"gaia lessons and modifications – small scale vs. large scale approach" - firehiwot mengesha ethos...

8/7/2019 "Gaia Lessons and Modifications Small Scale vs. Large Scale Approach" - Firehiwot Mengesha Ethos 2011 Presentation

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Gaia Lessons and Modifications

of Ethanol Production:Small-scale vs. Large-scale Approach

Firehiwot MengeshaProject Gaia, Inc.

ETHOS ConferenceJanuary 28th - 30th, 2011


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Introduction

y I am a BSc. in Chemical Engineering from Addis AbabaUniversity and am completing a Masters Degree at San JoseState University that is focused on the science of ethanolfermentation and distillation. I have worked in Project Gaia

since 2004, not only in Ethiopia but also Malawi andMadagascar. I am interested in bringing not just betterstoves but also cleaner fuels to Africa. Africans are likeeverybody elsethey want modern forms of energy.

y Micro distilleries are appropriate technology that can be

affordable to communities and that can produce ethanolvery cheaply, so that it is affordable for anybody who buysfuel. Most Africans today buy their fuel. Charcoal and

wood are becoming more and more expensive to buy,especially in our rapidly growing cities.


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Presentation Outline

y Introduction: Organization and Technology

y Progress Reports by Country

Ethiopia

Brazil Nigeria

Madagascar

Haiti

y

Modifications to Our Approachy Advantages of the micro-distillery

y Conclusion


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Project Gaia

Project Gaia:

y International NGO and non-profit org.

y Gaia Association in Ethiopia is indigenouspartner.

y We are promoting an energy revolution

alcohol fuels for the developing world.y We consider ourselves part of global clean-

cooking fuels initiative.

y Ethanol displaces charcoal, wood, dung andother low-grade biomass fuels. Our studiesshow how eager people are to move up.

y Mitigate emissions, reduce health risks anddeforestation associated with woodfuels

y Uses culturally-sensitive approach to providehousehold energy appliance that fitcommunity needs

y Targets communities that are energy poor


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The CleanCook Stove

Ethanol can be made sustainably from: Sugary materials such as sugarcane, sweet

sorghum, sugar beets, even mesquite pods. Starches such as cassava (manioc or yuca),

potatoes, maize, even palms (Raffia, sago). Cellulose materials like wood, grasses, and

agricultural residues (coming soon!). Food wastes from urban centers, such as

fruit and vegetable waste from the market,processing wastes, from coffee or canning.

Introduction to the Technology


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Gaia WorldwideProjects and studies: Ethiopia, South Africa, Malawi, Madagascar, Nigeria and

Brazil. Coming soon: Kenya, Haiti, Senegal, Mozambique.


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Progress Report: Ethiopia

y Gaia Association established 2004 as a Ethiopian NGO

y Gaia Association project locations: Addis Ababa, rural areas,Kebribeyah, Awbere and Sheder Refugee Camps in eastern Ethiopia

y Project partners: USEPA, ARRA,UNHCR, World Bank BEIA, FederalEPA and private donors

y Pilot studies and stove scale-ups in rural and urban areas. Surveys,HH energy reports, business plans and monitoring & evaluation.

y Indoor Air Pollution studies. Carbon finance planning.

y Local stove manufacturing in Addis Ababa


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Metahara: A new Distillery owned by the Ethiopian Governmentcommissioned in 2009. Most advanced in Africa. It will produce 12million liters annually

Fuel blending for transportation (currently at a 5%will move to 10%blend). Metahara has also agreed to provide ethanol for the stove market

in Addis.

Ethiopia Continued


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Progress Report: Brazil

2007 Pilot studies in urban and rural areas inMinas Gerais State to assess stove reception anduse

CleanCook was easy to use. Most preferred itover their LPG stove because it was safer andthey could buy fuel daily in small quantities,rather than in expensive, heavy pressurebottleseasier for low-income families.

Families saved an average 30 minutes of cooking

each day.Household preferred ethanol to sooty, polluting

fuels such as fuelwood.

Next step: Conduct market studyto see potential consumer base


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Progress Report: Nigeria

Two methanol-based pilot studies in 2003 and 2007

Pilot study in 150 randomly selected homes

Working with NEPAD Pan-Africa Cassava Initiative and privateinvestors to promote ethanol inmicro distilleries as well asmethanol for cooking.


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Nigeria continued

y Held seminar with Blume Distillation (microdistilleries) in November in Atlanta, attended byNigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) which

is spearheading biofuels in Nigeria.Kerosene is costly in Nigeria.It is actually imported, since nopetroleum fuels are refined in

Nigeria at this time. NNPChopes that ethanol fromcassava can become a source ofaffordable cooking fuel.


