Project
Rural Food Processing Unit
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Rural Food Processing Unit
SummaryThis full-sized pilot project is designed for processing mangoes in Burkina Faso producing both dried mango and mango nectar and other nectars during the mango off-season. It proposes a new and innovative way to combine simple, proven and low cost energy and food-processing technologies to the very specific needs of rural producers. The idea is based on the maximal use of locally available, environmentally friendly and free energy sources.

The aim of the Rural food processing unit is to develop a sustainable and well adapted solution to the specific food security threat in Burkina Faso: the seasonal farming and severe lack of adapted food processing facilities to the rural areas. It also aims at promoting in much larger scale renewable energy sources for sustainable local economic development purposes by demonstrating in location the efficiency of such systems.

The project team consists of experienced and internationally recognized experts from various fields, including renewable energy, food processing and groceries marketing sectors.
Author Address Mr. William Ilboudo
ISOMET
secteur 28
Ouagadougou
09 BP 122
Burkina Faso
AffiliationPrivate
Status[]
CategorySolar Cooking, Solar Drying, Solar Cooling, Solar Pasteurisation
Implementation Date /
Detailed Description
THE TECHNICAL SOLUTION SHORTLY:

The solar energy is first caught by a solar water heater preheating the water up to 90 degrees Celsius. Part of this water is directly utilized in the dryers, whilst the other part of he preheated water is sent to the parabolas (solar dishes) and transformed into steam. This system can produce quantities of steam in a short period of time.
In periods with of low solar radiation or higher demand of process energy, a biomass burner will automatically switch on to assist the solar energy. Another buffer will be installed as a steam tank with 180 degrees Celsius and 10 bar pressure.

Furthermore, the steam will run a steam engine and a generator to produce electricity. This electricity will then be used to run indispensable electric devices such as fans for the dryers, thermo-sealers for products conditioning, A/C in the production hall etc. The surplus electricity will be stored in batteries which also serve as buffers.

The waste heat coming from the steam engine will be reused by cogeneration. This energy can be used in the thermal food processing such as cooking, pasteurization, sterilization, steaming, drying etc. This provides the production unit with a huge potential of flexibility. In our case, we will begin only with drying and pasteurization.
 
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