A Pilot project on Waste and Environmental Pollution: Mitigation Using Innovative Renewable Technologies for Mombasa Region in Kenya (VLIR-UOS Talk)

This Community Talks will focus on possible solutions for two major problems affecting the region of Mombasa and, by extension, Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa. 

🔥The first problem is the reliance on fossil fuels, such as wood and LPG, for cooking.

🗑️The second issue concerns waste management, specifically organic waste generated at local marketplaces.

As part of the SI 2020 project between the Technical University of Mombasa and Hasselt University, research was conducted into using renewable energy sources - such as solar heaters and biogas production - to reduce fossil fuel consumption for cooking while simultaneously addressing organic waste disposal. A pilot-scale hybrid biogas digester was designed, combining a fixed-dome digester with a balloon-type digester.

 🌞 Additionally, a solar heater was used to preheat water for cooking, thereby reducing the extra energy required to bring it to boiling point.

⚡By combining both clean energy sources, a reduction of more than 60% in fossil fuel consumption was achieved, demonstrating the potential of the technology and paving the way for further research into upscaling and implementation at local markets.