BIOMASS GASIFICATION FOR DECENTRALIZED

ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN MALAWI

FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT

Supported by
Science Granting Council Initiative (SGI)

Prepared by
John Taulo, Hendrex Kazembe, Willy Maruwo, Alfred Maluwa
Industrial Research Centre, Malawi University of Science and Technology
&
Department of Agricultural Research Services
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malawi

31 December 2019
 Table of Contents
Contents Page
PROJECT SUMMARY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
-5
RESEARCH PROBLEM…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5-
10
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND FINDINGS………………………………………………………………………………10-
15
Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
11
Findings:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15-
20
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT..................................................................................4
PROJECT OUTPUTS AND DISSEMINATION 5
Events: Conferences/workshops/seminars/meetings etc......................................................................5
Publications.............................................................................................................................................5
Technologies, inventions and prototypes...............................................................................................5
IMPACT 6
Internal impacts: Institutional strengthening.........................................................................................6
External impact: contribution to national policy processes...................................................................6
External impacts: New partnerships/networks......................................................................................6
MEASURING AND EVALUATING IMPACT 7
REFLECTIVE LEARNING 7
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SGCI 7
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The supply of affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly energy services is an
important precondition for the economic development of the Malawian society. Moreover,
access to electricity is a prerequisite to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). Currently demand for electricity is increasing by about 6.8% per annum, and
demand for fuel for transport is increasing at an even higher level. This presents enormous
challenges to the Malawi government and to national operators in reducing imports of fossil
fuels, as well as to the national electricity utility companies, EGENCO and ESCOM, in providing
sufficient electricity at reasonable prices.
A large part of the electricity production comes from large-scale hydropower produced
on Shire and Wovwe rivers, but small- and large-scale diesel generators are still providing about
3% of total production. While interconnectors are being planned and built to meet some of the
demand with electricity produced from hydropower in Zambia and Mozambique, there are still
good political and economic reasons to tap into abundant national renewable energy resources,
such as hydro-energy, solar energy, wind energy, biomass residues from agriculture, and energy
crops producing liquid biofuel.
Additionally, the Malawian energy sector is concentrated around a conventional system
of electricity generation, which is composed of large-scale hydropower plants and of a
supporting infrastructure, including a grid for transmission and distribution of generated
electricity. However, this conventional system has failed to provide electricity in rural of Malawi.
The Malawian electricity sector has shown a shortfall of about 400 MW of electricity. The
significance of access to efficient, affordable, reliable and clean energy to rural areas has been
recognized very early. Strides to reach the rural electrification target and provide electricity to
everyone can be seen from the various initiatives undertaken by the government of Malawi.
However, the target of rural electrification is still incompletely met. Lack of willingness of the
state utilities to develop the electricity infrastructure in rural areas, transmission and
distribution losses, low revenue collection efficiency, and highly subsidized consumers are some
of the factors causing most concern. High capital investment, low load factor, poor voltage
regulation are other factors impeding any effort towards extension of the utility grid lines. There

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is a need to search for decentralized and renewable energy options to meet the rural energy
need in a sustainable way.
In Malawi, the overall market potential for clean, reliable and affordable energy is
gradually expanding. New and innovative business opportunities are rapidly emerging in
different parts of the country (in particular rural areas) to meet the increasing energy demand.
There is also an increased interest by private players and social entrepreneurs to provide a
range of energy services to the poor. Developing a suitable end-user model is an important
criterion and one that is largely influenced by key aspects like the local context, business model
and the nature of energy services provided.
The overall long-term objective of the research project was to enhance better rural
livelihoods and preservation of the environment by supporting modern biomass–based
gasification power development as the entry point for rural energy systems development. The
purpose of this project was to design, develop and characterize rice husk gasification system as
an alternative source of power for electricity generation. The biomass-based power project
aimed to provide access to clean energy services, primarily focusing on productive load using
locally available biomass feedstock.
The specific objectives of this research were to: (1)identify an appropriate rice husk
gasifier model for demonstration in Malawi; (2) design and construct a 100-kW low cost, rice
husk gasifier for electricity generation system; (3) simulate the performance characteristics of
the system in meeting energy needs of rural communities in selected communities; (4) assess
the internal cost of generating electricity using rice husk gasifier as a supply technology; (5)
evaluate the potential for increased use of rice husk gasification technologies to provide
electricity in rural areas; (6) explore, develop and test models for providing rice husk gasification
technologies-based electricity services to rural areas; (7) demonstrate the application of rice
husk gasification technologies for electricity generation to supply a selected community in
Phalombe or Nkhotakota; and (8)train local artisans in troubleshooting and maintenance of
renewable energy technologies for sustainability of the systems. The study also proposed to
organize community management group and build their capacity to manage the biomass
gasification power plant and its benefits; and build public-private sector partnership in the
biomass energy.

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 The study intended to deliver the following target outputs over one and half years: (i)
baseline study on rice husk potential, socio-economic data, and spatial data conducted; (ii)
engine/generator performance data generated; (iii) an economic analysis of rice husk gasifier
performed to establish its relative costs to other energy sources; (iv) numerical models for rice
husk gasification systems for electricity generation developed; (v) suitable and low-cost
gasification system that uses rice husk developed and efficiency of conversion established; (vi) a
community will be supplied with rice husk-powered electricity generation system in Phalombe
or Nkhotakota; and (vii) 3 masters students research projects under way, to be completed
outside the project execution period.
Furthermore, this study aimed at providing electricity to a rural community in
Nkhotakota or Phalombe for lighting, entertainment and to some extent, for cooking and
heating as well as improving their standard of living through income generation activities. It
was intended to support the overall objective of the rural electrification programme to help the
government in its efforts to improve the provision of basic energy services to the poor, to help
stimulate economic growth and this contributes to the reduction of poverty. The project was
based on decentralized management of development efforts with emphasis placed on public-
private partnerships, with the participation of the beneficiaries, to manage rural energy
development.
Major achievements made in this study include completion of the following project tasks
and activities: baseline study/feasibility study; literature review and selection of suitable gasifier
model; mathematical modelling and simulation; design and construction of gasifier
components, experimentation and validation; technology demonstration in selected
community; and training of the beneficiary community in terms of organization, operation and
maintenance as well as management capacity building of the beneficiary community for
sustainability as part of the project exit strategy.
This project sought to elucidate how modern biomass-based gasification power plants
could provide a suitable basis for: initiating electricity supply to rural communities, stimulating
growth of electricity demand in rural areas for micro, small and medium enterprises; lighting;
basic health and education services; easing the high pressure of foreign exchange required for
rural electrification; and mitigating climate change issues. The project duration was reduced

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from 24 months to 12 months with a total budget of USD 30,000, sponsored by the Science
Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), through the National Commission of Science and Technology.

2.0 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

The supply of affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly energy services is an

important precondition for the economic development of the Malawian society. Moreover,
access to electricity is a prerequisite to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). Energy is central to improved social and economic well-being; is indispensable to
most industrial and commercial wealth generation; and is key for relieving poverty, improving
human welfare and raising living standards (IAEA, 2005). Energy is also an essential part of
human activity, not due to any inherent value, but for the services it provides in the form of
heat, light and motive power (Spalding-Fetcher et al., 2000).
Electricity is a key driver of economic growth, and can lead to improved education,
health delivery, environmental sustainability, agricultural development, job creation and gender
equality Ramamurthi et al., 2016; Urpelainen, 2014; Kemausuor et al., 2014). Despite this, today
25% of the world’s population lives without electricity (Alstone et al., 2015). There is an urban-
rural divide in the electricity access challenge, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) stating
that in 2012, the global electrification rate was 94%, as compared to 68% in rural areas (IEA,
2014). The worst electrification rates are in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which had an
electrification rate of 32% in 2012 (urban-89% and rural-46%)(Pachauri et al., 2012). IEA
predicts that even in 2030, 49% of the rural Sub-Saharan Africa will still lack electricity
(Kemausuor et al., 2014).
Malawi, an SSA country, has made relatively significant progress in electrification (11%
electrified). However, it also faces the challenge of electrifying its rural population. This has resulted
in a 56% urban and 2% rural electrification (NSO, 2018). Despite successive governments
implementing various policy mechanisms to increase access to electricity services, according to
Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) Final Energy Survey Report in 2014, if electrification
continues at the present rate, Malawi will not be able to achieve universal electrification by 2030 as
planned in its National Energy Policy. Similar to a number of developing countries, the major reason

