The Potential for the Production of Bioenergy for Lighting and Cooking Using Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L. Euphorbiaceae) by Small Scale Farmers on the Kenyan Coast

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation , 2010 , 312 Pages , Grade: Cum Laude

Geography / Earth Science - Economic Geography

The overall objective of this study is to examine the potential of introducing renewable biomass for a decentralized household energy provision in rural areas at the Kenyan South Coast. The main question posed in this research is whether the renewable products of an oil tree and related energy end-use appliances could potentially be a cheap, widely available and socially accepted substitute for kerosene and traditional biomass. The research data and results are based on a UNDP GEF SGP funded pilot project.

The project was conceptualized by the author and implemented with local communities with support from the German Development Service (DED), the World Wide Fund (WWF) and various government institutions in Kwale District between 2006 and 2010.
The first theoretical part of this study describes the negative socio-economic, environmental and health related impacts of the current household energy provision and energy use in Developing Countries (DCs). It becomes obvious that the households’ strong dependency on kerosene and traditional biomass severely hampers the achievement of national and international development goals. The potentials and barriers when introducing renewable energy technologies (RETs) in DCs are presented by using selected project examples. The discussion emphasizes that not only economical, institutional and infrastructural factors contribute to the low dissemination rates of RETs in DCs but also the social acceptance by potential users. Finally the results from this investigation are used to discuss the current and future household energy provision in Kenya.

The second part of the study elaborates on the possibility of sustainably introducing the oil tree Jatropha curcas L. as a bioenergy source to rural households. For that purpose the feasibility of introducing the Jatropha value chain on a community level was tested and analyzed by taking three crucial aspects into consideration; the tree’s environmentally sound production (cultivation), the economic transformation (processing) of the seed material into usable fuel and socially accepted end-usage of the Jatropha products. In this context the UN-funded project served as a baseline for the data collection. After conducting a socio-economic survey among 137 households participating in the project, the introduction of a Jatropha value chain was analyzed in three chronological steps. [...]

