An overview of the energy source from Biomass

1. AN OVERVIEW OF THE
ENERGY SOURCES FROM
BIOMASS
SAIDU MUHAMMAD MAISHANU.
Sokoto Energy Research Centre,
(Energy Commission of Nigeria)
Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria.
Presentation at a 5-day Training Workshop on Solar Thermal and
Biomass Energy Systems, held at the Sokoto Energy Research
Centre, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria, from
2nd -6th December, 2019
BY

2. WHAT IS BIOENERGY ?
❑ BIOENERGY is a renewable energy which is organic
in nature and found in the bodies of plants and animals.
It is the energy derived through the process of
photosynthesis and food webs and stored in living and
dead organics such as plants, animals, or waste
products from organic sources.
❑ It is the largest source of renewable energy that human
race has known and exploited since the beginning of
human history to the present day.
INTRODUCTION

3. A. BIOENERGY
Bioenergy is categorized into two:
1. Traditional Bioenergy: -unprocessed biomass
including agricultural residues, wood and
charcoal.
❑ The energy is obtained by complete combustion
of the biomass in the presence of oxygen
2. Modern Bioenergy: -modern methods of
processing of biomass into:
❑ Densified and dried solid fuels (briquettes), or
❑ Conversion into solids, liquids or gaseous fuels.

4. Examples of sources of Traditional Bioenergy
TRADITIONAL BIOENERGY ….CAN BE MADE
BETTER IF SOLD
TOGETHER
WITH
IMPROVED
WOODSTOVES
OR RAISE
ENERGY
PLANTATIONS….
OR
CHEAPER OPTION MORE EXPENSIVE OPTION

5. SOME BIOENERGY DEVICES DEVELOPED AT SERC
These are energy-saving devices which include improved woodstoves,
sawdust stoves and charcoal stoves.
Improved woodstoves made from
potters clay
Customized Sawdust stove made
from metal.
Improved charcoal stove
made from clay and metal

6. ❖About 3.4 billion people in the world rely of fuelwood as the their primary
source of cooking fuel.
❖In Nigeria, about 80% of the population rely on fuelwood (160m people)
PROBLEMS OF RELIENCE ON FUELWOOD USING TRADITIONAL
INEFFICIENT STOVES
• Deforestation, desert encroachment, soil erosion and land degradation
• Global warming through greenhouse gas emissions
• Health problems such as respiratory ailments, eye problems and cancer (95,000
Nigerians die annually from these)
ADVANTAGES OF IMPROVED WOODSTOVES
• Less hazardous on the environment if accompanied with afforestation
• Save cooking time by half
• Save fuelwood usage by half
• Preserve the health of the user by getting rid of the smoke through the chimney

7. Energy Forestry.
• This is the raising of fast-growing trees for energy
purposes.
• Many private companies, individuals are doing this
for money.
• Governments NGOs and International bodies like
UNDP are already into this to save our environment.
• We must do this for sustainable bioenergy
production in Nigeria.
Biomass Densification (Briquettes Production)
• Briquettes are densified organic matter that are high
energy carriers made from organic wastes such as
sawdust, rice and millet husks etc.
• The business of briquettes production has a lot of
potential markets that are still untapped in Nigeria.
Biomass for energy use
Briquettes-making machine

8. ADVANTAGES OF IMPROVED WOODSTOVES
• Less hazardous on the environment if accompanied with afforestation
• Save cooking time by half
• Save fuelwood usage by half
• Preserve the health of the user by getting rid of the
smoke through the chimney
20L Improved woodstove with a chimney, can cook for 10 to 20
persons.

9. A. BIOENERGY (CONTD)
2. Modern bioenergy:- Is biomass energy that may
be derived by
✓burning biomass directly such as in steam boilers,
✓processed into densified and dried solid fuels, or
✓converted into other liquids or gaseous fuels.
MODERN BIOENERGY CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES
• These include Biochemical conversion,
Thermochemical and Mechanical conversions

11. Insulated Rocket stove
1 m3 Plastic small-size-family
digester, made from 2 plastic
water tanks. It comes with
biogas stove. Can serve a
family of 2 to 3 persons.
Low-pressure biogas
stove-sold with
biogas stove

12. 20m3 biogas digester under construction. Can provide
cooking gas for a family of 5-10 persons for a month.
Lifespan: up to 20 years. Training for construction
and operation available. Price between N700, 000 to
N1million depending on inflation. Good for families,
institutions and farms
2. BIOFUELS – NEW AND FUTURE
BUSINESS IN BIOENERGY
• Modern forms of transportation fuels
that will replace the fossil fuels like
petrol and diesel.
• Bioethanol made from sugar-containing
plants, like sugar cane, cassava, maize,
corn etc.
• Biodiesel made from plants that contain
oil such as palm oil, Jatropha, Soya
bean, etc.
• Processed bioethanol and biodiesel have
huge market potentials in Nigeria and
globally. More information from the
Note: Nigeria is leading the African
continent in biofuels production. Already,
several biofuel projects have taken off in
Lagos and Ogun state to produce bioethanol
from cassava. Also Nigeria signed contracts
to build 10 big biofuel refineries in several

13. Biogas synthesis pathway
1. CH3COOH CH4 + CO2 Acetic acid
is cleaved into methane and carbon
dioxide
2. CO2 + 4H2 CH4 + 2H2O Carbon dioxide
is reduced to methane and water
➢ Biogas is first generated in an
anaerobic digester for heating,
lighting and electricity generation
➢ It is further purified for use as
transport fuel
AND/OR
Fig. 10 Stages of Anaerobic digestion
Final stages of anaerobic digestion process
STAGES OF BIOGAS PRODUCTION
❑ HYDROLYSIS
❑ FERMENTATION
❑ ACIDO-/ACETO-GENESIS
❑ METHANOGENESIS

14. Biodiesel synthesis pathway
(Trans-esterification)
Fig. 9 Trans-esterification pathway
▪ Up to 10% of biodiesel and 90% of gasoline are mixed to produced
biodiesel fuel for transport.

15. Fig. 8 Grain-to-ethanol process. (DDGS means Distillers dry grains soluble)
Bioethanol synthesis pathway
Ethanol is mixed with unleaded
gasoline in ratios to produce
bioethanol transport fuel (gasohol)
e.g. E10 contains 10% ethanol and
90% gasoline. Others are: E5, E10,
E85, E93 etc.

16. BIOENERGY FEEDSTOCK BUSINESS OPTION
• These are various plant materials processed to produce
biofuels
• There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd Generation Feedstock.
• 1st Generation- Mostly food plants such as Maize, Sugar
cane, Corn, Palm oil, Ground nut oil, Soya Bean, etc.
• 2nd Generation- Mostly non-edible plants such as
Jatropha, Switch grass, Maize cobs, Plant stalks, Wood
etc.
• 3rd Generation- Mostly non-edible smaller or
microscopic plants such as Algae and other new emerging
biomass feedstock.

17. Sugar cane Cassava
Maize
Jatropha curcas
Some common feedstock that will be of high demand
for new and emerging bio-refineries in Nigeria.
Top and Bottom: Briquettes
made from loose biomass,
e.g. rice husk, sawdust
A PROFITABLE
OPTION FOR RICE
AND OTHER
GRAIN MILLERS
TO REDUCE
ENERGY
COSTS……

18. CONCLUSION
A lot of opportunities are now available in
Nigeria to conduct research or invest in
bioenergy because there are a lot of
modern and efficient devices, biofuels are
now on high demand, their feedstock is
readily available and is renewable, its
price is becoming cheaper and easy to
access.

19. THANK YOU