MICRO-GASIFICATION A WAY TO SOLVE THE COOKING CONUNDRUM IN AFRICA

How micro-gasification uses biomass in a way that is efficient, clean and cost effective and can be implemented in urban environments to replace LPG, Charcoal and Paraffin

82% OF PEOPLE IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA

COOK WITH BIOMASS FUELS

Without Clean Cooking

No Access To Electricity

AFRICAN POPULATION WITHOUT ELECTRICITY

AFRICAN URBAN TRENDS FOR COOKING & FUEL USE

URBANISATION SUBSISTENCE FARMING CANNOT COMPETE WITH LARGE SCALE FARMING TECHNIQUES. AFRICA WILLL BECOME MORE INDUSTRIALISED AND SERVICE DRIVEN. MIGRATION FROM RURAL HUTS TO URBAN SHACKS WILL CONTINUE AND ACCELARATE. CITIES WILL EXPLODE AND SHORTAGES OF POWER AND INFRASTRUCTURE WILL EXIST. COOKING WILL BE A MAJOR ISSUE.

URBAN FUEL USE URBAN CONSUMERS CANNOT COLLECT WOOD. THERE IS NONE CLOSE AT HAND AND TRANSPORT IS LIMITED. THIS AND INCREASED SPENDING POWER CREATES A MARKET FOR FUEL. THIS FUEL CAN BE WOOD OR OTHER MORE PROCESSED BIOMASS AND PETROCHEMICAL DERIVED FUELS. THE PRICE OF THE FUEL WILL BE A DETERMINING FACTOR IN THE COOKING METHOD USED

URBAN COOKING SHACK DWELLING IS OFTEN IN CONFINED SPACES. OUTDOORS COOKING IS OFTEN DIFFICULT. URBAN DWELLERS WILL PREFER SMOKELESS COOKING METHODS FOR HEALTH AND CLEAN ODOUR REASONS. ADVANCED COOK STOVES WILL INCREASE IN USE IF FUEL OPTIONS EXIST TO SUPPORT ACS DEVICES. THESE INCLUDE PELLETS, CHARCOAL, GAS, ODOURLESS LIQUIDS AND ELECTRICITY.

WOOD, CHARCOAL & PARAFFIN IS USED AS FUEL ACROSS AFRICA

SMOKE RELATED AILMENTS

DEFORESTATION

PARAFFIN RISKS

ENERGY POVERTY

PREMATURE ANNUAL DEATHS FROM IAP (INDOOR AIR POLLUTION) With comparison to other developing world diseases

TOTAL COOKING FUEL MARKET IN AFRICA

• 200 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS

• EACH HOUSEHOLD COOKS ABOUT 400 HOURS PA

• 80 BILLION HOURS OF COOKING @ AT 2KW / STOVE

• 160 BILLION kWh NEEDED FOR COOKING ANNUALLY

• COOKING FUEL ALTERNATIVES

GRID POWER

NATURAL OR LPG GASS

BIOGAS OR

CHARCOAL

NATURAL BIOMASS

THE COOKING FUEL CHALLENGES

Fossil Fuels Although Clean

Cause Global Warming

Charcoal from Biomass Causes Global Warming

and uses 3X the fuel

Cooking with Biomass causes

Indoor Air Pollution &

Smoke Related Sickness

There is not enough

electricity generation

capacity or grid capability

AFRICA HAS A SHORTAGE OF GENERATING POWER!

POWER FOR COOKING WILL HAVE TO BE SOLVED ANOTHER WAY!

NATURAL GAS & LPG ARE FOSSIL FUELS

THE GOOD NEWS • Gas produces almost no black carbon

• Gas reduces the carbon footprint of coal by 50%

THE BAD NEWS • Gas requires large investments in infra-structure

• Gas produces .2 kgs of CO2 per kWh

If used to for all cooking in Africa, this would produce 32,000 tonnes of CO2 pa

AFRICAN CHARCOAL MARKET

THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF FIRE

Solid dry biomass “burns” with these processes:

• Heat causes pyrolysis (chemical decompo-sitions into combustible gases) and carbonization (charcoal creation).

• Charcoal can be “char-gasified” into gases.

• The created gases can combust; solids do not!

• These processes can occur at different rates and in different places in different fires.

• Control and separation of these processes are the keys to different types of combustion.

GASIFICATION – THE CHEMISTRY

Gasification TLUD MICRO-GASIFIER STOVE EXPLAINED

> 90% reduction in smoke & CO

> 100% increase in heat efficiency

TWO STAGE PROCESS • GASIFICATION • COMBUSTION OF GAS

MICRO-GASIFIER EXAMPLES

MICRO-GASIFICATION IS A VIABLE TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN BE USED TO INCREASE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY

AND DECREASE THE RISK OF BIOMASS IN AFRICA