Renewable Energy resources, Biomass and

Biofuels in Africa; Opportunities and Risks

Presented to Glopolis o.p.s. - Prague

By Francis Njoka – Kenyanjokanaam@yahoo.com

Institute of International Relations, Nerudova 3, Prague 1 – 12th March 2012

Contents!

Kenya – The Country in

brief

Government policies on

Energy

Key stakeholders in the

Energy sectorRenewable Energy – GeneralBiomass Energy - GeneraloBiogasoLiquid Biofuels

ConclusionRelevance of Biomass Energy

Key challenges to its development

Kenya - Country snapshot

Latitude - 4o35’ N – 4o42’ SLongitude – 34o E – 41o51’ ETime zone - +3Hrs GMTPopulation – 40 million (2011 est.)Language – English/KiswahiliLocal languages – 42Religion – Christians (83%), Muslims (11.2%)Literacy level - 85.1% (2010)Life expectancy – 59.5yrs (2011)Growth rate – 2.9% GDP (ppp) - $1,689 = €1.279 (2010)Inflation – 18.9% (2011)Poverty levels – 46.6% (2007)

Kenya’s land resourceElement

km2 Million Ha

%

Total land area582,65

0.088.2 100

Water mass13,400.

01.3 1.5

Landmass569,25

0.086.9 98.5

Arable land (16%)91,080.

013.9 15.8

Farming (31%)28,234.

84.3 4.9

Grazing (30%)27,324.

04.2 4.7

Forests (22%) 20,037.

63.1 *3.5

Game parks, urban centres, markets, homesteads, infrastructure (17%)

15,483.6

2.4 2.7

ASALs (84%)478,17

0.073.0 82.7

Rangeland, agro-pastoralists, pastoralists, reserves ,etc

   

   

Irrigation potential   0.54 0.6Max irrigation potential

  1 1.1

Economic summaryKey economic sectorsAgriculture: (70% informal employment, 18% formal employment, 26% GDP, 25% GDP indirectly); Tourism (12% GDP); Transport & Communication (11% GDP); Manufacturing (10% GDP – cement, milk, cigarettes, beer)Exports Tea – 23.6%, horticulture – 14.5%, manufactured goods – 12%, raw materials – 4.4%, coffee – 3.9%, oil products – 2.2%)

Export zone 1 (46%)Uganda – 12.4%,Tanzania – 8.4%, Egypt – 4.5%, Sudan – 4.3%

Export zone 2 (54%)UK – 10.7%, Netherlands – 6.9%, US – 4.5%, Pakistan – 4.5%, UAE – 4.4%, etc

ImportsOil (23.6%), manufactured goods, Machinery, vehicles, electronics

Import zonesFar East Asia - 42%, EU – 20.4%, Middle East Asia – 14.7%

Trading blocksEAC, COMESA, ECOWAS, SADC, EU

The Energy sectorPrimary energyo Biomass –

68%o Petroleum –

22%o Electricity* –

9%o Others – 1%

Rural energy mix Woodfuel –

89% Charcoal –

34% Kerosene –

94% Nat-gas –

1.8% Electricity –

6% Solar – 1% Biogas ,Cand

les

Urban energy mix Woodfuel – 7% Charcoal – 82% Kerosene - 89% Nat-gas – 23% Electricity – 51% Candles

CapacityoInstalled – 1647MWoNominal – 1433MWoPeak – 1191MW

Electricity Access

o National – 15%

o Urban – 51%o Rural – 6%

Electricity Mix.o Hydro – 757MW

(57%)o Thermal –

401MW (31.7%)o Geothermal –

165MW (11%)o Wind – 5.1MW

(0.3%)o Emergency –

286MW

Government policies on EnergyNational Energy Policy (Sessional Paper No. 4 of 2004) -Ministry of Energy, 2004

Energy Act, 2006 - Government of Kenya, 2006. – (Establishes ERC)

Feed-in-Tariffs (FiTs) for REs (2008) – (wind, biomass & SHP)

Draft policy on strategy for the development of Bio-diesel industry in Kenya (2008-2012)

