A feasibility study of producing and utilizing biochar as a soil improver in rural Mozambique
(2024) MVKM01 20241Department of Energy Sciences
- Abstract
- This study investigates the feasibility of producing and utilizing biochar as a soil improver in a rural village in Mozambique. It consists of the following two parts, a field study in Mozambique and a theoretical and laboratory study in Sweden. The field study was performed at Project Vita in Linga Linga, Mozambique, which is a non-profitable organization, and the study in Sweden consists of a literature study and a laboratory with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The aim is to examine how residual streams of biomass can be utilized to improve the agriculture in Linga Linga. The research questions deals with the available biomass for production of biochar, the existing agriculture and its need for soil improvement and which biomass... (More)
- This study investigates the feasibility of producing and utilizing biochar as a soil improver in a rural village in Mozambique. It consists of the following two parts, a field study in Mozambique and a theoretical and laboratory study in Sweden. The field study was performed at Project Vita in Linga Linga, Mozambique, which is a non-profitable organization, and the study in Sweden consists of a literature study and a laboratory with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The aim is to examine how residual streams of biomass can be utilized to improve the agriculture in Linga Linga. The research questions deals with the available biomass for production of biochar, the existing agriculture and its need for soil improvement and which biomass that generates the most suitable biochar for soil improvement in Linga Linga. To investigate the available biomass and existing agriculture, interviews and observations were conducted. For the biochar production, a pyrolysis process was performed in a Top-lit updraft (TLUD). The biochar was analyzed in terms of yield, pH, porosity and water holding capacity to find the most suitable biochar. All these parameters were analyzed during the field study and in Sweden an additional laboratory with SEM was preformed to further analyze the porosity. The result shows that the available biomass consists of coconuts, coconut palm leaves and branches, resulting in four different feedstocks for the pyrolysis, where coconuts are divided into husk and shell. Linga Linga suffers from low agricultural productivity. The soil consists of sand and is poor in nutrients and organic matter, which is not suitable for the crops they grow. The intensive solar radiation, together with the poor water retention capacity of the soil, makes the crops dry out. These factors have led to a reluctance for cultivation, and the existing agriculture is therefore in need of soil improvement. The result shows that the biochars from the four feedstocks performs differently in the different biochar analyzes. Coconut husk obtained the highest yield and water holding capacity. The pH values of the biochars were similar. Coconut palm leaves turned out to have the highest porosity in the field study experiments, and branches obtained the highest values for porosity in the SEM analysis. Since the biochars perform differently regarding the different parameters, a conclusion about the most suitable biochar is difficult to draw. At last, this thesis shows that producing and utilizing biochar as soil improver is feasible and suitable in Linga Linga. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- Linga Linga, a rural village in Mozambique, suffers from low agricultural productivity and no waste management. The waste is currently incinerated or goes to landfill, which causes emissions of carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere. Is it possible to find one solution to these two problems? Indeed, there is! By utilizing the organic waste for production of biochar for soil improvement, the waste is managed and at the same time the agriculture is improved. Let's turn waste into value!
Now you may wonder, what is this groundbreaking thing called biochar? Biochar is charcoal produced from biomass. It is produced by heating organic material in a low-oxygen environment, a process called pyrolysis, which creates a stable form of... (More) - Linga Linga, a rural village in Mozambique, suffers from low agricultural productivity and no waste management. The waste is currently incinerated or goes to landfill, which causes emissions of carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere. Is it possible to find one solution to these two problems? Indeed, there is! By utilizing the organic waste for production of biochar for soil improvement, the waste is managed and at the same time the agriculture is improved. Let's turn waste into value!
Now you may wonder, what is this groundbreaking thing called biochar? Biochar is charcoal produced from biomass. It is produced by heating organic material in a low-oxygen environment, a process called pyrolysis, which creates a stable form of carbon that can be added to soil. Due to the porous structure of biochar, it has the ability to hold water and nutrients. It can also increase the pH and improve the structure of the soil. These factors can in turn increase the agricultural yields.
This research took place in Linga Linga together with Project Vita, a non-profit organization, founded and led by Swedish-Mozambican Michel Olofsson. Project Vita's goal is to help people lift themselves out of poverty by involving inhabitants in their projects. They combine local traditions and materials with new technical knowledge, aspects and building techniques.
