sisv2018 ln Kenya, An Entrepreneur Is Using Biodiesel To Fight Climate Change | CleanTechnica #1 cleantech news, reviews, & analysis site inthe world ‘Subscribe today. The future is now. Backto Too + In Kenya, An Entrepreneur Is i Using Biodiesel To Fight = Climate Change 1 C=] 0] Fe] l=] wets BEAM ‘eagle a By Sanjoy Sanyal, World Resources Institute ‘The story began in 1995, when Taher Zavery's grandfather emigrated to Ki, Kenya, al the way from Gujarat, India to set up cotton ginning factory. There was no trace of electricity In the rogion at that time, and today, power is stil unreliable, so the entre plant runs on ese Chevy Bal Wirat Does That Mean > The oil price peak led to the first move etc We Sa St In motes ing Dovelopmant in NMC "Lithium Battery Technology Ne Huge Energy Storago Breakthrough Neoded For Renewable Energy To Flowish ‘Advertsing Blunder: Get Your EV Battery Repiaced For Free — And ‘Some Real News On EV Sales & ICE Tax mn Danmar Support CleanTechnica's Wor hntpsscleantochnica.conv2018/02/18ikenya-entropreneur-biodiesal-climate-changel wnsisi2016 Mr Zavery then set up 8 small biodiesel plant that he obtained from the UK. Later on, and as they set up a bigger plan, he and his plant enginger embarked on the path of procuring Ccomponenis from China and India while doing the engineering design for a larger plant for theme Biodiesel is perishable: it cannat be stored for more than 90 days as algae starts growing, but thanks to Mr. Zavery’s emphasis on engineering, his entre plant has already been running using the alternative fue for the lat seven years, The assured supply of feedstock — the waste material that is used asthe input inthe biodiesel manufacturing process, inthis case cottonseed — is ecal. The factory now works with 7,000 contrat local farmers who sell him the coton for his ginning factory ‘The method is quite simple: the cottonseed is crushed and the vegetable il stored in 10,000 Iter tarks. The machines in the gining factory aié nat need ary madfication with the switeh to biociesel, and the company now also runs a fleet of trucks using the same biodiesel Discovering an additional use of the biodiesel ‘The colton yild in this somi-arid zone of Kitu, a rogion that falls betwoon Mombasa and Nairobi, has been dropping. In the las four years, the average yield has falen preciptously from araund 600 to 700 klsiacres to 150 klloslacre, because of erratic rainfalls, which Me Zaveryis convinced isa sign of clmate change. ‘Smalt-noldng farmers in the region do not have access to any irigation facility and Mr. Zavery thought ne could supaly them with pumps they auld use to tigate thelr elds with He procured 105 pumps, partially supported by a grant from Power Africa, anintitve ofthe United States Agency for Intemational Development (USAID) to expand eneray access in ‘Affea. The company had access to an excess quantity of cation seeds from its catchment ‘area and could inerease the production of biodiesel trom its current capacty of 5,000 iters per day. The addtional fuel would be supplied tothe farmers to run the water pumps. ‘The idea was thatthe farmers would buy the pumps on loan, which has not proved fo be so ‘easy, “Micro Financ.t Institutions wanted to charge an intrest rate of more than 30% and conversations with banks went nowhere,” explains Mr Zavery. KitulIndusties then stepoed In as a financier ofthe frst lt of pumps. “This isthe place we call home, if we do not work with the farmers, the industry will be dead in two years. Ie cid not take long for Mr, Zavery to figure out that the farmers needed actional help to Increase ther income, The Seed they were using was an old one so he has arranged for the import ofa drought resistant seed ‘rom Israel to be used by the farmers, Batter seed, along with rigation,nelped to combat te fling yilss, Mr, Zavery also provides small enterorses Intpseleantechnica.com!2018102kenya-entrepreneur-biodiesel-clmate-change! ln Kenya, An Entrepreneur s Using Biodiesel To Fight Climate Change | CleanTechnica ‘Suppor CleanTechnic's wor via donations ‘on Patroon or PayPal. Improve your financial performance. BEERS: ansisv2016 ln Kenya, An Entrepreneur Is Using Biodiesel To Fight Climate Change | CleanTechinica {from salons to welding shops) with ten diesel generator sets that run on biodiesel, for them (GB cites ances vie supra, lo genorate olocticiy. Lessons from Mr. Zavery’s story Sere omen Mr. Zavery’s journey is full of lessons for the global transtion to renewable energy. The promise of bidiesel to meet global renewable energy needs has been belied. Biodiasal ‘manufacture is often seen to displace land that could have been used for foad, but inthis part of arid eastern Kenya, bodiesel has the promise to both increase farmer incomes and business profits, without taking away land from food cultvation, The future of a renewable ‘energy world wil not be “ane size fs al,” it wil be @ mosaic of solutions suited to local promotiNS scram needs. The supply chain for these solutions is however global, as Mr. Zavery imported critcal equipment from india and China any pot ‘The Financing af ond customers who can pay back the loan from savings in operational costs ur 2 harging Report Is one key challenge as partnerships of renewable energy industries with local financial Insitutions are notoriously ditfcult to stich, as they do not understand the industry and to compensate for heightened sense of risk, demand onerous lending terms. Accessible financing for businesses to Implement “pay as you go* schemes (eflectvely leasing ut Ee VRNCLECHANORS. systoms to potential customers) is the way for entrepreneurs lke Mr. Zavery to provide INFRASTRUCTURE. AND Solutions o a make they know iniaely. ‘THE LANDSCAPE LOOKING FORWARD aad more from The Bam, ‘Subscribe to The Beam hore ‘Tags: Biodiesel cotton, cottonseed, Kenya, Kitul Industries Checkout our rand new 2018 EV charging ‘ition report basod on surveys of EV About the Author ctor: potonal EV dvor, and EY charging staton companies. ‘he Beam THe Beam Mageine IS @ quarterly print publication that takes @ ‘modern perspective on the energy transition, From Berlin we report about the people, companies and organizations that shape our sustainable energy OU" future around the world, The team is headed by journalist Anne-Sophie Garrigou and designer Dimitis Gkikas. The Beam works with a network of ‘experts and contributors to cover topics from technology to art, from pole to sustainably, from VGs to cleantech start ups. Our language is energy transon and that's spoken ‘everywhere. The Beam is already being cistributed in most countries in Europe, but also in Niger, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Japan, Chile and the United States. And this is just the beginning, So stay tuned for future development and follow us on F mand Wl ‘age EV Driver Repor Electric vers Desires, Demands & ‘Who They Are Related Posts + a Check out cur 93-page EV report, based on ‘ver 2.000 surveys callectod rom EV anvors th In Aiea, Rural snkoSolar & Marubeni laste Trash Used In Mlerogrids Are Cental in 49of 50 US ststes, 26 European countnes, Electrification fs Driven 1,17 MW Swoihan Construction Materials To Our Future Energy ‘and 9Canacln proveos Intpsscleantochnica.conv2018/02/18ikenya-entropreneur-biodiesol-climate-changel