Draft Bioethanol Strategy 2009-2012

Key Stakeholders in Energy sectorMinistry of Energy (MoE) – In charge of the entire energy sectorEnergy Regulatory Commission (ERC) – Body under the MoE responsible for energy regulation, licensing, permits, protection of investors and customersKenya Electricity Generating Company (KENGEN) – Responsible for electricity generation together with IPPs.Geothermal Development Company (GDC) – Responsible for the development of the geothermal energy sector.Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) – Responsible for the development of the grid electricity distribution systemKenya Electricity and Lighting Company (KPLC) – Responsible for electricity connection to customers throughout the country.Rural Electrification Authority (REA) – Responsible for the improvement of access to electricity in rural areas.

Renewable energy Resources

Kenya has favourable wind speeds in some specific locations.Dominant winds are found in areas of Ngong, Marsabit, Turkana, Kinangop and the Coast region.Kenya is home to the famous Kijito wind pumps – over 200 water pumps installed in ASALs.5.1MW of wind power installed in Ngong phase I.Several wind-diesel hybrids for off-grid systems e.g. Marsabit300MW expected in Turkana, 100MW in Ngong (GE) and 61MW in Kinangop.

Wind Energy

Solar EnergyoKenya receives 4-6 Kwh/m2/dayoOver 40 Solar companies and ‘stockists’ are in private solar business.oEstimated over 220,000 solar PV units are currently in use in Kenya and some 140,000m2 of solar thermal in use for water heating and drying.oOver3,000 institutions (schools, health centres and dispensaries, local administration offices, police stations) and communal boreholes in ASAL areas will benefit from the Government’s Rural electrification programme using solar PV.o297 institutions so far have PV installed and 59 more are in progress.oAssessment already done for 170 more and Spanish Government is funding about 380 more.oSome isolated power stations and mobile communication masts are running on solar-diesel hybridsoChina has already started the first SSA solar PV assembly plant in Naivasha

Small-HydrooThe potential = 3000MW while less than 30MW has been developed. oProvides a potential solution to rural electrificationoGood examples =>Tungu Kabiri 20kW unit (Meru south district - a project by UNDP & Practical action), Kathamba (1.1kW) and Thima (2.2kW) projects in Kirinyaga district co-funded by European Commission . oMoE assisted tea factories in carrying out feasibility studies in 12 sites and feasibility for 14 more sites are in the pipeline. oPrivate investors urged to partner with tea factories to develop power for internal use in the factories and export to the national grid. oOne project already commissioned – Imenti Tea.

Geothermal EnergyThis is the 2nd largest commercial renewable resource after hydro and is seen as the most viable substitute to thermal and drought-susceptible hydro power.The potential stands at 7000MW and only 165MW is exploitedFour promising geothermal sites include Longonot - 140MW, Menengai - 140MW, Suswa - 70MW and North Rift -140 MW have been identified. The Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is already developing geothermal steam fields (13 wells drilled) to reduce risks and promote the rapid development of geothermal. Private investors invited for power production.

Biomass Energy

Waste-based Exploited – animal manures

(household biogas), molasses (ethanol), sugar bagasse* (cogeneration)

Un-used – Sisal*, coffee, tea, municipal wastes, rice husks, sugar bagasse*, horticultural wastes, wheat straws, molasses*, market wastes, saw dust, abattoir wastes,.

Plant-based Exploited - fuelwood and

charcoal extensively used Un-used* - Prosopis Juliflora

(ironwood/mesquite), sweet sorghum, water hyacinths, cassava and other liquid biofuels.

