<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Harrie, </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">I’m glad to hear that you are involved in Phase II of the
BSEAA. I have seen four of the reports. I saw the solicitation for Phase
II but haven’t seen the work plan or who will be doing the work. It would be
good to ground-truth the conclusions from the Phase I report, especially for
those projects that were close to continuous operation. From what I understand
a couple of the projects failed as much because of business and project
management as technology issues. We see this in energy projects of all kinds,
not just in gasification.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Baringa county project in Kenya was using an invasive
species, Prosopis (Mesquite), as a fuel. They were using Laimet chippers, which
make a very good fuel for downdraft gasifiers, but the wood was so hard that it
was wearing out blades. They were to start out at 2 MWe but the largest
gasifier system that I knew about from the supplier was 250 kWe. Were there
unanticipated scaleup issues? It is difficult to do technology development in
the bush. I also understand that there were issues with the delivery and
integration of equipment. These are not problems that are unique to
gasification, or Africa. What support is provided by the supplier? Successful
gasification projects in South Asia and Southeast Asia usually have a third
party technology supplier who makes sure the equipment is installed and
operated correctly. Or, the systems are so cheap that you can afford to replace
engines every two years. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Efficiency is not the key metric. Gasifiers have a similar
heat rate to small scale steam systems. What we need are systems that are
simple, reliable, and maintainable. In the BSEAA study I would have like to
have seen more in depth identification of steam or turbine systems that have
been operating reliably, if there are any. I have to think that there are
boiler and steam systems on tea plantations or other food processing plants. If
they are using the heat and generating power, what makes them keep going? What
lessons can be learned for gasification systems? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study should also clearly identify the expected
operating conditions of the gasifiers. For example a gasifier that is made to
be affordable (cheap) may only be designed to operate a few hundred hours per
year, not 24/7 and 7,500 hours per year. Some gasifiers have been delivered
expecting to operate 5-6 hours per day to replace the current use of diesel
generators, only to find that people ran them 24 hours per day because biomass
fuels can be cheap. Operating it beyond its expected annual duty is an
invitation to failure.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Supporting infrastructure. When we designed portable
sawmills for use in Latin America, Africa, and Asia we often checked to see if
the company or contractor that was buying the equipment had the right equipment
and personnel to support the operation and maintenance of the equipment. A good
diesel mechanic could usually learn or do what was needed. When we supply
gasifiers to these same areas do we check to see what support equipment and
personnel are on site to begin with and what their experience is? Our customers
were usually logging companies that had good mechanical capabilities. Gasifiers
often go into situations where operation and maintenance of process equipment
is new to the owner. I have also seen gasifier projects fail when a donor organization
fails to deliver the support equipment needed for maintenance. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">I am reminded of the World Bank Biomass Gasifier Monitoring
Programme that Hubert Stassens did from 1986-1990 (WORLD BANK TECHNICAL PAPER
NUMBER 296, 1995). You were probably involved in that. His engineers told us that many of the gasifiers only
operated when Hubert’s team arrived for inspection. One in Mali had high
reliability (55,000 hours) but had been heavily subsidized by support from
China. Today we see hundreds of gasifiers in operation worldwide. Do we have any
that can be suited to the fuels and conditions in Southern Africa? The major
demand is for operation during frequent blackouts. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many thanks</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Tom </p></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Oct 11, 2019 at 1:54 AM Harrie Knoef <<a href="mailto:harrie@knoefconsultancy.com">harrie@knoefconsultancy.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<div>Hi Tom, </div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:12pt"><span lang="EN-US">The current status of gasification
for power generation in Sub Saharan Africa is very actual. In 2017, LTS
International and E4Tech (both UK) implemented Phase I of the Bioenergy for
Sustainable Energy Access in Africa (BSEAA) study. BSEAA is investigating
opportunities and challenges for the roll-out of bioenergy technology in
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and supporting the development of innovative solutions.
