Policy perspectives on expanding cogeneration from bagasse in Malawi

To, Long Seng; Kwapata, Kingdom; Masala, Leonard; Navarro, Virginia Alonso; Batchelor, Simon; Mulugetta, Yacob; Barnett, Andrew; Karekezi, Stephen

doi:10.17159/2413-3051/2017/v28i1a1420

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The policies should be incorporated into national regulatory framework to realize multiple maximum benefit investment and to provide a conducive investment environment. Cogeneration by the sugarcane manufacturing industry is well-established technology currently employed by all sugar factories [50]. However, export-based cogeneration to the grid is not a global practice [1,2,31].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among challenges is access to finance, the feed-in tariff structure, ability and willingness of the grid to absorb intermitted power supply due to relatively low availability and factory utilization by the sugar factory and unreliable sugarcane supply to the grid as demonstrated by the collapse of Mumias Sugar Company whose intermittent and unreliable supply to the grid led to accumulation of huge penalties from the electricity utility company as breach of supply terms specified in the power purchase agreement. This experience from Mumias will definitely reduce the interest in bagasse cogeneration unless policy measures are put in place to protect the sugar factories against punitive tariff regime from utility companies in terms of uptake of intermittent power [1,31,50].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Agricultural-based industries have significant potential to contribute to the to the sustainable energy transition which seeks to promote the use of renewable energy sources, reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and increase energy access [38,40,50,51]. Sugar is one of the plants with relatively high bioconversion efficiency of capture of solar energy through photosynthesis with ability to about 55 tons of dry organic matter per hectare of land under sugarcane production annually [35].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Agricultural activities account for about 45% of the sub-Saharan Africa economy. The agroindustries need various forms of energy for production and operations and the employees where over 313 MW of installed generation capacity is installed in five sub-Saharan countries of Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia power capacity in agroindustries with over 270 MW coming from bagasse cogeneration [50]. Therefore, the investment in clean energy by the agricultural sector improves energy access, reduces cost of energy, improves energy security, and promotes power grid stability.…”

Section: Electricitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bagasse Electricity Potential of Conventional Sugarcane Factories

Kabeyi

Olanrewaju

2023

Journal of Energy

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Sugar industries have huge potential to contribute to the sustainable energy transition through electricity generation and production of biofuels. Sugar-producing countries generate huge volumes of sugarcane bagasse as a byproduct of sugarcane production. In this study, the performance of an operating traditional sugar factory is analyzed for electricity generation and export potential. The study presents characteristics and energy potential of modern and traditional sugar factories. The challenges facing a traditional sugar mill are inefficient boilers, less efficient and back pressure steam turbines, and wasteful and inefficient use of steam turbine drives as prime movers instead of modern electric drives for the mills and cane knives. Others are the use of inefficient and energy intensive cane mill rollers instead of the diffusers which have low energy requirements. It was demonstrated that the cogeneration potential of sugar factory is quite significant but currently underutilized. Sugar factories can make significant contribution towards mitigation of greenhouse gas emission mitigation through supply of green electricity to the public grid. The study showed that the factory uses very old and inefficient boilers aged over 39 years which contributes to poor performance and low electricity generation capacity. Modernization is required to increase the generation and electricity export capacity through investment in new and modern high-pressure boilers, replacement of inefficient back pressure boilers (BPSB) with more efficient condensing extraction turbines (CEST), and reduction of factory steam consumption by electrification of mills and cane knife turbine drives among other measures. This study showed that the 3,000 TCD factory can invest in a 15 MW power plant based on current average factory performance indicators and more if the throughput and overall performance is close to design parameters.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Electricitymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Bagasse Electricity Potential of Conventional Sugarcane Factories

Kabeyi

Olanrewaju

2023

Journal of Energy

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“…Agricultural activities account for about 45% of the Sub-Saharan Africa economy. The Agro-industries need various forms of energy for production and operations, and the employees where over 313 MW of installed generation capacity is installed in five sub-Saharan countries of Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia power capacity in agro-industries with over 270 MW coming from bagasse cogeneration (Kabeyi 2012To et al 2017).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sugarcane Bagasse and Cane Trash as a Fuel

Barasa Kabeyi

2023

Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management

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Sugarcane bagasse is a by-product milling sugarcane and it is an important fuel resource for the sugar industry. Bagasse is a fibrous, has low density material and has a wide range of particle sizes with high moisture content. Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is among the most abundant agricultural residues globally in sugar producing countries. Bagasse is mainly used as a fuel for cogeneration by the sugar factories, but has other applications like ethanol production, paper and pulp manufacture, biogas production and charcoal briquettes manufacture. The falling electricity prices and reducing global sugar prices due to excess sugar stock in the world market have made bagasse a very attractive fuel for grid-based electricity generation and supply making it a feasible diversification pathway for sugar factories. This study identifies the various physical, chemical, and thermodynamic properties of bagasse and sugar cane trash as fuels in the sustainable energy transition. The study recommends various policy initiatives to promote the use of bagasse and cane trash as a fuel particularly in heat and power generation. Proposed measures include attractive feed in tariffs for cogenerated heat and power, tax incentives and measures to encourage investment, and a flexible power purchase agreement that recognizes the unique challenges facing the sugarcane manufacturing like unsteady supply of cane and hence inconsistent milling and fuel supply. Bagasse has various pathways for exploitation as an energy resource i.e., direct combustion in boilers to produce heat for steam and power generation, anaerobic digestion to produce biogas and pyrolysis and gasification to produce syngas. Syngas and biogas can further be upgraded to produce biomethane which has significant energy and process applications as a substitute of natural gas. Bagasse has got three e major components, namely pith, fiber, and rind,

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