* = marginally used currently

The resource base:

Sample biomass potentials as estimated by GIZ (GTZ) based on biogas production (2010)

Type Solid waste (tonnes)

Liquid waste (m2)

Energy (MWel)

Coffee 145,125 4.1m 10Cut flower 27,357 0.65Chicken wastes 82,125 1.9Sisal 735,050 2.46m 20Sugar 192,705 4.1Milk processing 1.083m 0.551 Pineapple farm

75,000 0.84m 2.35

MSW (Nairobi) 996,450 37.51 Distillery stillage

108,000 1.1

1 Meat processing

60.000 0.05

1 pig farm 10,920 0.351 tea factory 7,312 0.7

Fuelwood

A larger majority of rural population depend on firewood for fuel (89%).In year 2000, consumption was 3,394 kg (rural) and 2,701 kg (urban) per household per annum and per capita consumption was 741 and 691 kg respectively. Kenya experiences a deficit of over 50% of firewood per yearOver 20,000 Institutions also use firewood for catering and water heating.Most Tea factories also use fuelwood to run their boilersOther players working with institutions to have woodlots for fuelwood

Charcoal

oAn important fuel source for urban dwellers (82%).oMature trees are cut and pyrolized into high quality carbon fueloMain cause of increased deforestation - source of income for rurals.oPer capita consumption was 156 kg (rural) and 152 kg (urban) - 2000 oSustainable projects (planting of acacia trees) being implemented in some parts of the country e.g. Bondo (Kisumu), Kitui and Kitengela (Nairobi) areas.oEnergy saving stove – Kenya Ceramic Jiko (KCJ) widely distributed in E. Africa

Bagasse cogenerationoAnnual sugar bagasse production is over 1.8million tonnesoMumias sugar, one of the 9 sugar companies has a 35MW capacity bagasse cogeneration unit. 26MW of the generated electricity is fed to the grid oSome tea companies generate electricity from biomass for internal useoA company by the name Tower power is almost through with feasibility studies for 2No., 11.5MW thermal power plants to run on Prosopis Juliflora (mesquite / ironwood)oVast plantations of this invasive plant, about 200,000ha are found in Baringo, Garissa and Tana river basin.

Biomass electricity

Briquettes

Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU), used to produce briquettes ‘Kahawa Coal’ from coffee husks.

In 2003, Chardust Ltd Kenya, a private Enterprise started briquetting of bagasse in conjunction with Chemelil (a sugar company) and is now producing 5 tonnes/day of Canecoal.

UNIDO recently also started briquetting projects in Prosopis Juliflora -invested areas.A 40kVA briquette-run gasifier drives the screw press

Biogas

Biogas use in Kenya is still at domestic level with units averaging from 3 to 15m3

The Ministry of Energy promotes and demonstrates biogas technology at its Energy Centres spread out throughout the country. It has in collaboration with JKUAT constructed a 345m3 biogas digester running a 45kW generator and two more others in Maseno and Masinde Muliro UniversitiesThe Ministry intends to pilot production of biogas from flower waste to be used to generate electricity for use by flower firms and export to the grid.

Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP) is implementing a National Domestic Biogas Programme (KENDBIP) under a the African Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP) funded by DFIS – Netherlands.

KENDBIP is to be implemented in 4½ years between 2009 and 2013 with an aim to install 8,000 domestic biogas plants

The project gives an investment subsidy of €240. (KES. 25,000) by subsidizing construction costs.

Over 3,000 units were installed by 2011.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has implemented medium scale biogas plants using abattoir and agricultural wastes for power generation.

Kilifi plantations also runs a 150kVA biogas power plant run on sisal wastes and animal manures.

Several other projects are being undertaken by other players.

Advantages of Biogas

Biogas recovery has a 4 fold advantage of producing heat for cooking food, electricity for lighting/entertainment, a cost-effective treatment of organic waste and provision of cheap fertilizer for the farms.Using biogas for cooking improves in-door-air quality preventing diseases caused by smoke from firewood, i.e. lung diseases Reduces workload by saving time spent in looking for firewood to cook, especially for rural women and children.It improves education for children in rural areas where there is not access to electricitySubstitutes woodfuel and charcoal use hence reduces depletion of natural resources like forests and soilsIt improves household hygiene and health conditions of the users Reduces GHGs and offers an opportunity for selling carbon creditsLarger units help improve agricultural production

Key challenges for biogasHigh Poverty levels limit adoption of the technology.There are still few trained masons leading to project failuresDonor syndrome as most biogas are associated with donor-aid Low awareness levels of the technology among the communities.High cost of construction materials raises

the cost of constructionAvailability of reliable & quality biogas

appliances is still a challenge.Fugitive gas problems – ignorant release

of gas during operations.The fire place “complex” – many people

are attached to the fire for space heating which biogas doesn’t provide.

