What's New in September?

              

Gaia Association, Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI) and the World Bank Biomass Energy Initiative for Africa (BEIA) have finalized an official agreement with Canadian engineering and technology firm Spectrum Technologies Ltd for the small-scale ethanol for cooking project supported by the Nordic Climate Facility in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Spectrum is an innovator in the field of energy efficient, cost-effective distillery design running on a variety of sugar, starch and cellulose-based feedstocks.  Spectrum brings to the project several years of experience in the Ethiopian distillery and ethanol industry. The comissoned plant is designed to produce ethanol from sugar cane, molasses and fruit waste. The production of the 1,000 lpd distillery unit is currently in progress and the plant is expected to be installed in Ethiopia in early 2013. A detailed household energy survey and socioeconomic impact analysis with selected low-income households begins this month and will be led by Gaia Association and SEI. The project will create income for a women-led Ethiopian cooperative and support the Ethiopian Government’s efforts to mitigate climate change and deforestation by replacing traditional biomass with clean‐burning, locally produced ethanol used in modern stoves.

For more information on the microdistillery project, please contact Ms. Frehiwot Hailu at

New Partnership to Revive Haitian Agricultural Markets and Bring Bioethanol Cooking Fuel to Haiti

Project Gaia, Multiple Enterprises Haiti (MEH) Industries and Green Independent Viable Energy (GIVE) Eco Energy announce a new partnership for Haiti to create sustainable new markets for bioethanol cooking, appliance and utility fuel. MEH Industries is a Haitian enterprise founded 30 years ago specializing in the manufacture and retail of paper products, textiles and beverages in Haiti. MEH is also the owner of Central Dessaline sugar mill in Les Cayes, Haiti. MEH Industries will rehabilitate the existing sugar mill, which closed in 1996, to create a state-of-the-art scalable bioethanol distillery and biorefinery which will reinvigorate agricultural markets and bring employment back to the Southern Department. The new plant will produce ethanol fuel for the local cookstove market and co-generate electricity using biomass and biogas. MEH has already begun agricultural trials with local agronomists to assess the viability of several different feedstocks.
 
For more information please contact Ms. Gulce Askin at gulce.askin@projectgaia.com 

 

Tany Meva Foundation, Eco Energy and Project Gaia will convene a workshop in Antananarivo, Madagascar on small and medium scale ethanol production. Tany Meva is a local Malagasy funding and nonprofit organization working to promote sustainable management of community resources, including the promotion of renewable energy kits for cooking and lighting. Tany Meva has been working with PGI on ethanol cookstoves since 2008. The 3-day workshop will engage multiple stakeholders in capacity building and knowledge transfer to help encourage small-scale production of ethanol for local markets. PGI will lead with the micro-economic analysis and Ecoenergy (e2) will be the lead technical and technology partner. Ecoenergy is a Colombian based company working on the development and implementation of bioethanol from crop residues and various feedstocks. Tany Meva is the financial partner of the workshop which will be held in Antananarivo, Madagascar during the week of November 12, 2012.

If you are interested in attending or finding our more about the workshop, please contact Ms. Ravaka Ranaivoson at r.ranaivoson@tanymeva.org.mg