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Renewable Energy resources, Biomass and Biofuels in Africa; Opportunities and Risks

Renewable Energy resources, Biomass and Biofuels in Africa; Opportunities and Risks. Presented to Glopolis o.p.s. - Prague By Francis Njoka – Kenya njokanaam@yahoo.com. Institute of International Relations, Nerudova 3, Prague 1 – 12 th March 2012. Contents!. Kenya – The Country in brief

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Renewable Energy resources, Biomass and Biofuels in Africa; Opportunities and Risks

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  1. Renewable Energy resources, Biomass and Biofuels in Africa; Opportunities and Risks Presented to Glopolis o.p.s. - Prague By Francis Njoka – Kenya njokanaam@yahoo.com Institute of International Relations, Nerudova 3, Prague 1 – 12th March 2012

  2. Contents! • Kenya – The Country in brief • Government policies on Energy • Key stakeholders in the Energy sector • Renewable Energy – General • Biomass Energy - General • Biogas • Liquid Biofuels • Conclusion • Relevance of Biomass Energy • Key challenges to its development

  3. Kenya - Country snapshot Latitude - 4o35’ N – 4o42’ S Longitude – 34o E – 41o51’ E Time zone - +3Hrs GMT Population – 40 million (2011 est.) Language – English/Kiswahili Local languages – 42 Religion – Christians (83%), Muslims (11.2%) Literacy level - 85.1% (2010) Life expectancy – 59.5yrs (2011) Growth rate – 2.9% GDP (ppp) - $1,689 = €1.279 (2010) Inflation – 18.9% (2011) Poverty levels – 46.6% (2007)

  4. Kenya’s land resource

  5. Economic summary

  6. The Energy sector

  7. Government policies on Energy • National Energy Policy (Sessional Paper No. 4 of 2004) -Ministry of Energy, 2004 • Energy Act, 2006 - Government of Kenya, 2006. – (Establishes ERC) • Feed-in-Tariffs (FiTs) for REs (2008) – (wind, biomass & SHP) • Draft policy on strategy for the development of Bio-diesel industry in Kenya (2008-2012) • Draft Bioethanol Strategy 2009-2012

  8. Key Stakeholders in Energy sector • Ministry of Energy (MoE) – In charge of the entire energy sector • Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) – Body under the MoE responsible for energy regulation, licensing, permits, protection of investors and customers • Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KENGEN) – Responsible for electricity generation together with IPPs. • Geothermal Development Company (GDC) – Responsible for the development of the geothermal energy sector. • Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) – Responsible for the development of the grid electricity distribution system • Kenya Electricity and Lighting Company (KPLC) – Responsible for electricity connection to customers throughout the country. • Rural Electrification Authority (REA) – Responsible for the improvement of access to electricity in rural areas.

  9. Renewable energy Resources Wind Energy • Kenya has favourable wind speeds in some specific locations. • Dominant winds are found in areas of Ngong, Marsabit, Turkana, Kinangop and the Coast region. • Kenya is home to the famous Kijito wind pumps – over 200 water pumps installed in ASALs. • 5.1MW of wind power installed in Ngong phase I. • Several wind-diesel hybrids for off-grid systems e.g. Marsabit • 300MW expected in Turkana, 100MW in Ngong (GE) and 61MW in Kinangop.

  10. Solar Energy • Kenya receives 4-6 Kwh/m2/day • Over 40 Solar companies and ‘stockists’ are in private solar business. • Estimated over 220,000 solar PV units are currently in use in Kenya and some 140,000m2 of solar thermal in use for water heating and drying. • Over3,000 institutions (schools, health centres and dispensaries, local administration offices, police stations) and communal boreholes in ASAL areas will benefit from the Government’s Rural electrification programme using solar PV. • 297 institutions so far have PV installed and 59 more are in progress. • Assessment already done for 170 more and Spanish Government is funding about 380 more. • Some isolated power stations and mobile communication masts are running on solar-diesel hybrids • China has already started the first SSA solar PV assembly plant in Naivasha

  11. Small-Hydro • The potential = 3000MW while less than 30MW has been developed. • Provides a potential solution to rural electrification • Good examples =>Tungu Kabiri 20kW unit (Meru south district - a project by UNDP & Practical action), Kathamba (1.1kW) and Thima (2.2kW) projects in Kirinyaga district co-funded by European Commission . • MoE assisted tea factories in carrying out feasibility studies in 12 sites and feasibility for 14 more sites are in the pipeline. • Private investors urged to partner with tea factories to develop power for internal use in the factories and export to the national grid. • One project already commissioned – Imenti Tea.

