Electricity Generation from Fast Pyrolysis of Agricultural and Municipal Solid Wastes
Nigeria currently generates about 4000 MW electricity for its 160 million people. The current output of 25 Watts per individual can barely support an energy saving light bulb per person. This has forced individual households, institutions and industries to adopt alternative means of generating power. Electric generators, which are expensive to maintain and produce significant carbon emissions polluting the environment is the leading alternative to obtain electrical power from the National Grid.
Large quantities of solid wastes are produced annually across the nation. that can be converted to bio-fuel useful to generate electricity for Nigerians. These waste materials currently discarded as debris or burnt, contribute to environmental hazard and pollution. The wastes can be converted to bio-fuel by pyrolysis and can be used to generate electricity.
This University of Ibadan Research Project on generation of electricity from fast pyrolysis of agricultural and municipal solid wastes is designed to produce an inventory and categorization of agricultural and municipal solid wastes on the campus of the University of Ibadan that can be converted to bio-fuel. A database of weekly, monthly and annual wastes produced will be developed.
The quality of the agricultural and municipal solid wastes will be characterised to identify usable products for the production of bio-fuel. Bio-fuel will be extracted from selected wastes. Pilot studies on mixture rate of bio-fuel and conventional fuel will be carried out to determine the most efficient combination for generating electricity and its impact on engine performance.
A pilot model for electricity generation from agricultural and municipal solid wastes through pyrolysis will be produced for future scale up and community application.
Research Leader
Professor A. A. Aiyelari
Department of Forest Resources management
University of Ibadan
Collaborating Research Leaders
Professor A. Olatunbosun
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
University of Ibadan.
Dr. Sunday Ishehunwa
Department of Petroleum Engineering
University of Ibadan