Water scarcityDe-linking biogas consumption with

production

Liquid Biofuels - Bio-ethanol

oBioethanol in Kenya was considered an alternative energy source in 1970s. oA power alcohol factory was established in Kisumu to run on surplus molasses from sugar companies in 1978 but was not operationized.oIn 2003, the state owned firm was sold to Spectre International Inc.oToday, Potable alcohol & industrial methanol is produced for beverage, medical & industrial applications.oSpectra International (SIL) and Agro-Chemical & Food Company Ltd (ACFC) are the key players producing 22millio-lts and 18million-lts respectively per year (2008)oPlans are underway to produce bioethanol from sweet sorghum and cassava.oA draft bioethanol policy is already in place and an E10 pilot is yet to start in Kisumu, Eldoret and NakuruoA local NGO, PAC (formerly ITDG) is making field trials on stoves

Liquid Biofuels - Biodiesel

Biodiesel is currently produced for local consumption mainly on small scale, from jatropha, castor , croton and yellow oreanderoMost of the main plants existed before consideration as fuel crops and several pilot projects have been established in different areas in the country with over 4.2 million Jatropha seedlings distributed to small/large scale farmers.oKey players in jatropha include; Vanilla Development Foundation (1.19m seedlings), Green Africa Foundation (3m seedlings), Magadi Soda Company (10ha), GEF, Policy Innovation Systems for Clean Energy Security (PISCES – policy issues).oA draft biodiesel policy is already in place and a Kenya Biodiesel Association formed.

Opportunities with liquid BiofuelsDiversification of rural energy supply mixImprovement of agricultural returns and rural economiesValue addition of agricultural produce (farm-gate quality)Improvement of local infrastructureReduction on oil importsReduction of GHGs from fossil oil emissionsImprovement of the health of women and children (in-door-air)Child education improvements where there is no electricityConservation of soils susceptible to erosionConservation of the forests and environment Investments in biofuels could facilitate transfer of technology

Key risks with liquid BiofuelsLarge scale commercial projects – These are considered huge untested experiments characterized by mechanisation, fertilizer and herbicide use, displacement of local people, loss of biodiversity and CO2 sinks

Climate change market driven systems & FDI – Climate change related policies have seen developed nations grab lands in more vulnerable developing countries.

Land tenure systems & laws – Land tenure systems/laws in most developing countries are weak, unclear and uncoordinated. This creates room for corrupt deals on land transfers at the expense of the locals.

Risk of failure – Performance of most biofuels has not been tested on marginal lands and production may not be guaranteed.

Knowledge gaps and climate change – Viable biofuels varieties and production rates under specific conditions not researched. Africa is increasingly becoming susceptible to prolonged floods and droughts

Increased vulnerability of women and children – Land is mainly owned by men and this poses the risk of disposing land to investors or substituting it for biofuels in place of food.

Competition with other resources – Biofuels will require land and water. This encroaches on food, forests and pasture land.

Conclusion

Biomass as an energy resource, is locally availableBiomass use reduces dependence on foreign fossil fuel suppliesReduces waste accumulation in homes, shopping centres and townsEnhances job creation in rural areas and hence rural developmentOptimises land usePromotes development of local skillsProvides additional income to agriculture and expands markets for agricultural produceIncreases national energy security by providing domestic power.Reduces GHGs emissions

Relevance of Biomass – Kenyan context

Key challenges to its DevelopmentLack of clear, objective, ‘forward-looking’ Government policy implementation

Fragmented incompatible sectoral policies

Lack of biomass energy resource potential

assessment/mappingQuick-return biomass projects that compromise other natural resource use options and the environment

Lack of technical know-how/capacity

Current incentives not good enough for

investors

Biomass – ‘a poor man’s, dirty and domestic

energy source’ mentality

Thank you for Listening!