ENERGY FROM BIOMASS & BIOGAS :

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES IN KENYA

OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIOENERGY SOLUTIONS IN THE KENYAN

SUGAR INDUSTRY

Patrick Mugenya

Engineering Manager - South Nyanza Sugar Company Ltd

OVERVIEW The energy sources in Kenya consist of;

• Wood-fuel and other biomass - 68%

- mainly fuel-wood and charcoal used in

households, institutions & SMEs

• Petroleum - 22%

- Wholly dependent on imports; for transportation, industrial/commercial use, etc.

• Electricity - 9%

• Others (coal, etc.) - 1%

OVERVIEW

Available biomass energy resources include;

• Wood – harvested or waste streams

• Biomass waste/residue – MSW, agro-

processing/industries, animal/human waste

• Sugar or starch crops – for bioethanol

production

• Vegetable oils and animal fats – for biodiesel

production

ELECTRICITY

Source of Electric Power

Generation

Installed

Capacity

(MW)

Capacity %

Hydro 761 49.63%

Fossil Fuels 525 34.24%

Geothermal 198 12.91%

Bagasse Cogeneration 26 1.70%

Wind 5.45 0.36%

Isolated Grid 18 1.17%

Total 1,533 100%

• There is a steadily

increasing demand for

electrical energy in the

country. Currently the

installed electricity

generating capacity is as

given in the table.

• 74.5% of generation in

FY2012/2013 was from

renewable resources, with

fossil fuels taking up the

balance of 25.5%

ENERGY & KENYA VISION 2030

• Kenya’s development plan under Vision 2030

anticipates rapid increase in energy demand arising

from economic & social activities that will be

undertaken.

• Peak electricity demand is expected to rise from

1,350MW in 2013, to 3,400MW by 2015 and 5,359MW by

2017.

• To meet this demand, new generation capacity of

5,000MW needs to be developed by 2016.

• It is anticipated that peak demand will be 18,000MW in

2030 against installed capacity of 24,000MW.

ELECTRICITY & KENYA VISION 2030

• The bulk of this generation capacity is expected to

come from fossil fuel sources, geothermal, nuclear,

wind and solar.

• There is however opportunity for bioenergy to

contribute significantly towards meeting this demand

• According to the Ministry of Energy Survey carried out

in 2007, the Kenyan sugar industry has potential to

generate up to 200MW of electricity for export, from

biomass cogeneration.

• This will also help factories drive down he costs of sugar

production

BIOENERGY POTENTIAL IN KENYAN SUGAR INDUSTRY

• There are 11 operating sugar factories in the country

currently,

• One more (Kwale International Sugar Company) is due

for commissioning later this year

• All factories generate process steam and power required

for own use from bagasse.

• Only one factory (Mumias) is currently producing surplus

power for export.

• There is thus a lot of excess bagasse being generated by

the factories.

BIOENERGY POTENTIAL IN KENYAN SUGAR INDUSTRY

• In 2012 a total of 5.8 million tons of sugarcane was

crushed, producing

- 502,600 tons of sugar

- 222,800 tons of molasses, and

- about 1.9 million tons of bagasse

• Molasses from the 10 factories is sold to three operating

distilleries in the country, and the rest to farmers as animal

feeds.

• Other waste materials include filter press-mud (used in

cane fields) and liquid effluent (treated and discharged

into the river)

SATELLITE AERIAL VIEW OF HEAP

SATELLITE VIEW OF EXCESS BAGASSE AT SONYSUGAR

FACTORY

Factory Capacity

(TCD)

1 Mumias Sugar Company

www.mumias-sugar.com

8600

2 South Nyanza Sugar Company

www.sonysugar.co.ke

3000

3 Chemelil Sugar Company

www.chemsugar.co.ke

3000

4 Nzoia Sugar Company

www.nzoiasugar.com

3000

5 Muhoroni Sugar Company

www.musco.co.ke

2200

6 West Kenya Sugar Company 2500

7 Kibos Sugar & Allied Industries

www.kibossugar.co.ke

800*

8 Butali Sugar Mills Ltd 2500

9 Sukari Industries Ltd 1500

10 Transmara Sugar Company

www.transmarasugar.kbo.co.ke

1250

11 Soin Sugar Company 100

SONYSUGAR’S BIOENERGY EXPERIENCE • Established in 1976, South Nyanza Sugar Company is located

in the Migori County of Kenya.

• From the sugar production process, the company generates a number of by-products and wastes (throughout the year) that can potentially be used for energy production;

bagasse, molasses, filter press-mud, and waste-water

• Only bagasse is currently used for energy production through cogeneration.

• Process steam and electricity are generated for in-house use only (4 MWel), and therefore up to 32,000 tons of excess bagasse per annum is left unused.

• Two boilers that were installed in 1979.

SONYSUGAR’S BIOENERGY EXPERIENCE • A low pressure (22bar, 360oC) steam cycle is used, to

generate electricity and exhaust steam at 1.5bar used for process energy requirements

• During 2012/2013 crushing season, a total of 17.1GWh of electricity was generated and consumed.

• In addition, 3.6GWh of energy import from the grid was used (to supply to residential estate).

• Plans are underway to venture into commercial cogeneration as well as ethanol production.

COGENERATION

• SonySugar has concluded feasibility study for a 21MW bagasse-fired cogeneration plant, with 15MW of electricity for export, on firm basis.

• Plant will be based on high pressure (87bar, 515oC) steam system.

• Fuel will come from the 1 million tons of cane to be crushed per annum.

• Power evacuation will be through a 132kV Sub-station to be built next to the factory by KETRACO.

SONYSUGAR COGENERATION SITE

Proposed Power Plant Site is shown on the RHS while the existing 11kV Sub-station (to be upgraded to 132kV) is on the bottom LHS corner

ETHANOL PRODUCTION

• Feasibility study for 35-kilolitres per day (KLPD)

ethanol distillery utilising molasses from the

sugar plant has been completed.

• Environmental Impact Assessment study is

underway.

• The plant will run on energy derived from waste

materials of the distillery and bagasse.

• Incineration of distillery spent wash will produce

process steam and 1.5MW of electricity.

BIOGAS POTENTIAL

• Filter press-mud, another waste product of the

sugar process can be used to produce biogas

to generate electricity.

• A pre-feasibility study in 2011 indicated up to

470kW could be generated from the 18,600

tons of press-mud produced per annum.

• Potential supplemental substrates

can come from domestic waste

and sewage generated by the over

900 families that reside within the

estate.

BIOGAS POTENTIAL