DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Improving access to sustainable energy in rural Pakistan using food and fiber agro-waste as a renewable fuel (SAFER)

Project disclaimer

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Description

Our project, "Improving access to sustainable energy in rural Pakistan using food and fiber agro-waste as a renewable fuel (SAFER)," is a bold initiative aimed at tackling the dire lack of electricity in rural areas of Pakistan especially for off-grid communities. It harnesses the immense potential of agro-waste generated from fiber production to create a sustainable and accessible source of energy. Despite Pakistan's abundant renewable energy resources, more than 50% of people in rural areas still live without electricity, heavily reliant on energy imports and fossil fuels. With only 7% of energy generation coming from renewables, there exists a significant deficit in meeting the country's energy needs. Our innovative approach combines two cutting-edge technologies to establish a true sandpit technology, forging a circular model based on food, fiber, and energy while generating zero waste. SAFER leverages NTU Pakistan's indigenous technology, which efficiently produces high-quality textile fibers using agro-waste from bananas. Remarkably, the fiber production process generates a second round of agro-waste, allowing us to maximize resource utilisation. SAFER utilises ERL UK's Patent-pending and advanced thermo-chemical conversion technologies to deploy sustainable and clean energy solutions in remote areas of Pakistan. By converting agro-waste into renewable fuel, our project offers affordable and accessible energy to local industries and communities, alleviating the burden on Pakistan's overstretched energy sector. Through gasification technology, we harness the power of agro-waste to generate syngas, which are then used to produce electricity. Beyond energy production, SAFER also targets the improvement of Pakistan's textile sector, a vital industry that serves as the country's largest exporter and employs millions of individuals. In SAFER, we utilize agro-waste, such as banana peels, to manufacture high-quality textile fibers, biochar/biofertilisers, and electricity. This not only creates value-added commodities but also facilitates effective waste management. Our approach curbs the industry's environmental footprint while mitigating the adverse effects of declining cotton production caused by environmental changes. To ensure the commercial viability of our solution and effectively address Pakistan's energy crisis, we adopt a holistic approach to integrate systems (Food, Fiber, fertiliser, Energy) and ensure compatibility with multiple market routes and technical solutions. With SAFER, we envision a brighter future for rural Pakistan, where access to sustainable energy becomes a reality through the transformation of agro-waste into value-added products. Through these efforts, we empower local communities, contribute to Pakistan's sustainable development, and pave the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future for all.

Objectives

This activity is funded under the Energy Catalyst Programme. The Energy Catalyst programme supports innovative businesses and organisations to find new commercial solutions that help provide clean, affordable and secure energy in sub-Saharan Africa, South and South East Asia. It will support highly innovative, market-focused energy solutions in any technology or sector. They must be targeted at people, public services and local enterprises who are unable to afford or access existing solutions, or who lack the the time or expertise to successfully use those solutions. Grant funding will be provided to support businesses to undertake research, development and innovation activity on innovative products or services, business models and processes. Incubation support will also be provided to help some of the businesses to take their innovations to market faster, as well as further support to enable access to investors and customers and maximise the potential created.

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Location

The country, countries or regions that benefit from this Programme.

Pakistan

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