The West African Infrastructure Organisation S.A. (WAIO S.A.) collaborates with the government of Benin to produce a Biomass Energy Project. The site is located in the city of Kandi.
The country has an urgent need for increased energy supply. This need is a direct result of the successful economic development projects undertaken by the country during the last decade. While it is possible to access additional energy supplies from fossil fuel sources it was the desire of the government, in collaboration with WAIO S.A., to investigate the feasibility of producing power from renewable sources as an alternative to increased purchase of fossil fuel generated power, and as a possibility to provide the nation with highly needed green power.
The WAIO S.A. project will serve to reduce the energy dependence of the country and demonstrate the country’s opportunity for improving the environmental sustainability of the energy sector as biomass is seen as the best approach for the country to develop its renewable energy resources.
The used technology is based on the valorisation of dry biomass resources such as agricultural residues into electricity and heat through gasification and pyrolysis. Gasification through Pyrolysis has a higher efficiency than direct burning of wood fuels. The burning of wood and the use of boilers possesses an energy efficiency of roughly 17 %. Pyrolysis has an energy efficiency of 25 % and co-generates heat that can be used for food processing and other agro-industrial processes. Charcoal is produced as a by-product of Pyrolysis, which can be used as a fertilizer to improve crop yields. In pyrolysis, dry biomass is partially burned. Through this chemical process, gas is created. This gas is cleaned and used to power generators, which in turn produce electricity. Therefore, pyrolysis is an elegant and cost effective solution for Benin. It improves access to electricity in rural areas and has a positive influence on crop yields. In general, through the use of the pyrolysis technology it is possible to generate new employment and keep the value added within the country.
Gasification and pyrolysis is a new concept in Benin. Therefore, the project will be executed with the assistance of NOVIS GmbH, a highly experienced German company. NOVIS will provide the technical management of the project for the first five years and will train all the staff in the operation of the plant and for the maintenance of the system. Once the employees have been adequately trained, they will undergo a test, and those that succeed will receive certification from the Chamber of Commerce. NOVIS GmbH assumes the technical risks in the project, therefore it will ensure a proper sourcing of the equipment, the engineering, and provide all the guidance for proper maintenance and repair.
Besides this pilot phase in Benin, NOVIS GmbH is cooperating with WAIO and the Government of Benin to develop other biomass projects all over the country to cover the electricity needs and reducing dependency on energy imports.