Swiss Partners
EREP SA, Aclens,
www.erep.ch,
Yves Membre
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Documentation
Swiss Contribution
This project, which was initiated by EREP’s local partner, ACED (www.aced-benin.org), is headed by EREP, a Swiss design and consultancy company with extensive expertise in the treatment and recycling of waste and organic waste water. Additionally, EREP represents the Biogas Competence Center in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.
Description
The Sô-Ava, Benin, municipality’s inhabitants should be able to benefit from better energy access. The project aims to utilize water hyacinths and organic domestic waste energy in the form of biogas, and to make this renewable source of energy available to the local population, instead of using fire wood. Two sub-projects are planned in order to achieve these objectives: A feasibility study and the implementation of a pilot plant. In the feasibility study, the existing technologies are adapted to local conditions in Benin and technical solutions that permit biogas transport to the consumer are analysed. For the pilot plant implementation, the developed solution is realized, and shall include material collection, biogas production in a fermentation plant and the utilization of both the biogas and fermented material.
Results
Following the feasibility analysis, the horizontal piston flow digester was chosen as the most suitable system. Exchanges took place with the Nouvelle Planète biogas project in Vietnam (REPIC contract 2015.07). The methanisation plant has been commissioned. Preference was given to local suppliers during the plant’s construction. It appears that the best solution is to transport the biogas in large and soft pouches that can be carried like a backpack. Training in bio-waste sorting by the recipient collective and their families was provided by ACED.
Impacts
Now, the vegetable farmers collect water hyacinth on Lake Nokoué, sort their bio-waste and use biogas for meal preparation. Given the local skills acquired, it is planned to increase the number of methanisation plants in Sô-Ava.