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for the slow electrification (rural electrification is at 11%) in Malawi has been an emphasis on
national transmission grid expansion. This leads to ‘energy isolation’ for the rural poor with regard to
grid-based electrification, where complex geography of rural areas, long transmission lines
requirements, the remote and scattered locations and low consumption patterns of diffused rural
communities, makes grid extension uneconomical. There is increasing widespread agreement that
energy access for the rural poor requires an integrated approach which focuses on grid-based and
autonomous decentralized systems (Mohammed et al., 2013). Since the grid extension is not a
financially feasible option, the decentralized renewable energy (RE) technologies (biomass, small
hydro, small wind, and solar) seem to be the better alternative to alleviate the energy poverty of rural
areas in Malawi. Recent results also indicate that the renewable energy sources are the best choice
especially in areas far from grid connections (Javadi et al., 2013).

Renewable energy is modular in nature, making it ideal for decentralized technology. RE also
provides independence from national- level grid-based planning, has limited capital requirements,
can lower national concerns of energy security and carbon emissions and promote local employment
(Urpelainen, 2014). Options for decentralized generation through renewable sources are wind
energy systems, solar photovoltics, biomass gasifiers and small hydro-power systems. Although,
wind, solar photovoltaic, and micro-hydro technologies have been commercialized since a number of
years, but face strict limitations imposed by the site specificity and seasonality of resources.
Furthermore, intermittency of solar and wind energies leads to the technical problems such as
generation imbalance. Solar and wind power renewable energies are subject to weather conditions
and wind speeds. The Malawi Renewable Energy Strategy (MRES), which targets supplying 10% of
the country’s electricity through renewables by 2030 also actively promotes RE deployment in the
country (GoM, 2017). While RE options have numerous advantages , a key consideration is their
economic viability. Studies show the merit in analyzing costs of decentralized electrification systems
in SSA, as they are often the least-cost option for scattered rural communities.

Modern techniques for converting biomass into energy services are promising to address
today’s growing energy challenges. Decentralized bioenergy has been used as a successful
commercial technology for electricity generation in the developing regions of India, South-East
Asia and China (Delivand et al., 2011; Lim et al., 2012; Leung et al., 2004; Carlos and Ba, 2008;

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UNDP, 2013). However, there has been little implementation in SSA. Mohammed et al., mention
that only one biogas plant project for electricity generation has been established in Ghana and
Buccholz et al. studied the performance of two woody gasifier plants that were implemented
for industrial purposes in Uganda. Previously, modern bioenergy techniques used cereals, grains
and sugar crops which could result in competition with food production, leading to rising food
prices, food shortages and unsustainable changes in land use patterns. Today, using
lignocellulosic matter such as agricultural, forestry and municipal wastes for the generation of
energy is known as Second Generation production of Bioenergy (SGB), and therefore preferred
to avoid any threats to food prices, supply of grains to the national food basket and land use in
developing countries. Only SGB technologies have been considered in this proposed study.

Rice is an important commercial crop in Malawi, with an annual production of almost

136 thousand tons of paddy, covering a cultivation area of 65000 ha in 2013 (FAOSTAT, 2014).
Agricultural rice residues (husk and straw) offer considerable potential for energy production in
the country. In 2012, up to 70-90% of the rice residues in major rice growing regions in Malawi
were openly burned or dumped in landfills and water-bodies, making rice residue abundantly
available for bioenergy production. The availability of rice residues in Malawi and the need to
prevent unsafe disposal practices, make it attractive to investigate the role of bioenergy from
rice residue to meet the country’s electrification demands. As mentioned previously, economic
considerations are vital to the success of a technology. This is especially true for bioenergy
projects because local conditions determine factors such as residue availability, transport
conditions, electricity needs of the local population and available infrastructure for developing
the power plant, therefore affecting electricity production costs.
Rice husk is converted to energy using different technologies such as direct combustion,
co-firing, gasification, pyrolysis, and anaerobic digestion. However, the two most proven and
common technologies are the direct combustion and gasification. Most of today’s biomass
power plants are direct-fired systems where the biomass fuel is burnt in a boiler to produce high
pressure steam, which is used to power a steam turbine driven generator. Gasification of
biomass has been known as one of the effective technology options for the utilization of this
renewable energy resource. Many interesting investigations concern the subject of biomass
gasification from the points of view of fuel used, gasifier type, kinetic and product specifications

