Senegal | Aug-16 | Appropriate Energy Solutions for Agri-Food Processing SMEs

Appropriate energy solutions for agri-food

processing SMEs

Neil BianchiEnergy & Appropriate Technologies Project CoordinatorFullwell Mill Ltd, UKneilbianchi@fullwellmill.co.uk

www.tropicalwholefoods.co.ukwww.fullwellmill.co.uk

Who are Fullwell Mill?

UK-based SME manufacturer of dried fruit & nut products with its own Fair Trade brand Tropical Wholefoods

Purchasing 150 MT of value-added produce from five Fair Trade partner exporters served by around 12,000 farmers

Focus on Organic & Fairtrade with strong social & environmental aims

Working in Burkina Faso with key partners on dried mango and cashew production, Uganda on dried pineapple, banana & mushroomDevelopment of appropriate renewable energy solutions is a key activity part of ongoing work with exporter SMEs

Food-Energy:Where we have focused most of our work and attention, due to the nature of our business processing dried fruits & nutsWater-Food & Energy-Water:Both link closely to irrigation which we feel is incredibly important, especially in an area such as the Sahel, and is an area to build on with further work

Linking water, food & energy

Why is Fullwell Mill interested in developing SMEs ?

Helping smallholder farmers & communities develop by adding value and generating a high quality productHowever, most basic forms of value addition involve some post-harvest processes, including some of the following:

GrindingDrying

SteamingHeating

Sterilisation

MillingShelling/Cracking

Packaging

There are a great number of challenges for the SME:

Access to markets

Small Production Volumes

Limited ability to invest instate-of-the-art technology

Geographic constraints

Stable & AffordableEnergy Source

Waste Management

Product marketingAccess to capital

These are productive activities that generally require equipment and an energy source

• Mango waste from the drying process converted to biogas : gas used for drying, cooking in Burkina Faso

• Cashew shell waste converted to heat : used for cashew steaming, cashew drying and fruit drying in Burkina Faso

• Solar dryers for pineapple and banana in Uganda

• Mushroom stoves improving the efficiency of mushroom sterilisation in rural Western Uganda

Since 2010 we have focussed on developing Renewable and Waste-to-Energy solutions and improving the processing efficiency of SMEs

Mango waste converted to biogas: gas used for fruit drying & cooking

Improved Solar Tunnel dryers for pineapple and banana in Uganda

Cashew shells converted to heat: only 25% of shell waste used for cashew cooking, steaming and drying

No longer using:• Wood• Butane

System replicated at three satellite women’s SME cashew processors: supplies all heating requirements

75% excess of shells results in other possibilities for energy use:

• Fruit drying• Vegetable oil processing• Bakeries

Mango dried using cashewnut shells

Gasifier Technology adapted for small cashew SMEs andfruit drying (mango, papaya)

Dried MangoFruit dryingsystems

Gasification : advantagesAccessible technology solution applicable to both small-scale processes as well as larger, industrial settings

Efficient energy production from a wide variety of organic waste materialsAbility to treat difficult to handle organic residues for example:

Cashew shells – oily & smoky combustionRice husks – low density & small particle sizeCoffee pulps – low density & high moisture contentCoffee husks – low density & small particle sizeEnergy produced used for a range of applications:

mechanical, electrical, heating

Gasification : the principle

High temperature thermal decomposition of biomass to produce combustible gas (syngas)

Uses wood and agricultural residues as fuel source: Basic system to generate heat, or Integrated system to generate mechanical,

electrical energy and heat recoveryCharcoal / biochar produced as a by-product

BIOMASS

CHARCOAL / BIOCHAR

GASIFICATION HEAT

HEAT

+ Biochar/Charcoal

Clean combustion ofvolatile gasesheating boiler

Rice husk gasifier system inIndia

Local demand for electricitymet by gasifier system

One 35 kW plant can supply electricity to 400 homes:→ Uses 10 t of rice husk per month→ Electricity can be used for multiple purposes→ Installation cost $1,000 per kWh→ Technology transferable to rice producing areas of West Africa and adaptable to other types of biomass

Husk powered electricity generation

Technologies designed to suit SME scale, not micro or large businesses. They are always developed with the following at the forefront of our minds:• Low upfront cost.• Able to be built and repaired locally.• Robust and easy to use.• As efficient and with as short a payback

period as possible.• Some trade-off between efficiency and the

other parameters make the solution ‘work’ from all angles.

• Spread awareness of technologies with as many relevant SMEs as possible.

• Lack of access to appropriate and affordable finance remains a major obstacle to uptake.

• Appropriate subsidies and cost sharing arrangements, and effective demonstrating of solutions are all also key parts of the puzzle that to achieve the required critical mass of adoption.

• Seeking new opportunities to learn, and share our learning, as well as to collaborate on projects and assignments, so please come and find and talk to me, or contact me after this event.

Perspectives

• Sustainable energy production• Opportunity to develop region-leading know-how

& technical capacity in biomass gasification technology.

• Established, accessible technology adaptable to various organic-waste producing industries at small, medium and industrial-scale.

• Sustainable, long-term model of domestic fabrication, installation and development of industry

• West Africa-appropriate technology – potential markets in the wider region to tap into.

Long-term Outcomes and Benefits

Appropriate energy solutions for agri-food

processing SMEs

Neil BianchiEnergy & Approprate Technology Project CoordinatorFullwell Mill Ltd, UKneilbianchi@fullwellmill.co.uk

www.tropicalwholefoods.co.ukwww.fullwellmill.co.uk

Thank you