UG has gasifier equipment to help produce electricity

Jul 16, 2019 News 0

The University of Guyana’s Faculty of Agriculture yesterday commissioned a gasifier machine designed by Dr. Lawrence Lewis and team.
At a ceremony which attracted senior members of the University Council, the academic community, donors, students, technical and research team, Dr. Lawrence Lewis explained the intended use of the gasifier unit.
He said that the mechanical design was a few years in the making and that its output could lead to a long term green energy solution.
The unit will now begin its test and application phase over the next 12 months.
During this phase it will be tested under different conditions and using chips from several types of wood to make the pellets that act as fuel for the unit.
Weather conditions yesterday morning created a slight delay in the machines start up during the commissioning, but the machine did fire once the damp conditions began to improve.
The faculty is in the process of creating a Facebook page on the University of Guyana’s FB page from which those interested in the project may follow its progress over the next 12 months as part of the public knowledge aspects of the science experiment.
This gasifier is expected to produce bio char. It will also be used to train students in bioenergy technology in the BSc. Degree programmes in Agriculture and Forestry and in the Masters’ in Energy.
In addition, the gasifier should provide clean and renewable bioenergy to the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.
It could enable a significant reduction in the electricity bill to the University when fully operational. When fully operational could also contribute to the reduction in the carbon footprint of the University by utilizing a significant amount biomass found on campus.
The project which took about three years to develop and now in test mode, will have the capacity to produce 10-12kWatts of clean energy.
The gasifier will be used for research in other biomass materials (Grass pellets, coconut shells, rice-hull pellets among other biomass sources to produce bio char and electricity). It will also be used for training other stakeholders in organic agriculture and power generation using biomass.
Bio-char used as a soil ameliorant can aid Guyana’s international commitment to mitigate climate change and contribute to the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) by storing carbon in the soil in a stable form.
Major donor, Exxon Mobil, was represented by General Manager, Rod Henson.
This project is part of the University of Guyana’s major orientation towards a more robust research agenda in STEM.