  12. Geothermal Energy • This is the 2nd largest commercial renewable resource after hydro and is seen as the most viable substitute to thermal and drought-susceptible hydro power. • The potential stands at 7000MW and only 165MW is exploited • Four promising geothermal sites include Longonot - 140MW, Menengai - 140MW, Suswa - 70MW and North Rift -140 MW have been identified. • The Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is already developing geothermal steam fields (13 wells drilled) to reduce risks and promote the rapid development of geothermal. • Private investors invited for power production.

  13. Biomass Energy The resource base: • Waste-based • Exploited – animal manures (household biogas), molasses (ethanol), sugar bagasse* (cogeneration) • Un-used – Sisal*, coffee, tea, municipal wastes, rice husks, sugar bagasse*, horticultural wastes, wheat straws, molasses*, market wastes, saw dust, abattoir wastes,. • Plant-based • Exploited - fuelwood and charcoal extensively used • Un-used* - Prosopis Juliflora (ironwood/mesquite), sweet sorghum, water hyacinths, cassava and other liquid biofuels. * = marginally used currently

  14. Sample biomass potentials as estimated by GIZ (GTZ) based on biogas production (2010)

  15. Fuelwood • A larger majority of rural population depend on firewood for fuel (89%). • In year 2000, consumption was 3,394 kg (rural) and 2,701 kg (urban) per household per annum and per capita consumption was 741 and 691 kg respectively. • Kenya experiences a deficit of over 50% of firewood per year • Over 20,000 Institutions also use firewood for catering and water heating. • Most Tea factories also use fuelwood to run their boilers • Other players working with institutions to have woodlots for fuelwood

  16. Charcoal • An important fuel source for urban dwellers (82%). • Mature trees are cut and pyrolized into high quality carbon fuel • Main cause of increased deforestation - source of income for rurals. • Per capita consumption was 156 kg (rural) and 152 kg (urban) - 2000 • Sustainable projects (planting of acacia trees) being implemented in some parts of the country e.g. Bondo (Kisumu), Kitui and Kitengela (Nairobi) areas. • Energy saving stove – Kenya Ceramic Jiko (KCJ) widely distributed in E. Africa

  17. Bagasse cogeneration • Annual sugar bagasse production is over 1.8million tonnes • Mumias sugar, one of the 9 sugar companies has a 35MW capacity bagasse cogeneration unit. 26MW of the generated electricity is fed to the grid Biomass electricity • Some tea companies generate electricity from biomass for internal use • A company by the name Tower power is almost through with feasibility studies for 2No., 11.5MW thermal power plants to run on Prosopis Juliflora (mesquite / ironwood) • Vast plantations of this invasive plant, about 200,000ha are found in Baringo, Garissa and Tana river basin.

  18. Briquettes Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU), used to produce briquettes ‘Kahawa Coal’ from coffee husks. In 2003, Chardust Ltd Kenya, a private Enterprise started briquetting of bagasse in conjunction with Chemelil (a sugar company) and is now producing 5 tonnes/day of Canecoal. UNIDO recently also started briquetting projects in Prosopis Juliflora -invested areas. A 40kVA briquette-run gasifier drives the screw press

  19. Biogas • Biogas use in Kenya is still at domestic level with units averaging from 3 to 15m3 • The Ministry of Energy promotes and demonstrates biogas technology at its Energy Centres spread out throughout the country. • It has in collaboration with JKUAT constructed a 345m3 biogas digester running a 45kW generator and two more others in Maseno and Masinde Muliro Universities • The Ministry intends to pilot production of biogas from flower waste to be used to generate electricity for use by flower firms and export to the grid.

  20. Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP) is implementing a National Domestic Biogas Programme (KENDBIP) under a the African Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP) funded by DFIS – Netherlands. • KENDBIP is to be implemented in 4½ years between 2009 and 2013 with an aim to install 8,000 domestic biogas plants • The project gives an investment subsidy of €240. (KES. 25,000) by subsidizing construction costs. • Over 3,000 units were installed by 2011. • United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has implemented medium scale biogas plants using abattoir and agricultural wastes for power generation. • Kilifi plantations also runs a 150kVA biogas power plant run on sisal wastes and animal manures. • Several other projects are being undertaken by other players.

