1.1: Motivation of the Study
Currently there is huge and growing demand to find alternative cleaner energy sources that meet new legislation requirements to reduce emission from fossil fuels in the Gambia. Agro-waste and timber milling Agro-waste as sources of energy in The Gambia shows great potential. The process of briquetting is the physical transformation of loose raw material mostly made of agro waste like peanut shells, rice husk and straw, maize stalks /cobs, cotton stalks, saw dust to name but not a complete list, into high density fuel briquettes through a compacting process. The resultant form change increases the calorific value (combustion efficiency) of the product as compared to loose material.
Biomass briquettes have the potential as a household domestic energy and a substitute for fossil fuel consumption due to the facts that it could also be used in thermal electricity generation as it is happening in developed nations. The utilization of briquettes for in the boiler for co-firing will reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuel and also created domestic energy source for the power generation.
Biomass briquette production and trade will contribute to the national economy by providing incomes, tax revenue and employment whereby a large number of people can be employed in the various phases of the biomass briquette value chain, including: collection of agro-waste and wood saw dust for preparation of briquettes, packaging and transportation.
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In additions a huge quantity of agro-waste residues which goes either rotten or mostly set on fire, because they are considered to be useless, or worthless item and or as a nuisance, can be transformed into a very useful form of cleaner sources of energy.
Briquette production can also significantly reduce pressure on the already fragile Gambian forest, as evident shows that ample agro- residues and timber milling product are available in the country which can be transformed into briquettes.
Furthermore, the heating and boiling capability of biomass briquettes are more efficiency than fuel wood and charcoal. Briquettes are considered to produce less ash and are smoked free during burning. Therefore it is imperative to say, the development and marketing of an efficient cooking stove for utilization of briquettes is deem a necessity.
The use of fuel wood as an energy source can also contribute to the accumulation of Co2, the main greenhouse gas, both because burning fuel wood produces Co2, and because deforestation destroys an important Co2 sink. The use of such unprocessed bio-fuels results in several hard ships and injury’s especially for women and children, time spent on fuel collection, health impact suffered from air pollution, with an increased in burden of cleaning utensils, walls, floors and clothes, and ecological changes are severe negative consequences.
It is important to note that, lucrative investment in briquette productions will also chart ways for us not to depend on one sources of energy or foreign supply of fuel wood and charcoal into the country, as it could have a serious implication during trade stand-off from a foreign supplier.
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Marketing of briquettes to the international market will earn foreign currency for the investors or government which will also stabilize the rate of inflation in the country.
Biomass briquettes can offer a Sustainable supply of fuel for the energy demand.
And above all it is clear that it can save money, even make money, if people switch to sustainable alternative fuels.
1.2: Energy Sub-Sector
One of the determinants of social-economic development is the availability of reliable and affordable sources of energy since these have direct positive impacts on quality of life and poverty. A review of The Gambia energy sector reveals that the country’s energy resource base is limited and the supply system is unreliable. The main source of energy used in the country is fuel wood, followed by petroleum products, electricity and renewable energy. In the energy sector, fuel wood obtained from biomass represents over 80% of the total primary need of the country (GOTG, 2007)
The Government of the Gambia envisions a diversified energy system that is reliable, efficient, affordable and environmentally-friendly and pursed improvement in electricity, renewable energy and petroleum supplies.
Renewable energy sources consist of solar energy, wind energy and biomass. These energy forms, in particular solar and wind belong to the modern sector. Currently the solar energy is in the market and a number of companies are operating in the solar energy sub-sector.
They include Gam Solar, VM The Gambia Limited, Gambia Electrical Company, SWEGAM and Dabakh Malick Energy Centre. On biomass briquette energy sources only one company is
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operating in the briquettes energy sector, which cannot even supply of the population in the urban area and are only manufacturing groundnut shells as briquettes.
1.3: Importance of the Different Energy Sub-Sectors in the Gambia
Table 1.1, shows the percentage shares of each type of energy in the household energy basket. The importance of the different energy types, in a descending order, based on their shares of the household energy balance are fuel wood (firewood & charcoal), petroleum (kerosene &
LPG), electricity (thermal) and renewable energy. Fuel wood tops the list in terms of both quantity and value. The rural households consume more fuel wood than the urban household.
However, whereas the rural households consume more firewood than the urban households, the latter consume more charcoal.
Both households consume more fuel wood than electricity. The urban households spend more on electricity whereas the reverse is true for the rural households. Electricity attracts the highest value. Report of the charcoal sector review, (2005) about 60 percent of total fuel wood consumption comes as import from Senegal.
Table 1.1: Percentage Contribution of the Different Energy Sub-sector to the National Household Energy Balance in 2004.
Source Percentage (%) Contribution mix
Fuel Wood 96.96
Petroleum 1.60
Electricity 0.88
Renewable 0.56
Source: Household Energy Consumption Survey 2004
1.4: Energy and Biomass from Agriculture: an important Policy issue for the Gambia
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The Gambia should now establish policy goals and targets to develop bio-energy production from agriculture. The following six points are the foundation why the Gambia should enter into biomass briquette production.
Energy Security: with recent concerns rose over the reliability of fuel supplies and the raising price, the country need to seek for an alternative energy security for domestic energy supplies by expanding biomass briquettes production.
Environmental Effectiveness: the expansion of bio-energy and biomaterial production are seen to help toward achieving other government environment objectives, such as improving air quality e.g. to reducing smoke particulates and also inhalation of hazardous smoke emanating for burning of waste.
Rural Development: the increase in biomass briquettes production will offers the potential to expand market opportunities for agriculture, while providing a raw material to stimulate rural and regional industrial development and employment.
Economic Efficiency: bio-energy production offers the opportunities to use agricultural wastes and reduce costs of their disposal, but also, through using less non-renewable products, lowering costs of non-recyclable and hazardous wastes. With the creation of a recycling society, there is a determination by many governments to improve economic efficiency of energy and raw material use in household and industry.
Market Innovation: agricultural biomass is also associated with the development of a bio-economy as an engine of growth and market innovation. This can offer possibilities in developing local solutions to energy needs and industrial development, but also the opportunity for export potential based on new and emerging bio-based technologies
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Climate Change: with many countries committed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, bio-energy provides a source of renewable bio-energy associated with low carbon dioxide emission levels compared to the use of fossil fuels. In addition, there are possible future business opportunities from carbon credits (such as bio-energy) and carbon sinks through international carbon markets.
1.5: Objective of the Study
To estimate the sustainable supply of agricultural residues for biomass briquetting production in the Gambia.
To identify the potentials of producing briquettes from agro-residues that are grown in the country and in addition to the ample availability of forest wood residues such as saw dust.
To examine the financial and economic viability of producing biomass briquettes at a lower cost, compared to fuel wood and charcoal
To determine the efficiency of biomass briquettes as a good sources of heating and boiling
1.6: Organization of the Thesis
The thesis is organized into six chapters. Chapter I presents introduction which covers country profile, brief discussion on country’s energy sector and biomass, motivation, aim and objectives of the research and the methodology, Chapter II provides a General overview of Economic and Business of biomass briquette production and consumption industry globally.
Chapter III reviews Biomass Briquette Technology and uses in different countries. Chapter IV
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Methodology and a case study on briquette production in Taiwan with Reference to the New Bonafide Machinery Company (NBM). Chapter V provides an Analysis of Feasibility study on biomass briquette production in the Gambia and Chapter VI summarize our Conclusions and Recommendations.
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