Nopalimex

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Manufacturing & delivery
Performance & use
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Product description Brand name and product description

Nopalimex is a biodigestor entirely powered by nopal, a cactus. The plant benefits from economies of scale and also no transport cost, as the crop is grown around it.

The biogas produced is used in the factory for making corn and cactuschips, as well as in a genset for electricity. Some is cleaned of carbon dioxide and provided as biomethane, which can be used in modified vehicles.

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

Mexico.

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

Nopalimex is the sole distributor in Mexico. Facebook page

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

Investment costs are USD 2.17 million (40 million pesos, May 2016)

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

Bioworks and G2E Biomass Gasification Plant for large-scale biomass in Mexico.

Sistema Biobolsa BB40 for smaller-scale biogas in Mexico.

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)

Micro-enterprises, industries, public services in Mexico that need electricity or biofuel.

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

Plants are designed and built individually. It is a bespoke design, made individually for customers and their particular sites.

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

Patented in Mexico.

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

Users can obtain the product from Nopalimex

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

Two plants to date in the town of Zitacuaro, in central Michoacan state, the first to aliment the company ‘El Manjar del Campo’ that produces tortillas, the second used to fuel the town’s vehicle fleet.

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)

N/A

Input requirements (volume and frequency)

8 tons of nopal per day (for the first installed plant).

Average daily biogas production (m3/day)

600-800

Output gas capacity/volume (L)

100 m3

Output power capacity (kW/kWe)

1MW/h or 10kW per hectare per year.

Primary fuel source(s)

Fuel extracted from nopal. Drying, crushing the leaves of the nopal before inserting them into the biodigestor.

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

Digester: well insulated above ground container, probably made from steel.

Main characteristics: the absence of hydrogen sulfide and the rapid generation.

Process: The biogas digester processes prickly pears into biomethane. The pears are ground up into a soup, mixed with manure and fermented in a digester. The biogas generated is then cooled to dewater it.

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Process (in Spanish)

Technical support Technical support provided by

Unknown.

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

Unknown.

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

Construction and commissioning of the plant takes 12 to 18 months.

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

Production of 10kW per hectare per year.

Each hectare of nopal produces between 32,000 – 80,000 m3 of fuel per year. (estimation 1) (estimation 2)

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

None.

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

None.

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

There are some dangers associated with biogas, including fire hazard, explosion, gas leaks and negative pressure.

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

None.

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

José Luis Arvizu Fernández, Producción de biogás con nopal. IEE; 2015 April-June.

Aké, M, El Oro Verde de México. El Santo Grial de las Energías Renovables; 2014. (México, D.F.)

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

None.

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

Unknown.

Other information

The biodigestor was developed with expert advice from the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico, the Autonomous University of Chapingo and the Electric Power Research Institute.

Expert advisors have indicated that the good economics depend on having a good quality feed material easily accessible – in this case nopal (prickly pear).

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Nopalimex

Nopalimex

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