The study included six Case Study Reports related to biomass gasification, none
of them operated successful. All of them are imported technologies from India,
China, Canada and Dominican Republic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:12pt"><span lang="EN-US">I am involved in the Phase II study
of BSEAA. Main task is to investigate the barriers of implemented gasifiers
<strong>and</strong> define enabling conditions for successful adoption and
expansion of small scale biomass gasification technology in SSA countries.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:12pt"><span lang="EN-US">Hopefully I will be able to answer
the question of Tom Miles during this project. Any suggestion or comments
regarding the BSEAA study are welcome (<a><font color="#0563c1">harrie@knoefconsultancy.com</font></a>). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:12pt"><span lang="EN-US">Thanks, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;line-height:12pt"><span lang="EN-US">Harrie Knoef</span></p>
<div style="font-size:small;text-decoration:none;font-family:Calibri;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:normal;display:inline">
<div style="font:10pt tahoma">
<div><font size="3" face="Calibri"></font> </div>
<div style="background:rgb(245,245,245)">
<div><b>From:</b> <a title="pettman@soleco-technology.com" href="mailto:pettman@soleco-technology.com" target="_blank">pettman@soleco-technology.com</a>
</div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Friday, October 11, 2019 12:11 AM</div>
<div><b>To:</b> <a title="gasification@lists.bioenergylists.org" href="mailto:gasification@lists.bioenergylists.org" target="_blank">Discussion of biomass
pyrolysis and gasification</a> </div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Gasification] Gasification for Power Generation in
SubSaharan Africa</div></div></div>
<div> </div></div>
<div style="font-size:small;text-decoration:none;font-family:Calibri;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:normal;display:inline"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:verdana;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<div>We are selling gasification units that are patented downdraft units that
handle about 160lb. to 180lb. per hour.</div>
<div>They go out as singles, twins or as a Quad Pack.</div>
<div>We can fit four units in a 40ft. ISO Container.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>These units produce a fine, dry prilled (size of grains of rice) BioChar
which is sold on unprocessed at around US$1500 per ton or processed
down to 20 microns and then sold for around US$2850 per ton.</div>
<div>These units may be seen at University of Iowa.</div>
<div>They have only three main moving parts and pyrolysis takes place at very
high temperatures.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>In many cases we look at combining with a biodigester and make pellets from
the digestate which can be used as fuel for gasifier or as fertilizer, we
re-cycle the water as either "A" Grade agricultural water or we make it potable
with a simple proceedure.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Stay safe.</div>
<div>Hugh.<br></div>
<div> </div>
<div>E. Hugh Pettman,<span style="font-size:10pt"> Ph.D.</span></div>
<div><strong><span style="color:rgb(128,128,0)">BioPhysics Research Pte.
Ltd.</span></strong></div>
<div><strong><span style="color:rgb(153,204,0)">BPR Soleco XYTECH
Group</span></strong></div>
<div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,153)"><a href="http://www.biophysics-research.net" target="_blank">www.biophysics-research.net</a></span></div>
<div>Telephone: +61 43 44 33 565</div>
<div><br><br></div>
<blockquote id="gmail-m_-3414206299068972286replyBlockquote" style="font-size:10pt;font-family:verdana;color:black;padding-left:8px;margin-left:8px;border-left:2px solid blue">
<div id="gmail-m_-3414206299068972286wmQuoteWrapper">-------- Original Message --------<br>Subject:
[Gasification] Gasification for Power Generation in
SubSaharan<br>Africa<br>From: Tom Miles <<a href="mailto:trmilesjr@gmail.com" target="_blank">trmilesjr@gmail.com</a>><br>Date: Wed,
October 09, 2019 2:32 am<br>To: <a href="mailto:gasification@lists.bioenergylists.org" target="_blank">gasification@lists.bioenergylists.org</a><br><br>
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 0pt">What
is the current status of gasification for power generation in Sub Saharan
Africa? Where systems are operating in the 40-150 kWe range, 150-500kWe,
500kWe-20 MWe? Are gasification systems participating in current programs like
Power Africa? What fuels are begin used? Are the gasification systems
reliable?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 0pt"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 0pt">Thanks</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 0pt"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 0pt">Tom
</div></div>
<hr>
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</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature">T R Miles Technical Consultants, Inc<br>1470 SW Woodward Way<br>Portland, OR 97225<br><a href="mailto:tmiles@trmiles.com" target="_blank">tmiles@trmiles.com</a><br><a href="http://www.trmiles.com" target="_blank">www.trmiles.com</a></div>