MBSA Biogas Plant

Mali Biocarburant SA (MBSA)

Snapshot
Manufacturing & delivery
Performance & use
Research & standards
Feedback

Product description Brand name and product description

Biogas plant producing electricity for the decentralized oil extraction sites and surrounding rural communities using Jatropha nuts as a reliable fuel.

http://www.malibiocarburant.com

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

Mali and Burkina Faso

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

MBSA with a partnership with FACT Foundation ^{Thesis by Kevin Chapon}

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

Unknown

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

Flexi Biogas, DESI power, Husk Power Systems, Simgas, Tanzania & TNO, TINY Tech biogas plant

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal #7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Target users are farmers (mainly in Mali) with intent to help them acquire more food security and reliable income through sustainable agroforestry systems. MBSA is working with more than 4,000 small Jatropha farmers in three areas of Mali and two areas in Burkina Faso.

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

Manufacturing method is currently on a per demand basis.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

Patented (Patent unknown)

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

MBSA supplies 3 regions of Mali and 2 regions in Burkina Faso.

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

To date, only 1 biogas plant has been implemented.

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

Digester capacity/volume (L)

10,000

Input requirements (volume and frequency)

120 L of water and mass, with solid content no less than 15 %.

Average daily biogas production (m3/day)

2.71

Output gas capacity/volume (L)

Unknown

Output power capacity (kW/kWe)

Unknown

Primary fuel source(s)

Animal dung mixed with Jatropha press cake

Design specifications Component and Operation overview including power, portability, facility requirements, preventative maintenance and user training requirements

*Design and Components* ^{Thesis by Kevin Chapon}

• Plug flow type digester

• Main part is a fibre re-enforced PVC bag of 10 m^3 for anaerobic digestion

• Inlet/outlet dimensions: 110 mm PVC pipe

• Gas connection: 3/4″ thread

• Air input is aquarium pump injecting air in the bag through a small plastic hose

• Small plastic valve controls the air flow in the system

• Electricity supply for the pump is realized by a small PV system of 20W and a battery to store the electricity

Additional Components:

• Condensation Trap

• Flow Meter

• Pressure release system with pressure meter

• Valves: 3 valves are added to the gas network to control the direction of the gas

• Connection to multifunction platform burner

The flat dimensions of the system are 7 x 2.6 m

Digester dimensions: 2.6m x 7.0 m

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Unknown.

Technical support Technical support provided by

Training needs and support provided by MBSA staff

Replacement components Availability of replacement components (in-country, by order,...)

Sourced through MBSA foundation and manufacturing plants. MBSA understands and focuses on the need for simple replacements using in-country supplies. ^{Thesis by Kevin Chapon}

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

Unknown.

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

Unknown.

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

Testing of biogas input and performance and effectiveness of liquid/ solid separation for use as a fertilizer were conducted in 2011 by Kevin Chapon from AVANS Hogeschool working with MBSA and FACT – these are some of the findings:

• The hydraulic retention time of the system is set at 50 days so the daily input of feedstock is 1/50 of the digester volume.

• Wet mixture represents 6 m^3, so the daily input should be 120 liters

• The supply of the digester started with 35 kg of cattle dung associated to 55 liters of water during the first month. The amount of manure was decreased by 5 kg every two weeks while adding Jatropha press cake to the mixture. After two and a half months, the digester was supplied by 15 kg of manure and 8 kg of Jatropha press cake.

• The average daily biogas production is 2.71 m^3/day

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

Testing was done in 2011 on site in Mali (Koulikoro) with MBSA in association with FACT Foundation, a Dutch NGO. ^{Thesis by Kevin Chapon}

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

One of the by-products of the digester is hydrogen sulphide, a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs at a concentration up to 100 ppm ^{Thesis by Kevin Chapon}

Complementary technical systems Performance of this product is improved with another technology (eg. Cookstoves and Wind-blocking skirts)

Performance can be improved through better anaerobic digestion process, general system efficiencies improvements, incorporation of techniques and technologies to allow for various biofuel inputs, increasing biogas conversion rate, reducing water input and/or recovering some of the water through system recycling and re-use. Improving ways to recover and utilize biogas by-products (affluent) as a fertilizer can also lower operation costs, lower payback period and increase farmer’s income. As some power is also required for operation, connecting to a complementary and readily available source of power like solar pv can be very useful ^{Thesis by Kevin Chapon}

Academic research Academic research related to the product (e.g. published papers in peer-reviewed journals)

The most useful and relevant academic paper is by Kevin Chapon from Dutch AVANS School who did his thesis work with MBSA’s biogas system on separation of affluents for fertilizer use: Kevin Chapon, (2011). Utilisation of the effluent of a plug flow digester. Bachelor Environmental Technology & Management Final year project with FACT Foundation. Environmental Technology & Management, Avans University of Applied Science, Breda, Netherlands

As MBSA’s biogas systems are still under development there are no peer reviewed journals on their biogas system, however there are papers on general biofuel development in Mali and use of jatropha nuts that involve MBSA.

• W.M.J. Achten, W.H. Maes, R. Aerts, L. Verchot, A. Trabucco, E. Mathijs, V.P. Singh, B. Muys, (2010). Jatropha: From global hype to local opportunity. Journal of Arid Environments, Volume 74, Issue 1, January 2010, Pages 164-165, ISSN 0140-1963.

• M. Basinger, J. Chen, F. Jeffrey-Coker, F. S. Rodriguez-Sanchez, T. Singer and V. Modi. (2012). Jatropha adoption: a statistical observational study of factors influencing Malian farmers’ decision to grow Jatropha. Agroforestry Systems, Springer Science, DOI: 10.1007/s10457-011-9426-z.

Compliance with regulations Product certifications and standards referenced by designer/manufacturer

None specified by MBSA. FACT Foundation’s mandate is to develop biofuels in accordance with European quality standards ^{Thesis by Kevin Chapon}

Evaluation methods Evaluation methods/protocols/guidelines referenced by designer or manufacturer.

Methods referenced in testing by Kevin Chapon (MBSA/ FACT) include comparing best drying technique of the affluent via passive solar radiation vs straw filtration, as well as comparison of traditional fertilizer performance with that of biogas by-products as fertilizer. ^{Thesis by Kevin Chapon}

Other information

It appears the biogas system is still in testing phase which explains the lack of data on technical and performance parameters.

Mali Biocarburant Youtube channel

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Mali Biocarburant SA (MBSA)

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