Transforming Invading Plants into Fuel Pellets in Senegal

S3IC / JADE Project/ Report S3IC, No. S3IC-2009-001/ Montreal, February 2009 1

Transforming invading plants into fuel pellets
in Ross-Bethio (Senegal)
Amadou Oury Ba1, Ndiogou Diongue1, Abdoulaye Fall1, Mamadou Aly Sow1 , Benoit Courteau2 et Djibril Diao3

Abstract - This article deals with an integrated project that produces fuel
pellets, bio-compost and bio-fuel. Such a study is done by S3IC and its
partners in Ross-Bethio, Senegal. This first stage of this project financed by
the World Bank as Development Market Place 2006 (DM 2006), is about
transforming invading plants (Salvinia Molesta, Typha, Khaye) on the
banks of Senegal River into fuel pellets for the rural population use in meal
cooking. First of all, the article introduces the issue of the initial project and
presents the production line (composed of tools used to cut plants, a pellet
press, a bio-fuel engine and a shredder) designed by the project team to
produce those fuel pellets. Then, the article displays the vision and the
implementation of this integrated project from the experimental stage of the a) - Salvinia Molesta b) - Typha Australis
unit to its profitable trading stage and throughout its transitional stage,
which is necessary to the accomplishment of fundamental conditions. The
authors end up the article by presenting the main social, economic and
environmental advantages of the products (fuel pellets, edible pellets, bio-
compost, bio-fuel), that will be gained from the future integrated sale
business with social advantages.

Index terms - Salvinia Molesta, Typha Australis, Khaye, Jatropha, carcus,
fuel pellets, edible pellets, bio-compost, bio-fuel, grapnel, pellet press,
shredder, bio-fuel engine, etc.
c) – Invaded irrigation canals

1 - INTRODUCTION Figure 1.1: Invading plants in canals and/or streams of water

JADE project (or DM 2006 Project 1075 of Development 2 - INTRODUCTION OF THE PILOT PRODUCTION UNIT
Market Place) of the World Bank which was initially meant to
transform Salvinia Molesta (or water Hyacinth) into
ecological fuel became along its process a project oriented The objective of this pilot phase of the JADE project is to
towards valorizing invading plants and agriculture residues. transform invading aquatic plants in the valley of Senegal
This experimental stage of the project is managed by S3IC1 in River into compost and fuel pellets for domestic cooking. The
collaboration with Ecoindutrielle2 its Canadian partner, and production of cooking pellets is made from a mechanical
ASESCAW3, its Senegalese partner. So, the project targets an equipment (fig.2.2) which is a set composed of a shredder and
area around the Senegal River (initially around Ross-Bethio), a rotary pellet press (PP) driven by a Jatropha (Kîdy or
a place overwhelmed for many years by aquatic plants tabanani) oil engine. Therefore, we intend to grove a few
(Salvinia Typha, Khaye, and others) (cf. figure1.1) that acres of this plant in the project frame work (cf. fig.5.1).
prevent livestock from drinking, and fishermen from working Before taking them to PP, the invading plants are previously
properly. All this contributes to the degradation of water shredded; the obtained flour is put in a sieve (which will be
quality of the river and the blockage of the soil and draining later on replaced by a grindstone) so as to retain the biggest
system. particles. The finest particles are then mixed up with water
and this aqueous mixture will be introduced in the PP to
produce fuel pellets by extrusion.

1 - S3IC : Société Sénégalaise des Scientifiques et Ingénieurs au Canada,
8243, Rue St-Denis, Montréal (Qc), Canada, H2P 2G7.
2 - EcoIndustrielle : Une Division de Mécanique Industrielle, 569-F
Boul. Lionel Boulet, Varennes (Qc), Canada, J3X 1P7
3 - ASESCAW : Amicale Socio-Économique Sportive et Culturelle des
Agriculteurs du Walo, B.P. 09, Ross-Béthio, Sénégal.


