Development of a small-scale multi-fuelled gasification system in Malawi

Malawi is faced with serious energy supply challenges and inadequate energy supply is limiting its social, economic and industrial development. Future economic growth crucially depends on the long-term availability of energy from sources that are affordable, accessible, secure and environmentally friendly (low carbon energy). The market for efficient energy solutions in Malawi is growing steadily but numerous reasons such as lack of capital, infrastructure, poverty and skills is severely hampering adoption.

The project consortium led by Refgas Limited in collaboration with Cambrian Gas Limited (t/a CamGas) and Renew'N'Able Malawi (RENAMA), aim to develop a modular and mobile biomass gasification and gas compression system to enable a low cost, on-site closed-loop process, that generates heat & electricity from a sustainable waste biomass feedstock and a pure syngas that can be compressed and bottled to supply affordable bottled gas for household applications (mainly cookstoves).

The project outcome will be a small-scale (250kW) prototype gasification unit that will be trialled in Dwangwa, Malawi. The partners will prove that the modular and mobile system is able to provide a reliable and affordable source of electricity and bottled gas from a sustainable biomass feedstock taken from local plantations (sugar cane waste), and will investigate new business models that will support deployment in rural areas across Malawi, with potential replication opportunities across sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries globally.