Sustainable Rural Bioenergy Solutions in Africa

18-19 January 2018. Nairobi. SUSTAINABLE RURAL BIOENERGY SOLUTIONS IN AFRICA

The workshop was organized by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) and Japan Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS).
This workshop took place in conjunction with the International Conference on Powering Agriculture, which aimed to enhance renewable energy solutions for agricultural development, organized by the German International Development Agency (GIZ) and the United States Agency for International Development(USAID).

In rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, solid bioenergy is the main source of energy for cooking and heating for up to 90 percent of the population. Due to growing demands on food and energy from population growth, coupled with the increasing frequency of natural disasters and climate change, it has become more challenging for rural communities in Sub Saharan Africa to meet their own food, energy and development needs.

This has substantial implications for poverty alleviation as well as for environmental protection, including forests, ecosystems and biological diversity within the region. Various innovative technologies to produce renewable bioenergy, which promote the sustainable use of locally-available resources without disrupting food and water supply, are affordable and efficient and have been emerging within the region. This workshop aims to exchange best practices and tools and establish a sound knowledge basis for policy makers and development practitioners, including private sector actors, non-governmental organizations and researchers.

The workshop focused on three themes (1) Sustainable Rural Biomass Supply, (2) Biomass-to-Energy Innovations, and (3) Tools for Enhanced Bioenergy Sustainability. At the end of the workshop, a panel discussion on the creation of enabling conditions for scaling-up innovation was held.

Download the workshop's agenda.

Presentations

Session 1: Sustainable Rural Biomass Supply

• Gender framework for bioenergy in Kenya (Dr. Linda Davis, wPower)
• Agroecology for sustainable development, food and energy security in Uganda (Mr. Ndyabandiho Saul, Center for Energy Governance, Uganda)
• Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for sustainable agroforestry in Kenya and Ethiopia (Mr.Shinji Ogawa, JICA FFS Project)
• Bio-char and food, water and energy NEXUS (Mrs. Veronica AgodoaKitti, ASA Initiative, Ghana)
• Tree breeding for enhanced bio-carbon stock in Kenya (Dr. Muturi, Gabriel M., Mr. Kariuki Jason G., Dr. Omondi, Stephen.F. and Mr. Muchiri, David. K, KEFRI, JICA)
• Firewood from tree pruning on farm and biochar producing cooking systems (Dr. Mary Njenga, ICRAF, Dr. Miyuki Iiyama, ICRAF& JIRCAS, Dr. James Kinyua, University of Nairobi & ICRAF, Dr. Ruth Mendum, Penn State University))

Session 2: Biomass to Energy Innovations

• Biomass to energy innovation: Briquette from rice husks and peanuts residues in Tanzania (Mr. Kaya Suleman Kazema, Tromso, Co. Ltd.)
• Production of Ethanol from cassava wastes in Nigeria (Dr. James Ogbonna, Nigeria University, Dr. Yoshinori Murata, JIRCAS, Dr. Hide Omae, JIRCAS)
• Resource recovery for briquettes and women empowerment in humanitarian conditions in Kenya(Dr. Mary Njenga, ICRAF, Ms. Oana Baloi, UN-Habitat, Dr. Miyuki Iiyama, ICRAF& JIRCAS, Ms. Yuka Terada, UN, Habitat, Dr. Ruth Mendum, Penn State University)
• Unlocking Potentials of New Cooking Methods with Bio-Briquettes and Efficiency Stoves for Rural Areas in Madagascar (Mr. Deepak Kumar Mohapatra, TH Köln - University of Applied Science)
• Recycled charcoal briquettes in Mozambique -Affordable and quality energy for all (Ms. Junko Arisaka, Verde Africa Lda.)
• Powering Agriculture project in Africa (Ms. Katharina Meder, GIZ) [Moderator role]
• Biogas Milk Chilling to Increase Productivity and Incomes of Dairy Farmers through their off-grid, biogas-powered milk chiller (Ms. Dorine Poelhekke, SimGas)
• Improving Coffee Production and Quality Using Infrared Technology powered by biogas generated from coffee pulp and coffee husk (Ms. Etsub Assefa, Horn of Africa)
• A mobile power plant that uses agricultural waste to fuel (Ms. Maggie Flanagan, Village Industrial Power)
• Biomass-Powered Thermal Processing of Bamboo (Mr. Dereje Worku, African Bamboo)
• Commercializing Biomass EverGreen Energy Systems for integrated food production with electrical power generation (Dr. Dennis Garrity, ICRAF)  

Session 3: Tools for Enhanced Bioenergy Sustainability

• GIS based REnergy demand-supply analysis for REDD+ in Mozambique (Mr. Joaquim Macuacua, Ministry of Environment/ex-IRENA consultant) [Moderator role]
• Challenges to create information hub and village finance in Mozambique (Mr. Atsushi Matsunaga, NBF Co.Ltd.)
• Sustainability Matrix for local investment in green energy for sustainable development of off-grid economic zones in Zimbabwe (Mr. Charles Kanyunga, Harare Institute of Technology, Zimbabwe)
• Bioenergy sustainability assessment tool with GBEP indicators for IRENA Project Navigator (Dr. Takashi Hayashi, PRIMAFF, Dr. Yasuko Inoue, IRENA-JIRCAS)
• Community biogas and clean cooking solutions for food processing in rural Ghana (Mr. Lovans Owus-Takyi. ISEES)

Panel Discussion/Plenary Discussion – Creating enabling conditions for scaling-up innovation

• Panel 2. Research perspective (Dr. Rocio Diaz-Chavez, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI))
• Panel 3. Government & community perspective (Ms. Jane Ndeti, Kenya Forest Service, Farmers Field School)
• Panel 4. NGO perspective (Mrs. Veronica AgodoaKitti, ASA Initiative, Ghana)