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and uses. This technology is now widely being used in rice growing countries for driving small
scale power plants of the order of 10 kW – 100 kW, though the technology can be used for
higher capacities of several Mega Watts. Therefore, rice husk is considered as one of the
potential sources of power generation in Malawi as it is renewable, sustainable and indigenous.
Furthermore, rice husk is considered as a waste material with negligible commercial value at the
moment.
There are a few existing studies in literature that have investigated biomass potential
particularly in Malawi. Gondwe et al., (2017) investigated biomass energy utilization in Malawi,
discussed the different dimensions of producing electricity in cement production through
biomass. They concluded that biomass is a clean and cost-effective fuel option with tremendous
potential for application in Malawi. However, there is a need to allocate necessary resources for
improving these technologies through a widespread dissemination plan. However, a single study
evaluating the fixed-bed gasification of rice husk is scarce. Additionally, such investigation within
the context of local area of Southern Malawi is none and therefore the purpose of this work is
unique as far as local bioenergy research is concerned.
This study, however, narrowed down to focus on rice husk in particular and examines the
electricity production potential and social benefits of rice husk in Malawi. The study will
increase the awareness on the benefits of utilizing agricultural waste (rice husk) for useful
products with several social and environmental benefits such as carbon dioxide emissions,
improving air quality, and decreasing unemployment rate. This study investigated a rice husk
gasifier model that leverages easily accessible, generally discarded, rice husks to produce clean,
efficient, safe and low cost electricity through a biomass gasification process. The model plant
was intended to supply power to at least 400 households.

3.0 PROJECT GOAL AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

3.1 Project Goal

The overall goal of the project was to design, develop and characterize rice husk
gasification system as an alternative source of power for electricity generation. The study aimed
at generating and distributing electricity through a renewable, sustainable low cost, and
environmentally friendly model in order to meet the needs of rural Malawi.

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3.2 Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of the research were: to;
a) Determine the potential of bioenergy for the production of electricity in agro-industries
and for rural electrification purposes in Malawi;
b) Identify an appropriate rice husk gasifier model for demonstration in Malawi;
c) Design and construct a 100-kW low cost, rice husk gasifier for electricity generation
system;
d) Simulate the performance characteristics of the system in meeting energy needs of rural
communities in selected communities;
e) Assess the internal cost of generating electricity using rice husk gasifier as a supply
technology;
f) Evaluate the potential for increased use of rice husk gasification technologies to
provide electricity in rural areas;
g) Explore, develop and test models for providing rice husk gasification technologies-based
electricity services to rural areas;
h) Demonstrate the application of rice husk gasification technologies for electricity
generation to supply communities in Phalombe and Nkhotakota;

i) Train local artisans in troubleshooting and maintenance of renewable energy

technologies for sustainability of the systems.
j) Estimate the current as well as potential electrical energy requirements for economic
and domestic purposes in the study area, and
k) Assess the feasibility of using the biomass resources in the target communities to
provide electricity

3.3 Research question

This research was guided by the following questions:

a) What kind of rice husk gasifier models are suitable for electricity generation in rural areas?

b) What is the potentially available amount of rice and maize residues that could be available for
energy production?

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 c) How much gas can be generated by the rice husk gasification system and what size can meet the
demands of an average rural community?

d) What is the cost of rice husk gasification system and how does this compare with conventional
generation systems?

e) What rice husk supply is available in the district and what potential exists for extension of this
supply?

f) What is the ability and willingness of villagers to pay for the energy service?

g) How much of the rice husk gasification system can be met by the models and how much remain
unmet?

3.4 Research Hypothesis

The hypothesis underlying the present study was that rural households in Malawi are able to be
electrified through available renewable sources provided:

 Suitable and low cost energy conversion systems are developed and disseminated;

 Reliability of desired power to meet a particular load can be met by a combination of properly
sized energy conversion system and auxiliary energy sources;

 Rice and maize residues have the potential to produce electricity and meet the electrical needs
of rural communities in Malawi;

4.0 PROJECT METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The study involved three aspects: theoretical study and modelling, design and fabrication, and
experimentation and performance analysis. More specifically, the research has consisted in desk
studies, primary data collection in field visits (January and February 2019), laboratory analysis in
Malawi, and the integrated feasibility assessment for each of the communities. The
methodology employed to achieve the research aim and objectives described above was as
follows:

4.3 Site identification and selection

In addition to desk research on rice husk gasification, the team conducted a field trip to districts in
January and February 2019. Fifty (50) rice mills were selected for the trip. The rice mills were selected
based on the difference of processing capacity: from micro (milling capacity equal to 1 ton per hour),
small (between 1 and 3 ton per hour), medium (between 3 and 10 ton per hour) to large scale (more
than 10 ton per hour). This selection was designed in order to gather diverse types of information on the
actual Malawian rice milling sector and the actual status of rice husk gasifiers (RHGs).

