The potential for gasification of coffee stems to provide bioenergy for the coffee sector
An output from Samira Garcia’s (Aston University) mobility award.
With the Supergen Bioenergy Hub Mobility Grant, Ph.D. researcher Samira Garcia based at Aston University attended the 7th International Workshop: Advances in Cleaner Production in Barranquilla, Colombia during June 21st – 22nd 2018. This is a biennial workshop organized by the Advances in Cleaner Production Network (ACPN), which brings together universities, research centres, and industries to facilitate discussion and knowledge transfer on technologies, concepts and policies related to Cleaner Production (http://www.advancesincleanerproduction.net/7th/english/site/home.html).
Under the Climate Action and Affordable Clean Energy session, Samira gave a presentation about her work on the potential of coffee stems gasification to provide bioenergy for the coffee sector, after this she was awarded a special mention for her presentation. As an invited speaker she also participated in a plenary session giving a keynote presentation about Cleaner Energy Production to Support Sustainable Agriculture in the Global South.
After the workshop, Samira made a visit to Cenicafe, a coffee research centre in Chinchina, Colombia that investigate on different aspects of the coffee supply chain, including the use of coffee residues for bioenergy. Here, she was able to exchange knowledge and validate her results with other researchers; gathering first hand data about the coffee stems availability, the energy demand of the coffee rural sector in Colombia and the technical difficulties during the gasification of coffee stems in a pilot scale gasifier.
Throughout her stay in Colombia visiting different universities and Cenicafe, Samira was also able to talk about the structure of the new Supergen Bioenergy Hub, Supergen work on Bioenergy in International Development for different developing countries and engage with academics, consultants and industrialist using the Bioenergy comic (graphic novel).
