Good day, Stephen.
Your article sheds more light on the hesitation to take Biogas on a national scale by most African countries. However, I still contend that instead of focusing on the negatives, governments should do more to reward the value chain, in the same way, non-renewals have all the costs paid for from prospecting to delivery. The Biogas value chain is morally correct and humane as it is people-oriented from those places the feedstock emanates from such as animal husbandry, poultry farms, the food processing industry, and human waste. As in all processes let's put a price to guide the incentive policy and close the revenue loss gap from the suppliers of the feedstock. Introduce a state-assisted transport network moving around the ring of collecting the feedstock from source to delivery of bio-digester waste in a sustainable manner. Given the fact that the infrastructure needed for the Bigas electricity plant is of a long-term nature, the national fiscus must pick up the bulk of the tab whilst working with technology partners.
The amount of electricity generated must give first preference from the feedstock supplies to be connected to the grid, a case in point of them knowing without their work the availability is not guaranteed. Once these households are connected to the grid; they will be a marked reduction in deforestation in that area and additional power for on-grid users that is eco-friendly. Deliberate governance policies must continually be reviewed to ensure viability is sustained, rather than wait on the power plants to fail.
As for the ethanol plants, that are into electricity generation, a deliberate plant siting policy must be developed for each of the two to enable the chosen position to be ring-fenced for each power plant with the maximum allowable space without the need to compete for feedstock. Both Bioethanol and Biogas may have the capacity to interchange on the feedstock, it is therefore prudent to site them to their best advantage.
That is my view at the moment.
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Eng. Edmond Chinyadza
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Original Message:
Sent: 28-03-2023 11:00 PM
From: Stephen Burton
Subject: Alternative Energy Sources for resource challenged communities toward smart villages, Biomass is suitable on large scale.?
Well - working in the 1990's on 1500 home methane digester power plants, Wind Powered Farm Macro Culture projects and on the two 30 MW biomass fired power stations, on the NSW coast, which formed one of the largest renewable base load generators in Australia, all have fallen fowl of the States Privatisation of Power (Cartel). Running power on a national grid is fraught with complicated regulation. Lack of fuels, changing fuels, fires in fuel stock, supply penalties for not shutting down (How stupid is that) venture capital funding failures, etc. etc.. . Farming bio-waste formed the natural fuels here - so no deforestation, in fact larger planted crops. Poo waste alone was not viable in remote areas like these.
If the remote power facilities can't support 24/7 fuel stock, carry over from seasonal diversity, they will need other feed in power. Australia has given poor support to these morally fantastic power producers, but they failed and are financially on a knife edge all the time. Engineers are not making these Green Power decisions - politicians and accountants are. There's the problem - putting in charge those who have not a clue on the technology they command. Had a carbon value been imposed (Thanks Abbott !! NOT) - the coal plants would be told to be shutting down and these biofuel plants would be actually viable.
We are simply too immature in energy leadership. Don't even think about it unless you have crypto funds hiding in your pockets or they'll go broke – fast.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethanol-bankruptcies-idUSN2437227120080627
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Stephen Burton Engineers make it work...
Original Message:
Sent: 07-03-2023 03:05 AM
From: Edmond Chinyadza
Subject: Alternative Energy Sources for resource challenged communities toward smart villages, Biomass is suitable on large scale.?
My question is, how practical and sustainable is the biomass feedstock designed for a 500,000 cubic digester and 25MW methane-driven plant for a small town and communal catchment area of a population under 1 million adults? The project shall be implemented as an inter-governmental project as various technologies are needed, to resolve deforestation taking place at a rate of 10,000 hectares annually in the region of choice. Predominantly households and businesses are relying heavily on trees & shrubs for their everyday requirements.
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Eng. Edmond Chinyadza
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