Energy production from sisal waste

Malawi: The per cipita income of Malawi is among the lowest in the world, and has recently been estimated at USD 145 with an average growth of only 2% per year. Malawi has an agricultural economy with 85% of the rural population engaged in farming. Like most countries in Africa's tropical zone Malawi is to a large extent gaining their main income from production and export of agricultural products. The total annual consumption of fuel wood and charcoal has been estimated to 15.2 million m3, equivalent to 7.5 million tons, and it is growing with 2% annually. About 93% of Malawi's energy supply has been reported to be from indigenous resources. The household sector is utilizing about 81% followed by the industrial sector which with 13% and the transport and service sectors with 4 and 2%, respectively. Biomass, wood in particular, is the principal from of energy accounting for about 93% of the total energy demand. Households are the main consumer followed by the industrial sector and the transport sector. The intensive exploitation of the wood resources of Malawi has a severe negative environmental impact, due to accelerated soil erosion, sitation of Lake Malawi and a general degradation of the fertility of the arable land. Bioenergy potential: The total bioenergy potential of Malawi has been estimated to 15,008 GJ/day, or 5,478 TJ per year, equivalent to 130,841 TOE (tons of oil equivalents). This potential is equivalent to a electricity generation of approximately 50 MW or close to 50% of the current electricity production of Malawi, which is 870 million kWh per year. Organic resicue sources: Looking at the main cities of Malawi only Blantyre has a significant bioenergy potential, due to a much higher degree of industrialisation than other Malawian towns. Today, household solid waste is not appropriate for bioenergy purposes, but Blantyre has several large markets and small and medium sized industries, which produce significant quantities of solid and liquid organic waste Totally, market waste and commercial organic waste from Blantyre has the potential for producing 3,986 m"3 of methane per day, equivalent to a daily energy production of 39 MWh. The largest potential for the Malawian agro-industries comes from bagasse, vinasse and filter mat at the sugar and ethanol industries and wood waste from the Viply factory in the northern part of the country. In addition there are several smaller sources like coffee processing, saw mills etc. The Tanzanian cane sugar sectro: In Tanzania, the total bioenergy potential of agro-industrial residues, from production and processing of sisal, coffee, sisal, sugar and cashew nuts, is 183,333 TOE. More than 50% of this potential comes from the cane sugar sector. Approximately 45.7% of the total potential, equivalent to 83,720 TOE, is already exploited by the bagasse fired boilers of the sugar factories, but 20% of the generated bagasse is assumed to be in excess, giving a remaining exploitable bioenergy potential fo the cane sugar sector of 26,600 TOE per year. Together with the Sisal sector, with a bioenergy potential of 47,800 TOE, the cane sugar sector constitute the main source of unexploited bioenergy potential in Tanzania if utilisied for production of electricity the total potential generation of bioenergy in Tanzania is 635,275 MWh per year, equivalent to an installed effect of 72.5 MW or approximately 20% of the total installed electricity generation effect of Tanzania. Conclusions: Malawi - The main conclusions of this survey are: The potential for biogas production from municipal organic waste in Malawi is scarce. Household waste is not appropriate for bioenergy generation and only the city of Blantyre has an exploitable bioenergy potential from markets and small food processing industries; The bioenergy potential of the Malawian agro-industries is large, with the main sources concentrated on few large units; Smaller bioenergy units for heat production may be feasible at coffee and tobacco curing facilities; The cane sugar industry and related ethanol production facilities have the largest single potential; One wood processing factory has a good potential for exploitation of its bioenergy potential using wood chip incineration CHP units. Tanzania: The sugar cane sector of Tanzania is the second largest producer of biomass waste, feasible for bioenergy prouduction in biogas and biomass incineration units, only exceeded by the Sisal sector. The potential is concentrated on five large units which each have a considerable exploitable potential