2.1- Tools used to cut the invading plants

In their first proposal to the World Bank, the authors were
supposed to use the grapnel to clean stream borders and
irrigation canals in the valley of the Senegalese River.
However, if the grapnel is useful to pull Salvinia Molesta, it
has revealed itself not efficient enough against Typha or
Khaye which are deep rooted plants in water. Against the a) – A view of the Grapnel b) - Grapnel in use
latter plants, the authors have used scythes and sickles which Figure 2.1: Grapnel in use within a Salvinia environment
were more efficient. In that respect, CSS (Senegalese Sugar
Company) planting many acres of sugar cane, uses
‘focardeuse’ machine to cut and clean stream borders and
irrigation canals. Photos in Fig.2.1 show grapnels in action.

2.2 - Components of the chain of the unit production

As mentioned, one of the goals of the project is to transform
environmental waste of invading aquatic plants into fuel for
domestic cooking. In that respect, it was necessary to dry, a) - Pellet Press (PP) b) - Shredder for dry vegetal matters
crush, grind up, optimize parameters (optimum composition of
the initial mixture, size of the pellet, humidity, etc.), and
extrude the vegetal matter to make fuel pellets. The sun dries
it, a shredder cuts it into thin particles, a spraying system is
used as humidifyer and the rotary press works continuously to
produce pellets.

The Pellet Press (PP) is made of a series of pierced plates
turning around a compressed wheel that forcefully drives the
vegetal matter, inserted into a silo, through holes. The whole
system turns slowly (35 to 40 rpm) and needs less energy
compared to the hydraulic system. The whole set is 1.5m x
1.5m x 0.5m of volume and 350 Kg of mass. The PP operates
on the principle of extrusion which requires 10 metric tons
force to put participles together in such a way to produce a
cylinder of 6 mm of diameter. The PP is a machine which
operates continuously (cf. fig.2.2a).
c)- Main components of the unit
The Bio-fuel engine - the PP is driven by a 20 horsepower
(hp) diesel engine; half of this power is used to turn on other Figure 2.2: Components of the pellet production unit
components such as the shredder or generator. The diesel
engine operates on our own bio-fuel. We are completing a
2.3 - Operating the production chain
method to make sure of the reliability on the way the diesel
engine operates (fig 2.2c, in red).
Once harvested either by grapnel or by scythe, plants are
The shredder- is a rotary device with hammers which dried on the spot and roughly cut into 1.5m pieces in size so as
requires less than 5 hp in order to operate. The equipment is to handle them easily. Stems are then mechanically shredded
composed of a clutch and different internal sieves with (2mm, and manually sieved to get the size of the pellets as specified
3mm and 4mm wide) allowing different sizes in grind. The previously. The grind matter is thus weight and spread on a
raw material is introduced through the happer, it is shredded plastic sheet. It is sprayed with a known volume of water in
and ground up by the hammers speeding at 4000 rpm, it is order to get the right humidity content to make pellets. The
roughly sieved and then driven out and put in a bag (see fig. whole grind is covered for a while to allow water to soak in
2.2b). (cf. photos of fig.2.3). Then, the humidified grind is put in the
Sieve versus grindstone - Now, we are using a sieve to supply silo of the press. The compressed grind is driven into
obtain thin particles, necessary to produce pellets. However, the plate holes and becomes a cylinder of 6mm in diameter
in case of ultra thin grind, it would be possible to think about which falls off when it reaches 5 cm in length. The output is
adding a grindstone in order to transform thin particles into collected under the PP machine, and then dried in order to
‘flour’. The principle this grindstone is operating is similar to restore the humidity content it requires to burn. So, pellets are
the system that helps transform grains into flour. ready to be used (cf. fig. 2.4).


3.1 – The main work done on site

Also, at the Ross Bethio site (in Senegal) the project team
achieved the main work as shown below:

-to install and adjust the machines and operate the
experimental unit (pellet press, engine, shredder);
a) - Shredding Typha stems b) – A secondary sieving stage -to produce a sample of pellets whose calorific power is close
to that of charcoal (determining the optimum composition of
the initial mixture and making the necessary adjustments in
order to get the appropriate torques and speed);
-to perform principal technical tests on pellets (i.e.
characteristic, toxicity and combustion or water boiling tests,
WB/1985);
-to have social acceptance tests, evaluate them and write them
down on a report;
c) - Grinded Typha d) – Humidifying the matter
-to produce a sufficient quantity of pellets for sale;
Figure 2.3 : Making the raw material -2 persons will be given complete training to take over and
run the experimental unit (operation, maintenance and
repairing as well as producing pellets);
-to hire 3 persons (1 accountant and 2 retailers) to sell pellets
in the store of the local partner (ASESCAW);
-and finally to write down a business plan, for the project
follow up.