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Progress Report: Madagascar

World-Bank study to compare ethanol stoves with solid

fuel stoves. We assessed impacts on fuel use, time,

IAP, personal exposure, health outcomes.

y Study consortium composed of Practical Action

Consulting, Berkeley Air Monitoring, University of

Liverpool, Ecoconsult, Project Gaia and Tany Meva.

y Results show that on average women saved 2.5 hrs per

day using the CleanCook. Of all stoves in the study

(including improved solid fuel stoves), only the

CleanCook could meet WHO emissions standards and

deliver significant improvements in Indoor Air Quality.


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Madagascar: Overview of study design

Baseline(N=154)

Control

Awareness

Improved charcoal

Ethanol

AMBOSITRAAMBOSITRA N=132N=132 N=129N=129

Control

Awareness

Improved charcoal

Ethanol

Baseline(N=184)

Control

Awareness

Improved charcoal

Ethanol

VATOMANDRYVATOMANDRY N=160N=160 N=153N=153

Control

Awareness

Improved charcoal

Ethanol

Improved wood Improved wood

INT

IN

T


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Study composed of stoves + fuels + awareness

Continue using:

Traditional charcoal

Traditional wood

Improved charcoalImproved charcoal

Ethanol (CleanCook)Ethanol (CleanCook)Improved woodImproved wood

Awareness onlyAwareness only


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Ambositra 24-hr PM2.5

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

2.2

2.4

24-hrAvg.

KitchenPM2.5

Concentration(mg/m3)

Ethanol Imp. Charcoal Awar. Raising Only Control

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Baseline

Rainy season sample

Dry season sample


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Ambositra predicted 24-hr PM2.5 (adults)

0

.2

.4

.6

.8

control awareness imp. charcoal ethanol

AmbositraAdult PM

baseline round2

round3

WHO IT-1 = 75

g/m3 PM2.5(+15% long-

term mortality)

WHO AQG = 25

g/m3 PM2.5

WHO 24-hour

PM2.5 AQGs


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Ambositra predicted 24-hr PM2.5 (child)

0

2

4

6

8

on o a a ene p ha oa e hano

bo a

h d

ba e ne ound2

ound3


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Madagascar

y A conclusion to be drawn from the Madagascarstudy, as well as other studies, is that not onlyimproved stoves but also clean fuelsand the stoves

in which to combust themmust be developed anddisseminated in order to achieve the objectives firstput forth at the WSSD in Johannesburg in 2002.

y The simple alcohols are in a class only with LPG, but

the alcohols, particularly ethanol, can be locallymade on a community scale, with very littleinvestment.


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Small scale Ethanol Production in Madagascar

Small scale ethanol plant with pieces and plumbing suppliesunder construction at Tany Mevas Ethanol Fair in

Antananarivo.


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Progress Report: Haiti

yAim: to supply displaced families withCleanCook stoves a.s.a.p. using ethanolfrom Brazil. Promote local production ofethanol fuel in the mid-term

yWe have forged partnerships with NGOs,private sector and Haitian Diaspora.

yWe have identified pilot study sites incommunities displaced by the earthquake.

y On the ground logistics secured

y 1,300 CleanCook stoves ordered, awaiting

to be shippedy Secured ready-to-build site 10km from

Port-au-Prince for installation of micro-distillery and local ethanol supply chain.


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Haiti Ethanol Production Potential

In 1983 Haiti

fed itself and

harvested

78,000 Ha of

sugarcane.

Today it cannotfeed itself and

harvests less

than 17,000 Ha

of cane. The

food vs. fuel

debate is not

about localresources but

global markets.

If Haitian farmers can thrive again, Haiti will thrive. Producing for a local stove fuel

market will be good for farmers, who will earn a living and be able to plant next year.


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Large Scale & Micro Distilleries COMPARED

Efficiency of scale is

not a hard rule forethanol production.Ethanol distillation isscalable. Microdistilleries can be very

efficient. In certainways they can be moreefficient. Equipmentmay be simpler andelectricity co-gen maynot be feasible, but

because they fit intothe local contextbetter, they can takeadvantage of feedstock& siting opportunities.


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Microdistillery Process Flow

Juar z S usa Sil a, F ral U i r sit f Vi sa, MG, Brazil


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Brazilian and American

farmers (among others)

have worked out highly

productive agricultural

businesses based on theoperation and output of

very small, efficient

distilleries. Pictured here is

a diagram of an integrated

farming operation basedon a 400-liters per day

Blume Distillery.

Blume Distillery, U.S.


