CIRAD supporting the use of bioenergy to help Burkina Faso agri SMEs
In Burkina Faso, last July in Bobo-Dioulasso, a small and medium enterprise (SME) producing dried mangoes started up a new type of dryer using heat generated by burning cashew nut shells. Using agrifood waste as an energy source is the challenge being tackled by the BioStar project being conducted by some ten African and European research and development partners. After more than two years of collaboration, the first item of equipment developed has been successfully installed and used by an SME, AgroBurkina.
Sixteen SMEs in Burkina Faso and Senegal are involved in the project, as pilot enterprises. In July, the first bioenergy equipment was installed at AgroBurkina, which produces dried mangoes. AgroBurkina is convinced of the technology’s merits, and is already planning to install another, larger-capacity bioenergy-fuelled dryer made by local manufacturers. Identical equipment is also due to be produced locally and installed at three other pilot mango drying units in Burkina Faso and Senegal.
Nevertheless, burning shells to produce energy often generates a lot of smoke. The team therefore decided to work towards a less polluting solution. The work was done at the BioWooEB energy platform in Montpellier, in collaboration with Burkinabe and Senegalese scientific partners in Ouagadougou, Bobo Dioulasso and Saint Louis. The partnership led to the construction of a furnace capable of burning cashew nut shells to produce hot water that subsequently fuels a mango dryer.
The switch to heat produced using bioenergy rather than by burning fossil gas meant adapting the dryers. This was done at the QUALISUD research unit’s agrifood technology platform, in collaboration with the scientific partners.
Category: Fuels