Moreover, during the accomplishment of the tasks mentioned
above, the project team :
a)- Some Samples b)- Other samples of pellets
- was able to experiment and successfully produce bio-
compost (natural fertilizers) from those very aquatic plants;

- initiated Jatropha (Kidy/Tabanani) planting over a few acres
of land. The Jatropha oil (made of its seeds) will be used as
fuel for the engine in use (cf. figure 5.1).

c) - Adjusting takings d) – Pellet samples (500 g) 3.2 - The results of the technical tests

Figure 2.4 : Sizes of fuel pellets
3.2.1 - The calorific power of the pellets
3 - TECHNICAL RESULTS AND NEW PERPECTIVES
The calorific power is a measurement of the quantity of
Initially, the project was supposed to use 2 well tested energy by the combustion of solid or liquid sample. It is an
technologies (i.e., a floating grapnel and a manual pellet press) essential measurement to determine the energy efficiency of a
to produce fuel pellets. The initial goal of the project was to sample.
stop the Salvina molesta invasion over the river banks [1].
Then, the project has been transformed into a global Method used - The characterisation tests for the pellet calorific
intervention of biomass enhancement for the Typha australis power were carried out by the Centre de Transfert de
(estimated around 200,000 tons per year) which is an ongoing Techonologique en Ecologie Industrielle (CTTEI) in Tracy
flail in the delta of the Senegal river. (Qc) according to the MA.108-P.Cal.1.1 method of Centre
d’Expertise en Analyse Environnementale du Quebec
Therefore, a production unit has been implemented to (CEAEQ). This method is itself derived from the D240
produce fuel pellets. The unit was composed of a rotary pellet method by the American Society for Testing and Materials
press driven by a diesel engine running on biofuel and a (ASTM) called ‘ Heat of combustion of liquid hydrocarbon
shredder for dry material. Since the particles coming out of the fuels by bomb calorimeter’.
shredder were big enough, the use of a sieve was necessary
for the time being as the required improvement will be made
to the device later on.


The method principle- According to the MA. 108 method, the 3.2.2 - Water boiling tests using pellets
calorific power is determined by burning a known quantity of
a pellet sample in the calorimeter bomb containing an excess Water boiling tests in relationship to pellets are about
of oxygen under pressure. It is thus determined from the determining the amount of time it takes for some quantity of
temperature variation read during the sample combustion. The water to boil from room temperature to the boiling point of
application framework of this method concerns samples 100 deg Celsius when it is heated by fuel pellets. These tests
whose calorific power is between the range of 0.64 to 1000 could thus complement those used to determine the pellets’
MJ/Kg. (For example in Quebec, waste oil or other matters calorific power. Within the frame work of this project, a
can be used for energy purposes if their calorific power is at major goal would be to perform comparative boiling tests
least 18.5 MJ/Kg). between pellets and charcoal on the one hand and in the other
hand to do boiling tests on pellets only using two types of
Appendix 1 describes the device and/or the instruments used cooking stoves: the ordinary cooking stove and the Sakanal or
and presents the main equations in determining the pellet economic cooking stove as shown in the pictures (in Fig. 3.1).
calorific power.

After tests have been carried out on 3 samples of pellets by
CTTEI [8], the results show that the mean value of calorific
power of the pellets produced at Ross-Bethio is 15,250.88
[KJ/Kg] with a standard deviation of 463.72.

As a matter of comparison, table 3.2 shows data
representing the calorific power of some fuels.

a) - Regular stove b) - Sakanal or economic stove
Table 3.1: Test results on the calorific power of cooking
fuel pellets [8] Figure 3.1: Water boiling tests

Calorific Calorific Calorific Standard 3.2.3 - Toxicity tests on fuel pellets
power power power Deviation