  21. Advantages of Biogas • Biogas recovery has a 4 fold advantage of producing heat for cooking food, electricity for lighting/entertainment, a cost-effective treatment of organic waste and provision of cheap fertilizer for the farms. • Using biogas for cooking improves in-door-air quality preventing diseases caused by smoke from firewood, i.e. lung diseases • Reduces workload by saving time spent in looking for firewood to cook, especially for rural women and children. • It improves education for children in rural areas where there is not access to electricity • Substitutes woodfuel and charcoal use hence reduces depletion of natural resources like forests and soils • It improves household hygiene and health conditions of the users • Reduces GHGs and offers an opportunity for selling carbon credits • Larger units help improve agricultural production

  22. Key challenges for biogas • High Poverty levels limit adoption of the technology. • There are still few trained masons leading to project failures • Donor syndrome as most biogas are associated with donor-aid • Low awareness levels of the technology among the communities. • High cost of construction materials raises the cost of construction • Availability of reliable & quality biogas appliances is still a challenge. • Fugitive gas problems – ignorant release of gas during operations. • The fire place “complex” – many people are attached to the fire for space heating which biogas doesn’t provide. • Water scarcity • De-linking biogas consumption with production

  23. Liquid Biofuels - Bio-ethanol • Bioethanol in Kenya was considered an alternative energy source in 1970s. • A power alcohol factory was established in Kisumu to run on surplus molasses from sugar companies in 1978 but was not operationized. • In 2003, the state owned firm was sold to Spectre International Inc. • Today, Potable alcohol & industrial methanol is produced for beverage, medical & industrial applications. • Spectra International (SIL) and Agro-Chemical & Food Company Ltd (ACFC) are the key players producing 22millio-lts and 18million-lts respectively per year (2008) • Plans are underway to produce bioethanol from sweet sorghum and cassava. • A draft bioethanol policy is already in place and an E10 pilot is yet to start in Kisumu, Eldoret and Nakuru • A local NGO, PAC (formerly ITDG) is making field trials on stoves

  24. Liquid Biofuels - Biodiesel • Biodiesel is currently produced for local consumption mainly on small scale, from jatropha, castor , croton and yellow oreander • Most of the main plants existed before consideration as fuel crops and several pilot projects have been established in different areas in the country with over 4.2 million Jatropha seedlings distributed to small/large scale farmers. • Key players in jatropha include; Vanilla Development Foundation (1.19m seedlings), Green Africa Foundation (3m seedlings), Magadi Soda Company (10ha), GEF, Policy Innovation Systems for Clean Energy Security (PISCES – policy issues). • A draft biodiesel policy is already in place and a Kenya Biodiesel Association formed.

  25. Opportunities with liquid Biofuels • Diversification of rural energy supply mix • Improvement of agricultural returns and rural economies • Value addition of agricultural produce (farm-gate quality) • Improvement of local infrastructure • Reduction on oil imports • Reduction of GHGs from fossil oil emissions • Improvement of the health of women and children (in-door-air) • Child education improvements where there is no electricity • Conservation of soils susceptible to erosion • Conservation of the forests and environment • Investments in biofuels could facilitate transfer of technology

  26. Key risks with liquid Biofuels • Large scale commercial projects – These are considered huge untested experiments characterized by mechanisation, fertilizer and herbicide use, displacement of local people, loss of biodiversity and CO2 sinks • Climate change market driven systems & FDI – Climate change related policies have seen developed nations grab lands in more vulnerable developing countries. • Land tenure systems & laws – Land tenure systems/laws in most developing countries are weak, unclear and uncoordinated. This creates room for corrupt deals on land transfers at the expense of the locals.

  27. Risk of failure – Performance of most biofuels has not been tested on marginal lands and production may not be guaranteed. • Knowledge gaps and climate change – Viable biofuels varieties and production rates under specific conditions not researched. Africa is increasingly becoming susceptible to prolonged floods and droughts • Increased vulnerability of women and children – Land is mainly owned by men and this poses the risk of disposing land to investors or substituting it for biofuels in place of food. • Competition with other resources – Biofuels will require land and water. This encroaches on food, forests and pasture land.

  28. Conclusion Relevance of Biomass – Kenyan context • Biomass as an energy resource, is locally available • Biomass use reduces dependence on foreign fossil fuel supplies • Reduces waste accumulation in homes, shopping centres and towns • Enhances job creation in rural areas and hence rural development • Optimises land use • Promotes development of local skills • Provides additional income to agriculture and expands markets for agricultural produce • Increases national energy security by providing domestic power. • Reduces GHGs emissions

  29. Key challenges to its Development • Lack of clear, objective, ‘forward-looking’ Government policy implementation • Fragmented incompatible sectoral policies • Lack of biomass energy resource potential assessment/mapping • Quick-return biomass projects that compromise other natural resource use options and the environment • Lack of technical know-how/capacity • Current incentives not good enough for investors • Biomass – ‘a poor man’s, dirty and domestic energy source’ mentality

  30. Thank you for Listening!

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