- Development aid project in Haiti successfully implemented.
- New workshop for pellets and pyrolysis cooker
- ECOKRAFT pelleting machines in use
As a cooperation partner of Caritas Switzerland, ECOKRAFT AG sets new accents in the field of active development aid and realized a small production plant for the manufacture of heating pellets in Haiti.
ECOKRAFT AG is setting new accents as a cooperation partner of Caritas Switzerland in the field of active development aid. The latest project promotes the use of sustainable energy in Haiti (Léogâne and Carrefour) through the production, marketing and sale of so-called pyrolysis stoves. "The original problem was that there was no suitable electricity grid, making it difficult to prepare a hot meal for thousands of households. At the same time, there is a lot of waste wood and biomass from cane sugar cultivation, but this material cannot be used either because there are no wood stoves," explains Alexander Angermaier, Procurement Specialist, Caritas Switzerland "The solution was to set up a small production plant for pyrolysis stoves. These stoves can be fired with pellets from available waste wood or other biomass."
Essential component of ECOKRAFT For the project, ECOKRAFT realized a small production plant, an indispensable component in the entire value-added process of the new workshop. The reason: the plant is needed to produce pellets, which are used to fire the stoves. "The complete machine for producing the pellets requires extremely little energy and is very easy to operate," explains Reinhold Eder, board member and managing director of ECOKRAFT AG, adding, "This means that households can once again prepare a hot meal autonomously." The advantage would be obvious: "Pyrolysis stoves have a higher efficiency than the traditional 'three-stone fireplace' and can henceforth reduce the consumption of firewood." Consequently, up to 2,000 kg of biomass could be converted into valuable energy pellets per day, providing up to 4,000 households per day with energy for cooking. "The use of our technology in a region strained by environmental disasters, opens up a small economic and at the same time environmentally friendly perspective for the people," emphasizes ECOKRAFT CEO Reinhold Eder, noting, "New income opportunities are generated. At the same time, the country's existing resources can be used." This prevents further deforestation and the associated soil erosion, he adds, and also supports efforts to reforest local forests. Alexander Angermaier, procurement specialist, Caritas Switzerland, agrees: "You train a group of entrepreneurs and apprentices in production and business management. A market for heating pellets is emerging in urban zones. In rural areas, the focus is on using locally available organic waste." Dry leaves and crop residues in pellet form would be used to prepare a hot meal with the energy-efficient cooking appliances. Charcoal could be dispensed with completely in the future, he said. Angermaier continues: "The biochar, which is produced as a pyrolysis residue, can then be used to improve the soil. The plant charcoal enriched with compost, which is worked into the soil, increases soil fertility, acts as a simple CO2 reservoir and thus makes an active contribution to environmental protection on site."
ECOKRAFT technology shows what it's made of
Both an ECOKRAFT SM 200 granulator and an RP 15 pellet mill are used to process the biomass into heating pellets. The SM 200 granulator is ideally suited for a wide variety of materials. The favorable purchase price, the robust, split steel and welded housing, the good cleaning possibility as well as easy knife and sieve change distinguish this granulator. The rotor knives are arranged according to the latest V-cut technology, which always ensures a high-quality ground material. The RP15, on the other hand, has been specially developed for fine-grained biomasses such as sawdust, wood shavings, fermentation substrates, husks, or fruit residues. The built-in steam discharge from the pressing chamber and two central lubrication points ensure maximum compactness and are easy to operate. The powerful press thus enables maximum throughput as well as first-class quality of the heating pellets. Both units have been adapted to the existing Haitian power grid, so that a 32 amp power plug is fully sufficient. "All of this allows for easy handling and maintenance of the machines and a low power requirement with a maximum of 15 kw/h," said Christian Wagner, sales manager of ECOKRAFT AG. Moreover, the pelleting system requires the space of a Euro pallet and can be moved and positioned as desired with a lift truck.
With ECOKRAFT's plant technology, up to 2,000 kg of biomass can now be converted into valuable energy pellets per day, supplying up to 4,000 households per day with energy for cooking.