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4.3 Site identification and selection
A main output of this project is to identify a few viable sites in the rural areas for the installation of
biomass gasification systems and associated infrastructure. IRC, which has almost 30 years experience in
working with the rural population in social, economic, environmental, and institutional development,
worked with local organizations and government agencies to select two cluster villages. Determining
factors for site selection were location and production of the mill/villages, readiness and consistency of
biofuels supply, transportation infrastructure, mill/village financial standing, access to local power plant
or grid, willingness of local utility to purchase excess power, and the mill/village manageability of power
plant operations. In addition, detailed assessments and feasibility studies will further dictate the
community’s ability and readiness for which specific biomass technology system to adopt and use.

On the basis of the above selection criteria, one pilot site was identified. Wowo village, situated in
Traditional Authority (TA) Nkhulambe, Phalombe District is one of the top rice-growing areas in Malawi
contributing 4% to the total national rice production.

8.0 CAPACITY BUILDING

Capacity building is a crucial element that will determine the rate of success of a village biomass
gasification system in rural Malawi. There are several kinds of capacity building that can be
distinguished: training of local technicians and operators, safe and responsible use of electricity
in the village and using energy for productive uses. Just like the grid, capacity building is difficult
for full commercial financing. Instead, cooperation with locally active \ngos should be sought, to
take care of this aspect in a broader framework of local/regional development. Training of local
technicians and operators is necessary, because the gasifier will need constant supervision
when in use and problems will have to be resolved quickly to keep the consumers of the
electricity satisfied. Operating a gasifier relatively easy, so this aspect of capacity building could
be done fast and at low cost. Responsible use of electricity is particularly necessary for those
peole that have not been in contact with electricity before. In order to avoid accidents and get
the maximum benefit out of their electricity connection, some time and money needs to be
spent on this aspect. Last, but not least, productive uses of energy should be strongly
encouraged, as mentioned before. Examples of this are workshops, evening schools and

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irrigation systems. Not only are these uses important for development, but also for an equal
division of the load over the course of the day.

10.0 RECOMMENDATIONS/CONCLUSIONS

Biomass gasification can offer an attractive renewable energy system especially in rural areas
where biomass fuel is readily available. These resources could provide community based small-
scale independent power plants. Rice husk and straw can be ranked the top of the available
biomass types in Malawi and have power generation potential of around 100 Mwe. The power
plant could be installed near the larger rice mills “cluster areas” in Karonga, Nkhata Bay,
Nkhotakota, Salima, Zomba, and Phalombe with the surplus rice husk. However, establishment
of rice husk based power plants in rice milling industry will lead to an enormous change in rice
production and the rest of power will be supplied to national grid and to the local communities.
However, other types of biomass such as maize cobs, maize stalks and rice straw should also be
considered for gasification. Malawi has a significant potential form of power generation from
biomass gasification and has estimated around 1500 MWe. Provision of government subsidies
need to overcome the barriers for the installation of such gasification power plants.
Government can seek funds from different foreign aids. Also carbon trade can be an option.
Installation of biomass based power plants in rural areas will lead to an enormous change in the
lifestyle of the local community by increasing the business hours in the market area, improving
health conditions, and encouraging new business developments.

Biomass gasification for village electrification can be an option at those sites that do not have
sufficient access to hydropower. The biomass can come from collected forest material,
agricultural waste products. A relatively expensive grid has to be established, that will have to
be financed using donor money. The most important variables are the demand electricity and
the investment costs. The analysis shows that gasification is not viable given the current low
demand and the high investment costs. However,a public-private funded village electrification
project with a holistic approach to provide electricity as well as a concerted effort to build
capacity and to encourage productive usage of electricity is a strategy worth pursuing.