[ Btu/lb ] [ kJ/kg ] [ kJ/kg ] [kJ/kg ] The toxicity tests on pellets are a pre-requisite before putting
Pellet 1 6 551.89 15 229.47 pellets in the market as well as any home use to cook meals.
Pellet 2 6 765.04 15 724.93 15 250.88 463.72 We are currently looking for laboratories which are likely
Pellet 3 6 366.37 14 798.24 performing such tests. Most of the companies we have
encountered in Quebec are only doing toxicity tests with
regard to products related to aeronautics or Aerospatial
Table 3.2 : Calorific power from some fuels machines (planes, etc.). However, considering the origin of
[ Source : Wikipedia ] the pellets, most laboratories maintain that the combustion of
such pellets should not produce toxic gas which is harmful to
Fuel Calorific power mean people’s health.
[ MJ/kg ] [ kJ/L ] [ Btu/lb ] [kJ/mol ]
Hydrogen 141.79 12.75 61 000 286
Gazoline 47.3 35 475 20 400 --- However, scientific requirement and social responsibility urge
Gazoil 44.8 38 080 19 300 --- us to conduct toxicity tests so as to maintain scientifically that
Ethanol 29.7 21 300 12 800 1 300 the pellets are harmless and not toxic.
Propane 50.35 --- --- 2 219
Butane 49.51 --- 20 900 2 800
Charcoal 15-27 --- (8-14).103 ---
Wood 15 --- 6 500 ---
3.2.4 - Characterization tests on bio-compost

Characterization tests on the main chemical elements of the
bio-compost have been performed by S.M. Inc. laboratories in
Let us notice that the calorific power (of 15, 251 kJ/kg) of
Varennes (QC.) which delivered an analysis certificate [9]
the pellet fuel produced by the project is lower than the
(see table 3.3). The tests have also been done by the chemical
calorific power of the charcoal. It would require a further
lab of the Food Services in the Senegalese Institute for
analysis since the project’s goal is to exceed the value of
Agriculture Research (ISRA, Senegal) which has written an
17,000 kJ/kg published by some references, in order to be in
analysis report for that purpose [10] (see table 3.4).
strategic position in term of energy, compared to the charcoal
which is the main rival of pellets as a domestic fuel.


Table 3.3: Test results for bio-compost characterization 3.3 - Social acceptance tests of the pellets
(S.M. Inc.) [9]
The project team in Ross Bethio, the pellet production site,
Elements Quantity Unity has done cooking tests using different types of stoves
(classical stove and Sakanal/economic stove) (see pictures in
Humidity ( %) from crude (60 deg C) Fig 3.3).
Organic matter per burning 20.0 [ %p/ p]
Mineral matter ---
Carbon ---
Total Nitrogen Kjeldahl 4120 [ mg / kg ]
Ratio C/N 24 -
Total phospharus 1960 [mg / kg m.s.]
Potassium (K) 2830 [ mg /kg ]]
pH 7.50

Table 3.4 : Tests results for bio-compost caractérisation
from ISRA [10] Figure 3.3 : Social acceptance tests
Elements Quantity Unity
P.c.d.p
During those on-site cooking tests, the team has neither felt
Humidity ( %) from crude ( 60 deg C) 7.60 nor detected the presence of any toxic gas. It has been
Organic matter --- however considered wiser to have the toxicity tests performed
Mineral matter 79.51 by a lab before starting the acceptance tests for which the
Carbon 8.52 post- test polling document has already been written down.
Total Nitrogen 0.79
Ratio C/N ---
Phosphorus 0.03 3.4 - New perspectives
Potassium (K) 0.35
pH 7.40 During the production period of the fuel pellets, the team
P.c.d.p: Percentage content in dry product has mainly discovered a multitude of avenues in revalorizing
the Typha autralisis plant which were unknown to them in the
beginning of the project. Thus, the team has:

i)-successfully mastered the way of using bio-fuel (i.e. finding
the right ratio Jatropha oil/ gasoline as well as adjusting the
engine) in order to operate the equipments;
ii) - been able to produce an excellent bio-compost from
invading local plants; this allows people to double their
yielding product (in that respect, the team has already had
a) - Making Bio-compost b) –View of the Bio-compost several thousand metric tons of bio-compost in demand
requested by the Senegalese Ministry of Environment and
Figure 3.2 : The project Promissing product - Bio-compost
Eaux et Foret Services for the Niayes region);
iii) - succeeded to produce flour from thypha roots and make
bread for animal feeding as well as for people to eat. There
It is well known that the consumption of organic carbon by was already a plan to produce food for livestock from theses
micro-flora releases a large amount of CO2, and yet, the implemented procedures;
progressive decrease in carbon content within a place is the iv) - finally, it has been planned to produce food for livestock
result of noticeable decrease in terms of C/N relationship (that from those procedures already initiated by adding agriculture
is inferior to 15) leads to nitrogen losses while a high C/N residues as raw materials.
slows down decomposition. According to the fermentation
degree of the carbon that constitutes its residue, we will
consider a C/N relationship from 20 to 40 at the end of
maturation as favourable. However, many specialists consider
the ratio between 15 and 30 as the ideal one that is a C/N
which corresponds to our bio-compost produced in Ross
Bethio.

