Bioenergy is playing its role in fighting climate change in Africa WBA board members meeting Cabinet Secretary Judi Wakhungu in Nairobi, Kenya, from left: Benard Muok, Hazir Farouk, Karin Haara, Tanay Sidki Uyar, Judi Wakhungu, Heinz Kopetz and Andrew Lang. Bioenergy International No 80, 4-2015 43 WBA ALSO ATTENDED THE ‘Low carbon Africa: Pathways out of energy poverty’ workshop. On the first day, Ms Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Kenya declared Africa Sustainability Hub open. Discussions were on poverty and “low carbon energy”: low emissions and climate resilient development. Dr Hazir Farouk (Professor at Sudan University of Technology) also shared her experience with biogas development in Sudan. The second day involved breakout sessions focusing on knowledge gaps in achieving propoor energy access. Participants provided inputs on gaps in engineering, financing, user needs, geography and politics and ways to address them. WBA played its part in involving bioenergy in the discussions. The final day was dedicated to field trips. The first stop was at KIRDI (Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute). WBA got first-hand experience of testing and certification of cook stoves using charcoal, wood fuel, ethanol, etc. before they enter the Kenyan market. Later, WBA visited Flexi Biogas – a flexible biogas digester using plant and animal waste to produce biogas. With a cost of KSH 14 000 (≈US$147) per m³ of biogas, the product has sold close to 2 000 units in Kenya, Rwanda and Cameroon. The final visit was to Keekonyokie slaughterhouse in Kiserian. They had installed a 126 m³ biogas digester, which is fed with wastes from the slaughter of Masai tribe cattle. Financially supported by KIRDI, the biogas is being sold in cylinders to replace the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking. Biogas provides a sustainable alternative in Africa to replace excessive use of wood fuel, charcoal and fossil fuels, thereby reducing deforestation and climate change. Finally, WBA visited the animal orphanage in Nairobi – as a successful end to the fact-finding mission to Kenya! Text & photos: Bharadwaj Kummamuru Venkata Project Officer WBA www.worldbioenergy.org BI80/4906/AS EVENT WBA and ACTS meeting with Michael Kibue (4th from right), Technical Manager, Keekonyokie Biogas, Kenya Joseph Chage from Biogas International Ltd describing the working of Flexi Biogas systems. Biogas vehicles using fuel from FlexiBiogas systems in Kenya On June 9 the World Bioenergy Association (WBA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Nairobi, Kenya. Dr Heinz Kopetz was reelected as WBA President and four Vice-Presidents were elected.
Bioenergy no 4 july 2015
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