Decentralised Renewable Energy Use in Mali Jatropha as a source of locally produced biofuel By Dr. Ibrahim TOGOLA
Mali s environmental situation Mali in the centre of West Africa Area of 1 241 000 km 2 Rainfall varies from 1500mm per year in the south to almost none in the north Two thirds of the country is covered by desert Population: approx 12 million 7% of population has access to electricity 91% of the population use firewood and charcoal as primary source of energy In the dry season, sale of firewood & charcoal is the main source of income for rural women
Jatropha To address this Malian environmental situation a fast growing local plant that can survive the harsh climate and which can be used to combat desertification is needed. Jatropha, well known in rural Mali, surviving on less than 400mm rainfall per year and resistant to drought and pests, can be used for replanting degraded land and can play an important role in fighting drought & desertification.
Jatropha, a plant well adapted to Malian conditions, is widespread and used as a living hedge between fields. Traditionally used to make soap, jatropha can also be pressed to give oil and press cake (which can be used as organic fertiliser).
Anti-erosive properties Reduces wind & water erosion of soil, improved absorption of water by soil Jatropha survives on less than 400mm rainfall per year and resistant to drought and pests
Seed on the bush Seed without shell Pressed oil
Concrete actions of Mali-Folkecenter in the Jatropha domain
Other project activities: Promotion of jatropha Identification of and contact with all actors Training of women in jatropha soap production Installation of 7 jatropha multifunction platforms as a means to stimulate local economic growth National and regional seminars and conferences to disseminate information
Planting jatropha
Economic opportunities in rural areas are very weak, particularly for women & children. In addition, women have a lot of physical tasks to do, like cooking, which take up a lot of time. MFC promote the Jatropha solution to provide new income generating activities for women and reduce their physical burden by providing modern clean energy services. This is based on MFP developed by UNDP who is leader in that sector
10% 3-4kg seed is pressed The Jatropha system 1 litre of oil 2-3kg residue produced (organic material with some oil content) Sedimentation to remove small particles High grade organic fertiliser Soap production & income generation Use in engine for provision of rural energy services
Jatropha Press Technology Transfer The lack of availability of a Jatropha press on the local market was a barrier to large scale adoption of Jatropha technology. MFC solved this problem by coordinating a South-South technology transfer project. The jatropha press is now produced in Mali by a local workshop. This allowed further actions in the field.
The Jatropha seed is mainly collected by women & children, and transported to the platform for pressing, which can be a reliable source of income.
Jatropha multitask platform technology
Jatropha multi-task energy platform installation by MFC in Mali and Tazania
Seed brought by women and children are pressed to extract oil
Provision of modern clean energy services to rural populations The platforms use components (e.g. Lister diesel engine & karité press, above) already available on the local market, so problems of spare parts and technical skills are minimal.
Jatropha platform can also provide renewable energy based electricity by powering a generator
Empowerment of women Soap making from Jatropha sediment or pure oil can be an important income generating activity for local women, replacing woodcutting and sale of firewood & charcoal. Considerable demand for quality soap with jatropha s respected dermatological properties.
Perspectives For diesel engines in rural areas, 50% of the operating cost is the fuel. If diesel is replaced by jatropha, the considerable money to pay for fuel goes to local people for collecting seed instead of paying for fossil fuel imports. Value is added at the village level, and the local economy is stimulated. 3-4kg seed is needed for 1 litre of oil. Seed is paid for at 50 FCFA per kg. Jatropha oil can work out cheaper than diesel. The jatropha plant needs almost no maintenance. Jatropha is an affordable environmentally friendly solution to rural energy service provision using local biomass to generate mechanical or electrical power. Based on these, MFC initiated in 2005 a development of jatropha solution for rural electrification and for income generation for rural population
Considering these benefits, MFC is promoting Jatropha plantation on degraded & abandoned land across Mali in order to provide rural areas with clean modern energy services for productive used and also to bring new income sources.
MFC also promotes use of Jatropha oil for CO 2 neutral sustainable transport in Mali 2 cars have been converted with the technical support of ELSBETT, Germany
New Projects Rural electrification of 10,000 people of Garalo commune using jatropha as fuel, funded by SHGW Foundation, Netherlands, AMADER and implemented by MFC, ACCESS Ltd and FACT Foundation Netherlands National project for the development of Jatropha,, funded by the national budget and implemented by the National Center for Renewable Energy (CNESOLER) Commercialisation of Jatropha through involvement of private sector, funded by Danida and implemented by CNESOLER, MFC and the Polytechnic Institute and the Rural Economical Institute
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