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Sites for residential and commercial applications can be interesting in the context of Malawi,
whenever the electricity demand is high enough and when there is biomass available at a low
price. Especially when diesel consumption can be replaced, a biomass gasifier has a very short
payback rate. Unfortunately, bigger mills and factories that are not connected to the national
grid are not very abundant in the country. However, even when a factory has access to grid
electricity already, biomass gasification could still be an option.

This feasibility study has explored several options to implement biomass gasification in Malawi.
The analysis shows that biomass gasification is not in all cases commercially viable, given the
data collected for this study. However, taken the high potential for biomass resources and the
lack of adequate energy provision in the country into account, the potential is unequivocably
there. Some options mentioned in this study, such as village electrification, need clever social
engineering and concerted effort of private and public organizations. Other options, like
commercial application can safely be selected for a demonstration project in the near future.
Yet another range of options, such as small scale gasifiers and irrigation projects deserve more
attention, but have fallen outside the scope of this research.

This study recommends that IRC to continue with one or more sites that have been analyzed in
this feasibility study. If the aim is to contribute to integrated rural development using small scale
technology, biomass gasification for village electrification should be pursued. In this case, Wowo
Cluster Village could offer good starting site, albeit public-private partnerships should be
developed. Financial support will be necessary to get biomass gasification started in Malawi. It
is the task of IRC to formulate concrete projects resulting from this feasibility study and to
develop framework for further research on biomass gasification, ranging from real
(demonstration) projects to fundamental research. IRC is a candidate for the project
implementation, operation and maintenance and is recommended to participate in developing
innovative approaches for electricity provision and rural development involving the public side
as well.

3.3 Research Findings

This final report highlights activities that have been implemented during the period
January to December 2019 covering all the work packages. Generally, the project has registered
good progress over the reporting period. The overall physical implementation rate is estimated

14
at about 95 percent as of December 2019. Significant progress has been recorded in all the work
packages. Specifically, during the period, there has been tremendous progress in all the
components, with most of the scheme works being completed, and fabrication of gasifier
components completed. With the physical progress recorded so far, the project has met 95% of
its target outputs, after some activities were streamlined.

Output 1: (1)identify an appropriate rice husk gasifier model for

demonstration in Malawi;
Key findings

(2) design and construct a 100-kW low cost, rice husk gasifier for
electricity generation system; (3) simulate the performance
characteristics of the system in meeting energy needs of rural
communities in selected communities;

(4) assess the internal cost of generating electricity using rice husk
gasifier as a supply technology; (5) evaluate the potential for
increased use of rice husk gasification technologies to provide
electricity in rural areas;

(6) explore, develop and test models for providing rice husk
gasification technologies-based electricity services to rural
areas;

(7) demonstrate the application of rice husk gasification

technologies for electricity generation to supply a selected
community in Phalombe or Nkhotakota; and

(8)train local artisans in troubleshooting and maintenance of

renewable energy technologies for sustainability of the systems.

A summary of findings from the study are as follows

Output 1: Identification of suitable model

The study found that gasifier reactors can generally be classified into three categories, namely fixed-bed,
fluidized bed, and entrained flow. Fixed –bed reactors are particularly suited to solid fuel contacting
operations that require close temperature control, simple operation and minimum erosion of the body

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of the reactor. They can also be built in small sizes with low cost, which is one of their major attractions.
Consequently, the study adopted this category of reactor for further development

Output 1: Baseline/Feasibility Study

The baseline study found that rice husk is approximately 20% of rice production by weight, and rice
straw is approximately 20% of rice production by weight. Rice straw is usually left on the paddy field to
decay or burned. It is considered too bulky to store or haul as fuel, although a small percentage is used
as feed for livestock. Rice husk is still considered as waste and disposal problem by many rice mills.
Utilization as fuel is still limited and in small scale in many areas. Currently, domestic rice millers in the
country dispose of rice husks by using them as fuel for brick factories, selling them to other consumers
(poultry producers,etc) at no cost.

Output 3: Rice Husk

Availability of other biomass

Malawi is rich in agriculture producing large quantity of agro-residues. Reliable data on current usage of
these biomass and surplus is not available. It is estimated 6.4 million tons of residues is available for
power generation. IRC has estimated that about ..MW power can be generated by efficient utilization of
these surplus biomasses in gasification as well as combustion technology based projects. A good quality
resource assessment study would be required for characterization of all available biomasses, grading of
them for utilization in different applications and development of technologies for biomass logistics and
energy conversion processes.

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