Finally, let us point out again that both analyses got a pH
value of bio-compost that equals 7.5; such a pH value still
proves it is a very good quality compost. Figure 3.4 : Bread made of Typha roots


4 - THE PROJECT VIEW IN THE FUTURE 4.1.1 - Operating conditions

4.1 - The Conditions for running a profitable business A reliable supply in raw materials – The first element
among operating conditions of a profitable industrial business
A transition phase is necessary to put into place is to organize a reliable network of supply in raw materials.
preconditions in terms of operation as well as technical and Also, the main stake after the availability of plants (thypha,
economic aspects since the JADE project (or DM 2006 khaye, salvinia, etc.) would be to establish a collection system
Project 1075) could not go directly from a production that would ensure a reliable and steady supply all year long. A
experiment phase to a profitably run sale business phase network of regular suppliers in all invading plants should be
during which that business would produce other products such put into place and find, in collaboration with the Eaux et
as food for livestock, bio-compost and bio-fuel. Also, during Forets Services, safe methods of collection from an agriculture
this transition phase a G.I.E business model will be created stand point so as to promote an ecosystem restoration that is
whereas a S.A.R.L or S.A business incorporated type [5, 6] favourable to fish, birds, and animals.
will operate during the phase of full sale business exploitation
as planned in the project global vision (see Fig 4.1). A sound network of business distribution and sale - In order
to be a viable one, any company must have a sound business
network of supply and sale. It would be also important to set
up such a network in a way that suppliers would be able to put
the vegetal pellets produced by the company in most of the
shops as well as the stocking places for charcoal. For example
the groups of women who are currently in charge of charcoal
supply could constitute a starting network in receiving the
pellets.

4.1.2 - Technical conditions

An available bio-fuel- The use of an engine running on biofuel
is one of the conditions for the project to be profitable
economically and to be acceptable ecologically. However,
there is not yet an organized production unit using oil in
Senegal, despite the existing PROGEDE project own by the
government which has already provided acres of land in order
to plant Jatropha carcus. That is the reason why since its
experimental phase, the JADE project has managed to create a
nursery of plants and to start planting them (see Fig. 5.1).
Since the plant only yields its seeds after a two year period of
existence, the issue of mechanically transforming grains in
cooking oil ought to be solved. For the time being, one of rare
source of supply in Jatropha oil is a traditional method of
production. It would be therefore necessary to think about a
supply channel from neighbouring countries such Niger, and
mainly Mali which is in advance in the growing of the plant.

A technical capacity to produce pellets continuously- The
current level in the technical capacity for the experimental
production must be reinforced if we want to reach the phase of
a profitable business production. In that respect, significant
improvements and technical tests must be performed in order
to go from an experimental run business to a profitable
business. All these improvements should take place during the
transition phase.
Figure 4.1: Vision of the implementation of the sale unit

Therefore, this sale production unit could very soon become
an integrated company type whose products would be
profitable from social, economic and environmental stand
points.


4.1.3 - Economic conditions 4.2.2 - Objectives for running a sale business

Here, we are presenting concisely our estimation on the The vision of the phase about running a sale business is
economic profitability of the new enterprise whose main presented below. A profitable company should take over after
product would be fuel pellets, pellets to feed livestock, the transition phase. Such a profitable company should be
biofuel, and biocompost. beneficial socially, that is to say:
According to our estimation, the biocompost would generate - to make products which are likely to satisfy the real needs of
cash flow after the business had run for a three months period the local population
only. Moreover, its low cost production makes the biocompost - to offer products made by / with the local population and
a very profitable product. which have not any negative impact on the environment
As for biofuel, its sale price would be higher during the first - to be profitable to the local population from an economic
two years. However its price would be as competitive as the stand point.
gasoline price right at the third year. Also our long term
projection becomes very interesting mainly because of the 5 - SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
tendency of the gasoline price to go up. When compared to
charcoal, the use of pellets for fuel would not be profitable 5.1 - Fuel pellets and food for livestock
during the first three years (except if the unavailability of
charcoal raw material is taken into account). So, the lack of
The use of pellet as domestic fuel instead of charcoal
profitability of pellets during the three years would be
contribute first to stopping the desert progress, thus saving
compensated by profits made by other products.
trees from being used as raw material in the production of
charcoal. While insuring the cleaning of the river banks
However if the pellets are finally used to feed livestock they
(better water quality, good irrigation, ecosystems more
would become economically competitive thanks to their low
favourable to birds, fish, and animals), the production of
cost of production (less constraints in the production process
pellets contributes to the ecological valorisation of biomass
makes the raw material available). .
into fuel whose combustion would be less harmful than that of
charcoal. Meanwhile, this use of pellets reduces the
4.2 - Objectives of transition and sale phases dependency on energy for people in the region thanks to
pellets and biofuel made of jatropha oil. Finally, agriculture
4.2.1 - Objectives of the transition phase residues are in other respect used to produce feeding pellets
for livestock, this generates employment and revenues for
Before getting to a sale business company, the main local people in addition to providing food for livestock.
objectives mentioned below should be achieved, these are:
5.2 - Bio-compost
- to establish a reliable network supply in aquatic plants
(Salvinia, typha, khaye, etc.) that is secure and ecological;
Using biocompost, a natural fertilizer, allows the reduction of
- to find a secure and definitive solution to the issue of biofuel
harmful effects of the chemical fertilizer such as the pollution
supply;
of lands and waters. Meanwhile, the biocompost would
- to guarantee a capability in continuously producing the
improve yielding in such a way to increase people’s
required quantity of pellets that is necessary to the level of a
satisfaction in terms of food. Finally, the easy way of
profitable sale business;
producing such a type of fertilizer and its low sale price would
- to finalize the technical tests of characterization of the pellets
help local people make savings.
- to write down ways and procedures of how to make raw
material and the production of pellets with a strong calorific
5.3 - Biofuel and planting Jatropha
power;
- to write a guide for the use, maintenance, and the making of
the different components of a production unit; Planting Jatropha carcus was launched by the PROGEDE
- to introduce and develop constituents of pellets production project in Senegal over an area of 25 hectares in 2003. There
for food, of biocompost and biofuel; was an extension over 100 hectares in 2005-2006 in
- to develop an improve stove for the combustion of pellets partnership with the World Bank through its program of
- to conceive and test the implementation of a strategy to promoting re-newable energies.
market with a supply network located throughout the pilot Biofuel production as well as Jatropha planting from which
regions; it derives would not only stop land erosion and the
- to write down contract documents and have them signed up deforestation of regions, but they would also participate to
between different partners of the different phases of the promoting rural women. As re-newable sources of energy,
integrated project; they would thus contribute to the development of rural
- to put into place the management board and find funding for economy and reduce poverty among the most sensitive
the future sale enterprise unit. population layers. (cf. Appendix 2 dealing in details with
some positive aspects from ecology, energy, and economy
stand points).


The article has finally presented the social, economic, and
environmental impacts of the main products of this future
enterprise which is integrated, and socially profitable.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Our thanks go first to Global Environment Facility (GEF)
and to the World Bank which both financed this project. In
a) - Jatropha nursery b) - Jatropha Plantation
particular, we thank Mr O. Ozloo and Mr O. Diop, supervisors
of JADE who strongly contributed to the success of this
project. Then, we thank all the members of the JADE team as
well as the local monitoring committee of the project, the
partner in Senegal (ASESCAW), and the industrial partner
(Eco Industrielle). We will not forget Mr Levasseur whose
machine, the Corncompact, was at the basis of the PP
conception. Finally, we thank Dr. M. Sow who translated this
c) - Extracting press d) – Jatropha oil paper, the reviewers of this article (Dr. M. Fall, Dr. O.
Dioume, and Dr. O. Cissé), all the members of S3IC, its COP,
Figure 5.1 : Jatropha planting and the oil it yields in Ross Béthio and all those who have contributed to the achievement of this
big project.

