Egerton students testing the proto-types at the NAWASSCO Treatment Plant

Part of the challenge consists of up-scaling the production process for bio-fertilisers and biomass fuels in a way that would enable a sustainable business to emerge. The partners agreed to focus on the development of one process that potentially would be able to produce a range of bio-fertilisers and biomass fuels.

To explore the options available to create an efficient local production process, the partners engaged in the design and development of proto-types for each step of the production process:
1. Drying of faecal matter and other wastes like market waste fromt he main market in Nakuru and locally available sawdust (including separation of solids)
2. Carbonisation of faecal matter and other wastes
3. Crushing or milling of the raw materials
4. Mixing the raw materials and/or binders
5. Briquetting, pelletising or granulating the materials
6. Drying the final products
7. Packaging the products for the market
8. Explore cookstoves and gasifier stoves suitable to market together with the fuels.

Egerton University engaged their Graduate students BSc Agricultural Engineering to come up with innovative solutions. Together with the input of Benmah Engineering, SCODE Ltd and the other NCSP partners, first and second generation proto-types were designed, fabricated, tested and demonstrated.

Follow us on Twitter (@NCSP_Fahariloo) to see more photos and updates of the proto-type project.