Publication: Bio-alkanol gel fuel for rural households in the Lake Victoria Basin
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2019
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Abstract
The clean energy potential in eastern Africa is sufficient to develop a strong economic, social and environmentally beneficial supply that can exceed regional energy needs, make significant progress in increasing energy access, and do so in a way that achieves environmental sustainability and a more diverse and vibrant private sector.The Lake Victoria basin which is a significant water resource for the region is characterized by high rates of deforestation. Only 6% of rural households around the lake basin rely on modern fuels with the majority predominantly using solid fuel such as charcoal and firewood for their primary cooking needs. The resulting degradation of the catchment areas of Lake Victoria basin is a major threat to these resources and livelihoods. Moreover, firewood and paraffin which are popularly used by the rural households are a major source of indoor air pollution and are known to cause numerous respiratory ailments such as pneumonia, asthma and lung cancer among others.To minimize reliance on wood-based fuel and paraffin, the project will commercialize a renewable biofuel known as ‘bio-alkanol gel’ made from fruit waste. The bio-alkanol gel also has the potential to repel mosquitoes that cause malaria. An enterprise will be established through which the gel will be commercially produced, and sustainable business models developed to scale the product to benefit rural household communities in the Lake Victoria basin, youth and women among others
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Maseno University