The ambitious EU-funded SteamBioAfrica project set out to address these multiple challenges. The key aim was to demonstrate that an innovative process called superheated steam torrefaction could be used to transform bush plants into a solid biofuel with coal-like properties.
“We wanted to show that the bush could be used as fuel, without the need for capital investment or loss of efficiency,” adds Knicker. “This would be a cleaner burning alternative to firewood or charcoal.”
To achieve this, the project team built and deployed a small industrial-scale demonstration unit in rural Namibia near Otjiwarongo, an area blighted by bush encroachment. Operating at 250 kg/hour, it successfully processed over 200 tonnes of bush.
Link to studies – https://www.steambioafrica.com/research
Link to article – https://cordis.europa.eu/…/455753-turning-encroaching…