Kibabii University (Kenya), in partnership with the University of Huddersfield (UK), has gained funding for a 2-year project with Carbon Footprint Limited, located along Webuye-Kakamega Road (Kenya). The KTP project aims to Optimise Sugarcane Supply Chain Through Sustainable Bagasse Drier Solution in Sugarcane Waste Management by developing a sustainable off-grid drying technology for processing a highly toxic agricultural food waste product (Bagasse) so as to improve the livelihoods of the local rural communities through provision of affordable clean energy (Charcoal Briquettes from Bagasse) and access to pollution-free land for crop growing. Kibabii University, in partnership with the University of Huddersfield, will build capacity of staff in prototype design, development, fabrication, installation and implementation of the bagasse drying technology. This will be used to help teach Renewable Energy students. Kibabii University, in partnership with the University of Huddersfield, will also enhance its linkages with industry and will gain hands-on-experience in such project management. This project will also demonstrate to industries in Africa the value of linking up with a university to revitalizing supply chain operation and systems. The desire to develop a new multi-disciplinary Sustainable Technology Implementation MSc Course at the University of Huddersfield will be enhanced by using this project as one of the case studies that will be fundamental in examining various challenges in developing and implementing new technologies in developing countries.
Bagasse is an agricultural by-product derived from the sugarcane milling process. The current disposal method dumps bagasse-solid waste on to huge tracts of agricultural land, resulting into a toxic juice (leachate) which burns crops on farms and percolates into wells and streams, thus destroying the water sources.
The project aligns to the following Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 17: (Partnerships for Achieving Common Goals) where Kibabii University seeks to engage its partners locally and internationally to upscale the production of clean energy through eco-friendly processes; SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy): Kibabii University seeks to generate affordable and clean energy for every household in Western Kenya and beyond; SDG 13: (Climate Action) through the promotion of alternative bio-energy sources (sugarcane bagasse for briquette production saving on felling of trees for wood fuel); and SDG 3: (Good health and Well-Being) through the promotion of clean energy that lowers the risk of respiratory diseases and health issues relating to environmental pollution.
Carbon Footprint Limited’s (Our partner) current efforts to process this agri-food waste product (Bagasse) into clean fuel source (Charcoal Briquettes) is through a manual drying process which is labour intensive and dry weather dependent. The project therefore seeks to mechanize this process and develop an innovative bagasse drying technology suitable for local application. This technology needs to be developed using design for sustainability principles, enabling the company to power it through alternative energy sources ensuring that it can be maintained without skilled engineers.
This innovative technological solution, powered by sustainable energy, is expected to solve the problem of huge sugarcane production waste and mitigate its polluting effects on the local communities and the crop-growing land and water.
The project’s ambition is to design, test and operate then replicate to supply this technology to other Kenyan briquette producers to effectively tackle the ever-growing mountains of sugarcane waste.
