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As part of the REFFECT AFRICA project partner meeting held in Marrakech from October 16 to 18, a demonstration project for the energy valorization of agro-industrial waste was inaugurated at an olive oil production cooperative in Sid L'Mokhtar, Morocco.
The REFFECT AFRICA consortium, an initiative involving 29 partners from 16 African and European countries, including the Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC), successfully launched a pilot biomass gasification plant at the Zouyout Essaouira cooperative, an olive oil mill located in Sid L'Mokhtar, Morocco.
This is the second demonstration project aimed at valorizing local agro-industrial waste in Africa under this ambitious project (the first was inaugurated in Ghana in January, and a third is scheduled to launch in South Africa next year). REFFECT AFRICA thus achieves a new milestone in its mission to promote access to sustainable energy solutions in these countries and demonstrate their positive impact on local communities. Benefits include not only electricity generation but also the production of biochar, which can be used to improve agricultural soil quality either directly or through processing into fertilizers, enhancing crop yield and reducing irrigation water consumption. This sustainable linkage between water, energy, and food resources is a key axis of the project, striving to balance human needs with sustainable resource management.
During three days of activities and networking sessions held from October 16 to 18 in Morocco, the partners involved in REFFECT AFRICA shared recent project developments, exchanged experiences and insights, and established new partnerships with local stakeholders. This meeting also provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen collaborations between participating countries, aligning joint efforts to continue advancing sustainable energy transitions in rural and urban communities across Africa
Energy innovation in Africa: three pilot plants
One of the key highlights of the meeting in Marrakech was a review of progress at the three pilot installations being developed in Morocco, Ghana, and South Africa. These gasification plants convert agricultural and agro-industrial waste into energy and biochar, offering an innovative and sustainable solution for communities with diverse energy needs and socioeconomic contexts, from urbanized areas to remote rural communities off the power grid:
- In Morocco, the project is implemented in Sid L'Mokhtar, a rural community of approximately 20,000 residents in the Marrakech-Safi region. The gasification plant installed at the Zouyout Essaouira mill is connected to the power grid and aims to cover a significant portion of the local industry’s energy needs.
- In Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, Ghana, a system has been set up to demonstrate the effectiveness of this technology in rural microgrids, regardless of grid connectivity, supplying energy to the TUSEC educational complex. Additionally, the plant includes a water purification system to meet the complex's user needs.
- Finally, in Durban, South Africa, a grid-connected installation will supply a substantial portion of the energy used at the Clairewood Bulk Market wholesale market, showcasing the potential of gasification technologies in an urban setting.
By installing these pilot gasification systems, the project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of generating between 50% and 100% of local energy needs in these rural and urban communities, thus promoting energy self-sufficiency and reducing emissions.
International collaboration for a green transition in Africa
REFFECT AFRICA (Renewable Energies for Africa: Effective Valorization of Agro-food Waste), a project funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 program, is the result of an international partnership involving 29 partners from 16 countries, 5 European and 11 African, coordinated by the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Jaén, Spain. This collaboration adopts a comprehensive approach encompassing research, technological development, and the implementation of innovative solutions that foster circular economies based on agricultural waste valorization, as well as job creation and the strengthening of the African agri-food sector.
One of the outstanding aspects of REFFECT AFRICA is its focus on diversifying biomass sources by using a wide range of locally available waste, including olive residues, almond shells, corn, rice, sorghum, and sugarcane residues, among others. This flexibility enables the solutions to be tailored to the specific characteristics of each African region, optimizing outcomes for the beneficiary communities.
Biomass gasification is a thermochemical process that converts organic waste into gaseous fuels. This technology, adapted by REFFECT AFRICA, has the potential to effectively transform the agri-food value chain, optimizing local resource use and reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources.
In addition to its focus on generating clean energy to ensure a more stable and secure energy supply, the project conducts thorough life cycle and cost analyses to ensure the solutions are viable in the social, economic, and environmental contexts of each African country. These assessments will help measure the climate impact and long-term sustainability of the developed technologies.
Strengthening alliances and international collaboration
The active participation of the 11 African countries involved in REFFECT AFRICA ensures that energy solutions are adapted to local realities and directly contribute to improving quality of life in the target regions.
The project aims to accelerate the green transition in Africa, reducing energy inequalities through solutions based on the natural resources available on the continent. Work will continue to expand partnerships and identify training and employment opportunities that will support this energy transformation.
More information about the REFFECT AFRICA project on the website: https://www.reffect-africa.eu/
Video of the pilot in Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owuP2E-WEK0
Video of the pilot in Ghana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVq0DRnqLI4
Explanatory video about gasification systems:
