FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR ENERGY RECOVERY OF PEELS RESULTING FROM CASSAVA PROCESSING INTO GARI: CASE OF THE MAWUDAGBA COOPERATIVE IN BENIN

In Benin, cassava processing activities within Mawudagba cooperative enterprise generate significant wastes that are bulky and difficult to manage. In addition, Mawudagba Cooperative is dependent on thermal energy for cooking gari and gasoline supply to grating equipment. In order to reduce waste and the energy bill, a technical-economic and environmental study was carried out. The methodology used is based on energy needs analysis, energy recovery possibilities analysis and economico-environmental analysis. The results showed that the annual energy consumptions are 21.71 MWh and 3.10 MWh respectively for cooking gari and for fueling the grating equipment. The Gross Biomass Potential amounts to 187.792 T per year while that of the Net Biomass is 128.422 T per year. Analysis of energy recovery possibilities from cassava waste has retained pyrogasification as appropriate process for the energy recovery of cassava peels within the Mawudagba Cooperative.The economic analysis revealed that the investment cost for a period of 15 years is 3,690,000 FCFA and that of operation is 160,000 FCFA/year. In addition, the study made it possible to reduce the annual bill for firewood from 780,000 FCFA to 0 FCFA and that of gasoline from 520,000 FCFA to 0 FCFA. From an environmental point of view, a reduction of 26.61 tonnes CO₂/year is obtained from the emissions produced by non-recovered waste.