REFERENCES
[1] M.A. Ledoux et B. Courteau, Document de Proposition de projet au
World Bank Development Market Place, S3IC et EcoIndustrielle 2006.
[2] M. A. Ledoux, DM06 Proejct1075 Progress Report No.1, S3IC et
EcoIndustrielle, Jan. 24th 2007
[3] M. A. Ledoux, DM06 Proejct1075 Progress Report No.2, S3IC et
a) - Growing invading plants b) – Raw materials EcoIndustrielle, Aug. 31 2007
[4] A.O. Ba, N. Diongue, A. Fall, B. Courteau, DM06 Proejct1075 Final ,
Figure 5.2: Planting Jatropha and raw materials S3IC et EcoIndustrielle, May 26th 2008.
[5] A.O. Ba, N. Diongue, A. Fall, B. Courteau, DM06 Proejct1075 Business
Plan Final , S3IC et EcoIndustrielle, May, 30, 2008.
6 - CONCLUSION [6] Document de l’APIX.- Site Web
[7] Centre d’expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec (CEAEQ),
Détermination du pouvoir calorifique : méthode de combustion avec une
The goal of the JADE project consisted in transforming bombe calorimétrique ( M.A.108.P.Cal.1.1), 2006-09-11.
invading aquatic plants and agricultures residues in the [8] Renée Rossignol, Certificat d’analyse de granules combustibles, CTTEI
Senegal river region into compost and into fuel pellets for Centre de Transfert Technologique en Écologie Industrielle, Tracy (Qc),
12 Août 2008.
meal cooking. The production of fuel pellets is made from the
[9] André Dor et Nader Daoud, Certificat d’analyse du Bio-compost,
experimental unit which is composed of a shredder and a Laboratoires d’Analyses S.M.Inc., Varennes (Qc), 18 Août 2008.
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oil. This ecological project, valorizing biomass into fuel and Chimie, Service Alimentation, Institut Sénégalais de Recherche
into compost while ensuring the cleaning of the river banks Agronomique (ISRA), Dakar, 13 Août 2008.
[11] A. O. Ba, N. Diongue, A. Fall, M. A. Sow, B. Courteau et D. Diao,
(better water quality, good irrigation, and ecosystems more Transformation des herbes envahissantes en granules combustibles à
favorable to flora, to wildlife and to humans), will in the mean Ross-Béthio (Sénégal), Rapport S3IC, No. S3IC-2009-001, Montréal,
time contribute to the treat-management strategy of invading Février 2009.
plants, to fight against deforestation (through Jatropha
planting) and mainly to reduce energy dependency of people
in the region of Senegal river. PROFILES OF THE INVOLVED ORGANIZATIONS

According to the vision of the project team, moving from S3IC - is a NPO (Non Profit Organization) with its head office in Canada. It
the experimental unit (or the JADE project) to the stage of a is composed of professionals (scientists and engineers) who carry out projects
for the benefit of Senegal and Senegalese people in and outside the country
profitably run business requires a transition stage (a G.I.E
business type) is necessary for the achievement of certain
EcoIndustrielle - is a division of Industrial Mechanic Company B. Courteau
operation conditions as well as technical and economic Inc., from Varennes (Qc.), working on the field of industrial ecology.
conditions. That phase of a profitably run business would be
done within the framework of a (SA or SARL) company ASESCAW – is a Senegalese NGO in charge of the economic cultural and
socially profitable and of an integrated type whose main sport improvements of Walo farmers (in the region of the Senegal river
products would be fuel pellets and / or food for livestock, valley).
biocompost, biofuel made of Jatropha oil, and electricity
produced by Typha pellets or Jatropha biofuel.


