Title: Biogas in the Multifunctional Platform: Renewable energy for rural development in Koulikoro region, Mali

Location: Koulikoro region, Mali

Duration: 2 years

Partners: Mali Biocarburant SA, ANADEB

Project description

The Multifunctional Platform (MFP) is a stand-alone power unit providing mechanical and electrical energy access for rural communities. It consists of a low speed diesel engine that can drive a number of applications such as cereal mills, oil presses or alternators to recharge batteries. An MFP can free up time by mechanizing intensive tasks that disproportionately fall on women and girls. Hence, such access to energy services is particularly important for empowering women and increasing girls’ opportunities for education. In Mali alone, to date more than 680 MFPs have been installed; the overall  results are positive and the vast majority of installations is operational. Similar national programmes have started in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana and other countries in Africa.

Picture: Multifunctional Platform engine

Diesel fuel constitutes the single largest operational cost component of an MFP and remains a logistic hurdle for many MFPs located in rural areas. Although diesel consumption of a single MFP is relatively modest, that of thousands of units is not and GHG emissions can be considerable. These factors produce a real need to diversify the sources of energy for the MFP. One important effort has been to experiment with vegetable oils as fuels in a number of MFP units in Mali, which has been moderately successful.

Another option that has not been explored yet is the use of biogas to replace part of the diesel consumption. A small biogas system, installed next to an MFP unit, could decrease diesel consumption with some 50-75%. In addition, the effluents from the biogas system can be used as organic fertilizer in nearby vegetable gardens. Basic conditions that would have to be met are a continuous supply of biomass (e.g. animal manure and residues of vegetable origin) and sufficient availability of water.

Objectives

The main objective of the project is to field-test the production of biogas and its use as an MFP fuel in five villages in Mali. The project is to provide operational experience with the biogas production and its use, the application of digester effluent as fertilizer, and lead to improvements in both the digester model as the MFP engine adaptations. It should ultimately lead to an uptake of biogas use for MFPs in Mali and elsewhere in Africa, thereby improving the economics of MFP operations and reducing the energy dependency of rural communities.

Outputs

The expected outputs are:

1. 5 complete village biogas systems of 25 m3 each, providing biogas to the village MFP. The digesters can produce some 12 m3 of biogas per day, which is sufficient to replace some 6 litres of diesel during a full day of operations.
2. Extension of the services of the 5 MFP’s with presses (50 kg/h) and battery charging stations (5 batteries/day).
3. An analysis of the results of the operation of the units in the villages, disseminated to other MFP villages and relevant organisations in the field.

Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries of the pilot project are the inhabitants of the selected villages, in particular the MFP clients and the operators of the MFP and, through them, their families. The cost reductions will allow lower prices for the MFP services, and/or better wages for the operators.

Picture: Village women operating an MFP

This project is part of a larger project, aimed at introducing biogas in rural areas in combination with decentralised processing of jatropha seeds. Within the overall project, apart from the five (smaller) MFP sites, also five larger sites will be fitted with biogas installations and generator sets, for supplying a range of energy services including battery charging, agro-processing and minigrid electrification. The larger sites will be operated under commercial conditions; they are not included in this DOEN application. However, the synergy created by combining the smaller and larger parts benefits both, in terms of project management, local technical backup, Technical Assistance and (international) travel costs. The full proposal has been submitted to the Daey Ouwens Fund (DOF) of Agentschap NL for additional funding.