Alternate Energy, Bio Fuel, Biomass, Biomass Briquette

Waste to Energy: Cocoa Pod Husk Briquettes & Pellets

Amrit Khater

In the World’s least developed countries, solid fuel is the primary cooking fuel for over 80% of the population. Indoor air pollution ranks in the top four leading risk factors for death worldwide. Furthermore, urban demand for wood-based fuels such as charcoal drives unsustainable, large-scale deforestation. Ultimately, the byproducts of biomass combustion—which is often incomplete due to poor combustion conditions, find their way into the atmosphere in the form of emissions which are toxic and/or contribute to global climate change.

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Conventional Energy Used For Cooking in Ghana

However, turning organic waste into clean-burning biomass briquettes not only helps save forests and biodiversity and cuts greenhouse gas emissions, it also reduces the levels of indoor pollution households are exposed to.

Cocoa makes a very important contribution to the economy of the country. It is the dominant cash crop and the single most important export product in Ghana. Cocoa production occurs in the forested areas, namely Western, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central, Eastern region, and Volta Regions, and covers roughly 1.75 million ha.

There is more to cacao than chocolates. Processing cacao generates lots of cacao husks (which is 77% of cacao pod’s weight) can be used as fuel briquettes. Traditionally, cacao farmers collect only cacao beans leaving the husks unutilized and generates foul odour and serves as inoculum of black pod rot and pathogens. One of the residues produced after removal of the cocoa bean from the fruit is cocoa pod husk (CPH) which has a high heating value as much as17.0MJ/kg.

cocoa husk
Cocoa Husk

Converting cacao pod husk into fuel briquettes adds value to cacao production at the same time promotes proper waste disposal and or recycling.

HiTech Agro focuses on increasing the access to modern forms of renewable energy. We do this by making smart and clean technologies, such as biomass pellets, biomass briquettes, equipments related to biomass processing and solid waste management, and we try to make it accessible to economically-deprived people in remote areas.

Contact us for more information.

Published by Amrit Khater

Young individual possessing good understanding of Biomass, MSW & HSW processing and densification systems (drying, grinding, briquetting, pelletising). Have been involved in technical sales and marketing of state of the art biomass processing and densification equipments for both large and small scale plants. Core member of the team providing technology solutions (automation, process optimization, interphase designing etc) for biomass plants. Initiated the development of a number of new systems like the portable briquetting plant, low cost efficient grinding systems with dust filters, Sand & Stone Separation System Feeding System for Biomass Fired Boilers and MSW Plants Entrepreneurial initiatives include manufacturing efficient densified biomass cook stoves and also setting up of medium capacity pellet plant for densification of fibrous biomass. Extensive ground work has helped built a good understanding of innovative projects like processing of Palm EFB, Coconut fronds, Charcoal residues, CPH, green garden wastes, spent grains, sugarcane trash, rice straw to name a few. 8 yrs of experience in marketing of processed fuels like biomass granules, pellets, briquettes for different combustion systems like fixed grate, fluidized bed, travelling grate boilers and gasifiers.

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