APPENDIXES APPEDIX 2- Environmental social and economic aspects from exploiting
bio-fuel
APPENDIX 1 - Determining the Calorific Power We are summarizing, below, some positive environmental, social and
economic aspects related to exploiting bio-fuel and its raw material, the
Measurement Tools/Instrument – The main tools and/or instruments used in Jatropha plant.
this method during the tests are:
- 1 calorimetric bomb in 300ml oxygen content; 1) - Re-newable energy:
- 1 pressure gauge and holder with a bomb monitor; - production of electricity and rural electrification;
- 1 bomb support; - Lister engines(running on jatropha oil) are used to drive grain mills and
- 1 fire box; waterpump, etc.
-1 water bath; - the technology for using natural pure Jatropha oil as substitute for paraffin
- 1 gaz : oxygen; oil for lamps and cookers is not yet available.
-1 oval tank with 2 liter capacity
- 1 thermocouple or thermometer that can read temperature variations of 2) – Erosion control and soil improvement:
0.02 oC - Jatropha ‘living fences’ not only control unwanted animal access to the
- 1 grip adapted to hold the bomb; fields, but also reduce wind erosion;
- 1 analytical scale of 0.1 mg in sensitivity. - the plant roots cause more water to penetrate into the soil and boost
harvests;
Calorific Capacity of the Calorimeter - The calorimetric capacity of the - the press cake which remains after oil extraction by the expellers is a very
equipment (i.e., the equipment constant) is given by equation (1) good organic fertilizer.
H ab ⋅ g ab (1)
W=
⎡ 1000⋅ (T fo − Ti o ) ⎤ 3) - Promotion of women:
⎣ ⎦
-Rural women, equipped with engine-driven grainmills (by biofuel from
where: Jatropha oil), can see their daily tasks of meal cooking eased.
W - calorimetric capacity of the calorimeter, in ⎡ kJ / 0C ⎤
⎣ ⎦ - consequently, those mills have the tendency to lead to some impoverishment
of the village because of the cash necessary both to buy and to transport
H ab - combustion heat of the benzoic acid, equals 26453 [ kJ / kg ]
these external resources to the village(such as fuel lubricant, maintenance
g ab - weight of the benzoic acid pastille, in g [ ] etc.);
-however, the use of jatropha oil locally produced as fuel and lubricant, make
T o - final temperature of water in the tank after setting fire
f it possible to stop the cash outflow from the village.
o
Ti - initial temperature of water in the tank before setting fire - finally, rural women use jatropha as medicine ( seeds as laxative, the latex
stops bleeding and against infections and the leaves against malaria) and for
o
T fo and Ti , in ⎡ 0C ⎤
⎣ ⎦
soap production.

4) Reducing poverty:
Oil Calorific factor- The calorific factor of mineral oil is given in relation (2) :
- By promoting the integrated use of the Jatroha plant the Jatropha system
(
⎡ 1000⋅ T fo − Ti o ⋅W ⎤ )
HH = ⎣ ⎦ (2) can provide direct financial benefits to the rural:
gH - reducing crop losses caused by wandering livestock or wind damage;
- increasing rainfall infiltration resulting in less / irrigation water needed for
where: local gardens;
H H - calorific factor of mineral oil, in kJ / kg [ ] -increasing soil fertility by use of presscake as fertilizer;
o - final temperature of water in the tank after setting fire - increasing use of inexpensive local resources rather than expensive external
T f
resources;
Ti - initial temperature of water in the tank before setting fire,
o
-reducing disputes between farmers and livestock owners regarding crop
o damage, as well as among farmers themselves regarding the boundaries of
⎣ ⎦ their fields;
W - calorific capacity of the calorimeter, in ⎡ kJ / 0C ⎤
⎣ ⎦
-Providing local jobs, lessening the need for local villagers to migrate to
cities to find employment.
g H - oil weight, in [ g ]

Calorific factor of the sample – According to this method, the calorific factor
(PC) of the hole sample is calculated using relation (3).
⎡ 1000⋅ (T fo − Ti o ) ⋅ W ⎤ − [ H H ⋅ a ] (3)
⎣ P.C. = ⎦
b
where: P.C. - calorific value, in [ kJ / kg ]

T fo - final temperature of water in the tank after setting fire
Ti o - initial temperature of water in the tank before setting fire,
o
⎣ ⎦
HH - calorific factor of mineral oil, in [ kJ / kg ]
W - calorific capacity of the calorimeter ( equipment constant determined with
the benzoic acid ), in ⎡ kJ / 0C ⎤
⎣ ⎦
a - the sample weight, in [ g ]
b - oil weight, in [ g ]

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