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MADAGASCAR

MADAGASCAR

BRAZIL

BRAZIL


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Efficient tubular steam boilers capable of burning bagasse


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The Blume Integrated farm produces alcohol for sale and also various primaryproducts: hot water, wet distillers solubles, wet distillers grains (WDG) for animal

feed, CO2 for a greenhouse and stover or bagasse for compost, but also secondary

products, like fish food for an aquaculture operation, fish products, mushrooms and

greenhouse vegetables.T

hese are all products for sale.

Co-Product Utilization and Sale


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Putting the Farmer into the Fuel Supply Chain


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Adapting to change

y In mid 2009 Gaia experienced an ethanol supplyinterruption in Addis and the refugee camps becauseethanol from the state-owned distillery was redirected

by government from cooking into a national auto fuelblending program. We did not feel this was the rightdecision by government. We decided to diversify ourfocus from industrial to community scale ethanol

production. In so doing, we discovered a valuable andready technology in farm and micro-scale distillerysystems that were ready to go.


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1. Ethanol supply interruption in Ethiopia was top down, imposed bygovernment and beyond our control. Both fuel blending the export towealthy markets are risks for us.

2. Large scale ethanol is subject to the pressures of commodity pricing.Gasoline and petroleum fuels place inflationary pressure on ethanol,

which is a much cheaper fuel.3. Large scale production is removed from community needs and

priorities.

In response, Gaia developed a new strategy1. Introduce efficient micro distilleries a simple, affordable technology.

2. Close the loop between production and consumption.3. Use co-products of ethanol distillation to heat homes, feed animals and

fertilize land.

Reasons why NOT to rely on large-scale ethanol


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1. This strategy allows for local production of clean fuel in both urbanand rural settings

2. Bioethanol is intrinsically cheap to produce. It starts its price build-up at the micro distillery gate at far below that of petroleum fuels. It

never has to enter a wider market where commodity pricing couldhave an inflationary effect.

3. As a result, ethanol will be able to compete with purchased solidbiomass fuels (wood and charcoal) in most markets.

4. Locally produced fuel has a short supply chain. The producer canretail directly, without the middlemen.

5. This makes the fuel more accessible to base-of-the-pyramid buyers.

6. Stimulates local agricultural markets. Creates jobs harvesting andtransporting crops, operating machinery, retailing fuel.

7. Keeps wealth in the local community.

Reasons to produce ethanol at the micro level


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Ethanol Production from Various Feedstocks

Annual L/Ha Annual L/Ha

Cattails in sewage with cellulose 93,500 Yams 879Cattails (starch only) 23,375 Corn 2,805

Cattails wild 10,051 Melons (Cucurbitaceae) 4,208

Sweet Sorghum (with cellulose) 32,725 Buffalo gourd (Cucurbita) 8,415

Sweet Sorghum cane 9,350 Prickly PearCactus, managed 8,415

Grain Sorghum 2,338 Prickly Pear wild 3,273

Cassava 16,830 Mesquite, managed 3,188

Nipa palms (Phillipines) 20,009 Castor bean (Jatropha) 3,029

Nipa palm (wild) 6,078 Rice, rough 1,870

Sago palm (wild, New Guinea) 6,078 Coffee pulp 1,403

Sugar cane (22 month crop) 8,415 Pinapples 729

Molasses 1,477

Mangos 944Tropical SugarBeets 5,610 Papayas 851

Potatoes, starch only 3,740 Bananas 1,477

Sweet Potatoes 2,057 Cashew apple (India) 486

Yield Table -- Conventional and Alternative Feedstocks

Divide each value by 365 to compute number of houses served. If cassava yields 16,830

liters/hectare, this is 128 houses provided with cooking for 3 meals each day.


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Summation

y Africans desire modern stoves and clean fuels.

y Micro distilleries provide the direct link between biomass (producedfrom agriculture, not forests) and fuel for stoves.

y Micro distilleries can produce fuel for 20 to 30 per liter. This is threecooked meals. Solid fuels cost more.

y Micro distilleries and stoves packaged together provide a market for thefuel and fuel for the stovesthe whole supply chain from production toconsumption.

y In distressed economies, short-term yields are more important thanlong term investments. Two energy crops per year are preferable to a30 year tree harvest or even a 5-year coppice rotation.

y Because of this, not enough sustainable forestry is practiced in Africatoday, but lots of sustainable agriculture is. Our farmers need cashmarkets to buy seeds for next year, and cooking fuel is a big cashmarket. Farmers to be diversifiedproducing food and fuel.


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FIREHIWOT MENGESHAChemical Engineer, Disti l lery Specialist

PROJECT GAIA, INC.FIR

EHIWOT

M@PROJ

ECT

GAI

A.CO

MWWW.PROJECTGAIA.COM717-321-4391

Thank You!

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