in Osusuo Nkpuor community, and we are aimed at extending to many more communities with more funding.


BENEFICIARIES

The beneficiaries of the project are mainly women and children who now spend less time in search of fuel wood for cooking. A total of fifty women own the sun stove and access the central bio digester, pending when each of them will own one as well.and twenty youths are currently involved in the project, though our goal is for every home and woman to be involved in this modern energy galaxy concept. The project has reduced greatly the indoor air pollution and health risk associated with cooking with open fires, for the beneficiaries. The distances covered and time spent looking for fire wood has been greatly reduced. The Women and children can now focus on more productive ways other than spending greater part of their time looking for a degrading energy source.


Results

We now have homes that are modern energy compliant and or dependent. Bio gas, ethanol and sun stoves are being used side by side to meet our energy needs. Cassava waste that have over the years been a serious environmental problem in the project area, is now turned to energy and wealth. The cassava processing plant produces a minimum of fifteen kilogram of solid and ten liters of liquid waste every day and eighty percent of that is being turned to energy. Women now cook with modern energy and in hygienic conditions. Health challenges that use to be the order of the day is now drastically reduced. We have found a permanent solution to the waste being generated from cassava processing. Deforestation and degradation is greatly reduced as fuel wood harvesting leads to deforestation and degradation. Fossil fuel stoves are gradually being replaced with solar cooker and bio gas burners. Modern energy compliant homes are seen to be possible in the region that has depended on cooking with fire wood for ages.


Business Model

The project is economically viable and sustainable. the input materials are price free and are supplied constantly from a cassava processing plant and other house whole waste. the feed stock would have been an environment threat.The waste are also cost free to the project. The sun stove (solar Cooker) derives its energy from the sun mostly on a sunny day. The project is designed as a package for sale to building developers, and it generates income to the designers and end users.


Lessons Learnt

We have learnt that cassava waste can generate bio gas and ethanol and that Waste can be turned to wealth. Modern energy can salvage our energy needs as can be seen in our project where bio gas ethanol and solar cookers are meeting our energy needs. The time spent looking for fire wood is not necessary, as energy can be generated indoors. Solar cookers and bio gas can complement themselves in cooking, as one can change from a bio gas energy to a solar cooker there there is not enough gas and likewise where there is not enough sun we use bio gas. With bio gas ethanol and soler cooker, we can have homes that are modern energy compliant. Our pilot energy galaxy homes shows how homes can be modern energy self sustaining.


Key Feature

As cassava is a staple food in Nigeria, the project can be replicated. scaling up is possible as more and more waste are being generated and the anaerobic fermentation process convert them to bio gas. The cassava plant owners will partner with energy providers to save them of the challenge of waste disposal. Since the energy projects are home based, the beneficiaries are the owners of the project. The three components of the projects (bio gas, ethanol and solar cooker), complements each other. where there is not enough sun the bio gas is used and where there is not enough bio gas the solar cooker is used.


Other significant information

The project uses waste materials from a cassava processing plant to generate bio gas that is used for cooking. the project also produce ethanol from the cassava waste as well. The sun stove uses the sun to power a soler cooker. This project is an energy galaxy to make homes modern energy compliant and dependent. The bio digester and the sun stove complement each other as days of low gas the home energy needs are met from the sun stove while days where there is no much sun, cooking is done with bio gas burners. Our project is designed such that homes can generate their own energy. Homes can be modern energy compliant. A cassava processing plant can be zero waste. We can tap from the abundant energy from the sun through a medium to cook food and boil water.


Main Donor

ECODEV membership dues, Cross River Forestry Commission, Wumperthal Institute for climate environment and energy, etc
(Private sector)

Implementing Actor

Eco Conscious Development(ECODEV) (NGOs)