Project Lead(s): Alex Tumukunde
Issue
Globally 2.5 billion people cannot afford proper waste collection services. In addition, inefficient cooking with low-quality charcoal leads to indoor air pollution, from which nearly two million people die prematurely every year.
Removing garbage that clogs drainage systems would significantly reduce flooding in Kampala suburbs, decreasing the incidence of waterborne illness, mosquito breeding sites and loss of life, as well as pollution of the Lake Victoria watershed.
Exposure to smoke is linked to many acute and chronic lung diseases. By switching from burning biomass to using affordable biogas, concentrations of indoor air pollutants can be significantly reduced.
Solution
Implemented in Kampala, Uganda, the purpose of the project was to conduct a feasibility study for various models of sustainable waste management using biogas technology.
The approaches tested included:
· Using compressed biogas generated from municipal solid waste into liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters, offering a clean-burning source of affordable and renewable cooking fuel
· Assessment of electricity generation from biogas on a small scale
· Assessment of bioslurry as organic fertilizer and soil amendment
· Assessment of organic waste and bioslurry briquetting.
The project demonstrated that it is viable to use waste in briquette production.
However, using compressed biogas generated from municipal solid waste in LPG canisters for use as a cooking fuel was not viable, as LPG and methane (biogas) have fundamentally different physical and chemical properties.
The volume of biogas produced through this approach was barely sufficient for two hours of light cooking, and the sulfide content of biogas corroded and weakened the LPG tanks, making long-term use of the tanks dangerous for urban dwellers.
Assessment of electricity generation from biogas at a small scale was also not viable, as the high costs of transportation made it difficult to identify a scenario where a micro-entrepreneur would return a positive cash flow on his or her investment.
The assessment of bioslurry as organic fertilizer and soil amendment is currently incomplete.
The Ira and Ineva Baldwin Service Learning Project ($63,000 US) scaled up the project for the construction of a micro-scale biogas system at an under-served school in Uganda and for the training of five American and five Ugandan undergraduates in community engagement.
A Wisconsin Energy Institute Seed Grant ($15,000 US) provided funding for the testing of business models associated with electrical generation at micro-scale biogas systems.
For the training of electrical engineering students, USAID Development Innovations Ventures contributed $110,000 US.The project team is considering applying to further scale up the project to produce briquettes and is in discussions with social impact investors for matching funds.