The aim of this study is to determine if local biomass could be transformed into biochar to enhance the agriculture. The study deals with identifying available biomass for biochar production, assessing agricultural needs and producing different biochars. These are then evaluated regarding the suitability to be used as a soil improver. To identify biomass, interviews and observations were conducted, finding that coconut husks, coconut shells, palm leaves and branches were available in abundance. These are waste and are currently incinerated to get rid of. When examined the state of agriculture in the village, key challenges such as nutrient-poor soil and inadequate water retention were found. Linga Linga's soil is sandy, and it is difficult for crops to thrive. Intense solar radiation worsens these issues by causing crops to dry out quickly. The soil is definitely in need of improvement.
Using a top-lit updraft (TLUD) pyrolysis reactor, different types of biomass were converted into biochar, which was analyzed in terms of yield, pH, porosity and water holding capacity. A high porosity and water holding capacity is desirable for being a suitable soil improver and a high yield means a high efficiency of the pyrolysis process. The biochar analysis showed that coconut husks produced the highest yield and water-holding capacity. Palm leaves created biochar with the highest porosity in field tests, while branches showed the highest porosity in lab tests using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). When observing this result, it can be concluded that it is not possible to determine a winner for the most suitable biochar. Depending on which factor and analysis that is observed, the biochars perform differently.
In the study, it was shown that biochar production and utilization are both feasible and beneficial for agriculture in Linga Linga. By converting waste into a valuable resource, biochar could improve the agriculture by making it more sustainable and productive. This research highlights the potential of biochar as a solution to agricultural challenges in rural Mozambique, paving the way for more resilient and productive farming. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9163974
- author
- Kuhalampi, Elin LU and Edhammer, Ellen
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MVKM01 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Biochar, Biomass, Pyrolysis, TLUD, Mozambique, Coconut, Palm leaves, Branches, Soil improver
- report number
- LUTMDN/TMHP-24/5571-SE
- ISSN
- 0282-1990
- language
- English
- id
- 9163974
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-20 13:44:41
- date last changed
- 2024-06-20 13:44:41
@misc{9163974,
abstract = {{This study investigates the feasibility of producing and utilizing biochar as a soil improver in a rural village in Mozambique. It consists of the following two parts, a field study in Mozambique and a theoretical and laboratory study in Sweden. The field study was performed at Project Vita in Linga Linga, Mozambique, which is a non-profitable organization, and the study in Sweden consists of a literature study and a laboratory with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The aim is to examine how residual streams of biomass can be utilized to improve the agriculture in Linga Linga. The research questions deals with the available biomass for production of biochar, the existing agriculture and its need for soil improvement and which biomass that generates the most suitable biochar for soil improvement in Linga Linga. To investigate the available biomass and existing agriculture, interviews and observations were conducted. For the biochar production, a pyrolysis process was performed in a Top-lit updraft (TLUD). The biochar was analyzed in terms of yield, pH, porosity and water holding capacity to find the most suitable biochar. All these parameters were analyzed during the field study and in Sweden an additional laboratory with SEM was preformed to further analyze the porosity. The result shows that the available biomass consists of coconuts, coconut palm leaves and branches, resulting in four different feedstocks for the pyrolysis, where coconuts are divided into husk and shell. Linga Linga suffers from low agricultural productivity. The soil consists of sand and is poor in nutrients and organic matter, which is not suitable for the crops they grow. The intensive solar radiation, together with the poor water retention capacity of the soil, makes the crops dry out. These factors have led to a reluctance for cultivation, and the existing agriculture is therefore in need of soil improvement. The result shows that the biochars from the four feedstocks performs differently in the different biochar analyzes. Coconut husk obtained the highest yield and water holding capacity. The pH values of the biochars were similar. Coconut palm leaves turned out to have the highest porosity in the field study experiments, and branches obtained the highest values for porosity in the SEM analysis. Since the biochars perform differently regarding the different parameters, a conclusion about the most suitable biochar is difficult to draw. At last, this thesis shows that producing and utilizing biochar as soil improver is feasible and suitable in Linga Linga.}},
author = {{Kuhalampi, Elin and Edhammer, Ellen}},
issn = {{0282-1990}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{A feasibility study of producing and utilizing biochar as a soil improver in rural Mozambique}},
year = {{2024}},
}