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Biomass & Energy
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Alfa fiber as a potential natural bioAlfa fiber as a potential natural bio --fuel: fuel: application in the north of Africa.application in the north of Africa.
Joël POUSTIS
HEXABIO SARL
286, avenue Pasteur F 33 600 PESSAC
ENERMASS International school – Montpellier20 - 24 January 2014
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Overview.Overview.
Culture of the Alfa plant.Culture of the Alfa plant.
Alfa fiber as ligno cellulosic bioAlfa fiber as ligno cellulosic bio--fuel.fuel.
Technology to produce bioTechnology to produce bio--fuel Alfa fuel Alfa briquettes.briquettes.
Ecological aspects and perspectives. Ecological aspects and perspectives.
Plan
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The “ALFA” project is a private initiative in the Northern African marketwith the objective to develop a local biomass and more particularly the Alfa grass
as a low price bio-fuel for various uses.
The Alfa (stipa tenacissima) is an enduring herbaceous plant of thepoacées grass family which is growing mainly in the arid steppes zones.
Overview
Alfa plantation in the northwestern of Africa.
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Alfa Grass steppes in the world
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In Morocco , between 1950 and 1973, the annual productionof Alfa exceeded the 100 000 tons for exportation to paperindustries created in Germany, in Portugal and in Italy.But since the first petroleum crisis in 1974, the high transportcost of this raw cellulosic fibers stopped the exportation.
In Tunisia , 523 000 hectares of the steppe lands in theKasserine region are dedicated to the cultures of Alfa(Esparto) for the destination of a paper mill (SNCPA)which is producing more than 20 000 tons of Alfa pulp mainlyexported to specific industry - from a local and a manualcollection of 60 000 tons of crops per year.
In Algeria , there are more than 3 million hectares of alfagrass where the pasture availability is well accepted and then,the local harvesting remains quite marginal.
Alfa Grass steppes within the Maghreb
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The current dilemma
Future
FutureCurrentlyCurrently
It should be a great challenge to develop the northern regions of Africa sustainability.
That is the aim of our ALFA project : How to solve the current dilemma ?
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Culture of the Alfa plant
CURRENTLY : Yield : 0,4 to 1,5 Dry Ton / Hectare
Alfa: a ligno - cellulosic biomass resource
Source : Jordi Cortina – Departament d’EcologiaUniversitat d’ALACANT (Spain)
FUTURE : Alfa grass steppe ecological restoration
It’s the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed
• Plant’s nursery availability
• Spacial soil preparation ( roots place) and living conditions ( water, temperature).
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Culture of the Alfa plant
COMPOSITIONRatio or Report of the
absolute dry plant
Cellulose rate 43,8%
Lignin rate 18,8%
Furfural rate 17,6%
Pentosans rate 28,4%
Extractibles 7,6%
Ash content 46,6%
Silica 17,6%
Moisture 10 +/- 2%
ALFA FIBERS
PHYSICAL CARACTERISATIONAverage value (standard unit)
Density 1,4 to 1,6 Kg / dm3
Diameter 5 to 95 µm
Length 5 to 50 mm
Breaking Strength 75 to 150 MPa
Elongation 1,6 to 2 %
Young Modulus 12-13 GPa
Superior Calorific Power 4700 to 5200 Kcal / Kg
Source : Mohamed DALLEL - Thèse Université de Haute Alsace (Décembre 2012)
Alfa: a ligno- cellulosic raw material
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CALORIFIC POWER (GJ / Dry Ton)
0
10
20
30
40ALFA BRIQUETTES
CORNSTALK
MISCANTHUS
WHEAT STRAW
WOODEN LOGSWOODEN CHIPS
WOODEN PELLETS
NATURAL GAS
FUEL OIL
Position of Alfa versus other fuels : Inferior Calorific Power in Giga Joules by Dry Tons
Alfa plant as a natural bio-fuel
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Diagram of production of the alfa bio-fuel
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Séchage
Nouvelle technologie
Storing
Drying Sieving
Storing
Simple Technology
Pressing
Sieving
Simple technology
Alfa crops
Briquettes
standard concept
simplified concept
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Specifications Value
Power 30 KWCapacity 1 to 1,2 ton / h
Briquettes size 32 × 32 mm Material length 3 to 60 mm
Briquettes density 600 to 700 Kg / m3Machine Weight 2,5 tons
Simple technology
Conical screwBriquette machine
Source: Company AZEUS - Zhengzhou (CHINA)
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Our “ALFA” project is defined as an energy policy by offering an economicmodel allowing to struggle against desertification and deforestation bytransplanting and by promoting Alfa grass in order to produce bio-fuel.
Ecological aspect and perspectives
This project is based onto the revival of the Alfa resource,following various steps :
- combination of the native pastures with fast-growingAlfa crops production : increasing yield is herefundamental.
- production of clean energy by compressing thebranches of Alfa into bio-fuel briquettes (bulk density = 600Kg/m3) by using a simple technology of densification.
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Perspectives
This project will be conducted by a large consortium in order todevelop a microeconomic supply chain focused on localapplications :
- family kitchen, - hammams, - tourism buildings,- industry (cement and ceramic).
Alfa plant is a natural resource of energy and aneconomic complement for rural families.
Our ” ALFA” project will contribute to reduce theclimate changes in the arid steppes of the North of Africa.
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HEXABIO SARL
286, avenue Pasteur F 33 600 PESSAC
Tél. : +33 (0) 556 152 800
Many thanks for your kind attention
We are looking for partners …..
In Europeand North of Africa …..
