Fullwell Mill is a UK-based SME that processes dried fruits and nuts. It works with partners in Africa to add value to crops through drying, grinding, and other processes. Developing renewable energy solutions is a key focus to address the challenges small businesses face regarding reliable and affordable energy (Paragraphs 1-3). Fullwell Mill has developed several biomass and solar energy systems appropriate for small-scale use, including biogas from mango waste, heat from cashew shells, and solar dryers. These solutions improve efficiency and sustainability while reducing reliance on wood and other fuels (Paragraphs 4-6). Gasification is an efficient technology that produces energy from various waste materials to use for processing. Fullwell Mill aims

1. Appropriate energy
solutions for agri-food
processing SMEs
Neil Bianchi
Energy & Appropriate Technologies Project Coordinator
Fullwell Mill Ltd, UK
neilbianchi@fullwellmill.co.uk
www.tropicalwholefoods.co.uk
www.fullwellmill.co.uk

2. Who are Fullwell Mill?
UK-based SME manufacturer of dried fruit & nut
products with its own Fair Trade brand Tropical
Wholefoods
Purchasing 150 MT of value-added produce from
five Fair Trade partner exporters served by around
12,000 farmers
Focus on Organic & Fairtrade with strong social &
environmental aims

3. Working in Burkina Faso with key partners on dried mango
and cashew production, Uganda on dried pineapple,
banana & mushroom
Development of appropriate renewable energy
solutions is a key activity part of ongoing work with
exporter SMEs
Food-Energy:
Where we have focused most of our work and attention,
due to the nature of our business processing dried fruits &
nuts
Water-Food & Energy-Water:
Both link closely to irrigation which we feel is incredibly
important, especially in an area such as the Sahel, and is
an area to build on with further work
Linking water, food & energy

4. Why is Fullwell Mill interested in developing SMEs ?
Helping smallholder farmers & communities develop
by adding value and generating a high quality
product
However, most basic forms of value addition involve
some post-harvest processes, including some of the
following:
Grinding
Drying
Steaming
Heating
Sterilisation
Milling
Shelling/Cracking
Packaging

5. There are a great number of challenges for the SME:
Access to markets
Small Production Volumes
Limited ability to invest in
state-of-the-art technology
Geographic constraints
Stable & Affordable
Energy Source
Waste Management
Product marketing
Access to capital
These are productive activities that generally
require equipment and an energy source

6. • Mango waste from the drying process
converted to biogas : gas used for drying,
cooking in Burkina Faso
• Cashew shell waste converted to heat : used
for cashew steaming, cashew drying and fruit
drying in Burkina Faso
• Solar dryers for pineapple and banana in
Uganda
• Mushroom stoves improving the efficiency of
mushroom sterilisation in rural Western
Uganda
Since 2010 we have focussed on developing
Renewable and Waste-to-Energy solutions and
improving the processing efficiency of SMEs

7. Mango waste converted to
biogas: gas used for fruit drying

8. Improved Solar Tunnel dryers
for pineapple and banana in
Uganda

9. Cashew shells
converted to heat:
only 25% of shell
waste used for
cashew cooking,
steaming and
drying
No longer using:
• Wood
• Butane

10. System replicated at three
satellite women’s SME
cashew processors:
supplies all heating
requirements
75% excess of shells results
in other possibilities for
energy use:
• Fruit drying
• Vegetable oil processing
• Bakeries

11. Mango dried using cashew
nut shells
Gasifier Technology
adapted for small
cashew SMEs and
fruit drying (mango,
papaya)
Dried Mango
Fruit drying
systems

12. Gasification : advantages
Accessible technology solution applicable to both small-
scale processes as well as larger, industrial settings
Efficient energy production from a wide variety of organic
waste materials
Ability to treat difficult to handle organic residues for example:
Cashew shells – oily & smoky combustion
Rice husks – low density & small particle size
Coffee pulps – low density & high moisture content
Coffee husks – low density & small particle size
Energy produced used for a range of applications:
mechanical, electrical, heating

13. Gasification : the principle
High temperature thermal decomposition of biomass to
produce combustible gas (syngas)
Uses wood and agricultural residues as fuel source:
 Basic system to generate heat, or
 Integrated system to generate mechanical,
electrical energy and heat recovery
Charcoal / biochar produced as a by-product

14. BIOMASS
CHARCOAL
/ BIOCHAR
GASIFICATION HEAT
HEAT
+ Biochar/Charcoal
Clean combustion of
volatile gases
heating boiler

15. Rice husk gasifier system in
India
Local demand for electricity
met by gasifier system
One 35 kW plant can supply electricity to 400 homes:
→ Uses 10 t of rice husk per month
→ Electricity can be used for multiple purposes
→ Installation cost $1,000 per kWh
→ Technology transferable to rice producing areas of West
Africa and adaptable to other types of biomass
Husk powered electricity generation

16. Technologies designed to suit SME scale, not
micro or large businesses. They are always
developed with the following at the forefront of
our minds:
• Low upfront cost.
• Able to be built and repaired locally.
• Robust and easy to use.
• As efficient and with as short a payback
period as possible.
• Some trade-off between efficiency and the
other parameters make the solution ‘work’
from all angles.

17. • Spread awareness of technologies with as many
relevant SMEs as possible.
• Lack of access to appropriate and affordable finance
remains a major obstacle to uptake.
• Appropriate subsidies and cost sharing arrangements,
and effective demonstrating of solutions are all also key
parts of the puzzle that to achieve the required critical
mass of adoption.
• Seeking new opportunities to learn, and share our
learning, as well as to collaborate on projects and
assignments, so please come and find and talk to me,
or contact me after this event.
Perspectives

18. • Sustainable energy production
• Opportunity to develop region-leading know-how &
technical capacity in biomass gasification
technology.
• Established, accessible technology adaptable to
various organic-waste producing industries at small,
medium and industrial-scale.
• Sustainable, long-term model of domestic
fabrication, installation and development of industry
• West Africa-appropriate technology – potential
markets in the wider region to tap into.
Long-term Outcomes and Benefits

19. Appropriate energy
solutions for agri-food
processing SMEs
Neil Bianchi
Energy & Approprate Technology Project Coordinator
Fullwell Mill Ltd, UK
neilbianchi@fullwellmill.co.uk
www.tropicalwholefoods.co.uk
www.fullwellmill.co.uk
Thank you