Kenya does wonder turns invasive weed into fuel
The project has so far provided 50 of the “Flexi Biogas” devices to homes in the city of Kisumu in western Kenya.
A project in Kenya is using biogas technology to attack two major pollution problems with one device: a machine that changes waste such as invasive water hyacinth into cleaner cooking fuel. Read in detail…
Biogas International, a Kenyan energy technology company, is partnering with drug maker AstraZeneca and the Institute for Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge.
The project has so far provided 50 of the “Flexi Biogas” devices to homes in the city of Kisumu in western Kenya. The device is called a “digester” because it breaks down plant waste to produce gas. The digesters will permit families to stop using wood or charcoal, both of which produce dangerous smoke. People will also be able to cook foods faster using the gas.
Some of the families received a gas stove as part of the project, to replace their jiko – a stove that uses charcoal. Many of the digesters were also given out for free. The company paid the cost.
Invasive species
Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don’t belong in their new environment. Invasive species can lead to the extinction of native plants and animals, destroy biodiversity, and permanently alter habitats.
Hyacinth threat to water organisms
The machines process plant waste such as ground-up water hyacinth. That plant has covered large parts of Lake Victoria, a freshwater lake between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The weed-like plant harms living things in the lake including fish. The plants also help bacteria and mosquitoes increase, causing health risks to local communities.
Faster cooking
The Flexi Biogas devices use 2-3 kilograms of water hyacinth scraped from the lake to produce gas. After the plant waste produces gas, it can be put on other plants as food. The owner of the device can sell extra gas or plant waste.
The fuel powers a stove that can make a meal of corn and beans in around four hours. Water hyacinth is a blessing in disguise for many locals. But at a cost of $650, most families in the city do not have enough money to buy the device. The World Bank put the Gross Domestic Product per person in Kenya at just over $1,800 in 2020.
Larger versions
Two larger versions of the equipment are still in the testing phase. They would produce clean fuel on a larger scale for restaurants, chicken farms and fish drying facilities in the area. An example of a large system is in place at the Ngong Market and is shown on the company’s Facebook page.
Now you can get handpicked stories from Telangana Today on Telegram everyday. Click the link to subscribe.
Click to follow Telangana Today Facebook page and Twitter .