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• 1. Household energy consumption in Developing Countries
  • 1.1 Biomass – cooking fuel for the poor
  • 1.2 Kerosene - fuel based lighting for the poor
• 2. The importance of household energy in reaching the Millennium Development Goals
  • 2.1 How the use of traditional biomass leads to environmental degradation
  • 2.2 Traditional biomass and respiratory infections
  • 2.3 Socio-economic impacts of the use of traditional biomass
  • 2.4 The effects of fuel based lighting
• 3. The growing importance of Renewable Energy Technologies
  • 3.1 The status of renewable energy technologies in Developing Countries
  • 3.2 Increasing affordability due to reduction in costs
  • 3.3 Growing investment in the establishment of renewable energy technologies
• 4. Barriers for the diffusion of Renewable Energy Technologies in Developing Countries
  • 4.1 The need for accurate data
  • 4.2 The importance of a conducive, institutional environment
    • 4.2.1 Government policy interventions for the wider promotion of Renewable Energy Technologies
    • 4.2.2 Policy impacts on rural households in Sub-Saharan Africa
    • 4.2.3 Possible interventions in favour of rural electrification
      • 4.2.3.1 Co-operatively managed off-grid schemes
      • 4.2.3.2 Are rural households able to pay for energy services?
      • 4.2.3.3 Rural Energy Service Company – overcoming initial costs and service constraints
      • 4.2.3.4 The potential of micro-financing
    • 4.2.4 The need for a local supply infrastructure
    • 4.2.5 The need for quality control
  • 4.3 Social acceptance by consumers
    • 4.3.1 The diffusion of innovations
    • 4.3.2 The need for technology cooperation
    • 4.3.3 No awareness: no adoption
• 5. Sub-Saharan Africa’s dependency on traditional biomass and kerosene
  • 5.1 The practicability of sustainably producing traditional biomass
  • 5.2 The feasibility of increasing the energy efficiency of traditional biomass
• 6. Household energy in Kenya
  • 6.1 Electricity, a future energy source for the poor?
    • 6.1.1 The Rural Electrification Programme
    • 6.1.2 Can future electricity generation meet the demand?
    • 6.1.3 Affordable tariffs vs. unaffordable connection fees
  • 6.2 Kenya’s potential for ‘stand alone’ renewable based power generation
    • 6.2.1 The potential of micro-hydro power
    • 6.2.2 The potential of wind energy
    • 6.2.3 The potential of solar photovoltaics
    • 6.2.4 The potential of bioenergy
      • 6.2.4.1 Direct combustion of biomass
      • 6.2.4.2 The potential of bio-chemical conversion
      • 6.2.4.3 The potential of biofuel
• 7. Jatropha curcas L. – the potential of a multipurpose oil tree
  • 7.1 Properties of the species
    • 7.1.1 Medicinal value of leaves and seeds
    • 7.1.2 Energy value of crude jatropha oil
    • 7.1.3 Geographical distribution within Kenya
  • 7.2 Jatropha plantations in Developing Countries and their viability
    • 7.2.1 Agro-economical requirements
    • 7.2.2 Environmental impacts
    • 7.2.3 Socio-economic effects
    • 7.2.4 Intercropping – Outgrower scheme
    • 7.2.5 The feasibility of an international certification scheme
  • 7.3 Overview of Jatropha activities in Kenya
• 8. The suitability of Jatropha for decentralized energy provision
  • 8.1 Implementing agency and project design
  • 8.2 The Stakeholders
  • 8.3. Materials and Methods
• 9. The areas of examination
  • 9.1 The Natural Environment
    • 9.1.1 Geology and geomorphology
    • 9.1.2 The Soils
    • 9.1.3 The Climate
    • 9.1.4 Population and ethnic groups
  • 9.2 Economics
    • 9.2.1 Agricultural potential
    • 9.2.2 Land-use practices
    • 9.2.3 The importance of tree crops
• 10. Household energy consumption
  • 10.1 Energy for cooking
  • 10.2 Energy for lighting
  • 10.3 Perceived problems in relation to different fuel sources
• 11. The production – Jatropha as buffer zone and hedge plant
  • 11.1 Community knowledge about Jatropha
  • 11.2 The importance of buffer zones to protect indigenous forests
    • 11.2.1 Makaya - biodiversity hot spots under threat
    • 11.2.2 Kaya Muhaka’s biodiversity
    • 11.2.3 The Jatropha buffer zone
  • 11.3 Production on farms – Jatropha hedges to protect food crops
    • 11.3.1 The viability of Jatropha for a drought coping strategy
    • 11.3.2 Productivity of Jatropha trial areas
    • 11.3.3 Jatropha’s economic viability as a hedge plant in Kenya
• 12. The processing of Jatropha seeds
  • 12.1 Combining the production of crude jatropha oil and jatropha seed cake briquettes
  • 12.2 Financing the expeller
• 13. The potential of Jatropha products for household energy usage
  • 13.1 The need for affordable and socially accepted energy appliances
  • 13.2 The introduction of crude Jatropha oil and Jatropha seed cake briquettes – building on households’ familiarity
    • 13.2.1 The Akiba lamp
    • 13.2.2 Crude Jatropha oil as a renewable alternative to kerosene
    • 13.2.3 Jatropha seed cake briquettes as a renewable alternative to firewood
• 14. Trading of feedstock vs. decentralized processing
  • 14.1 The Jatropha Value Chain
  • 14.2 Can production meet demand - a prognosis
• 15. Discussion and perspectives

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation aims to showcase the potential of using renewable biomass for decentralized household energy provision in rural areas on the Kenyan coast. The study evaluates the viability of using Jatropha curcas products, crude oil and briquettes, as a more affordable and socially accepted alternative to kerosene and traditional biomass.

• The current and future household energy situation in Developing Countries (DCs).
• The limitations of current efforts to implement Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs).
• The potential of Jatropha curcas as a source of renewable energy for households.
• The suitability of Jatropha as a hedge plant for protecting farmland and forests.
• The potential of Jatropha products for lighting and cooking in a decentralized manner.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Chapter 1: This chapter introduces the household energy consumption patterns of Developing Countries (DCs), mainly focusing on the use of traditional biomass for cooking and kerosene for lighting. The chapter concludes that the lack of affordable alternatives leads to the continued dependence on traditional fuels despite their negative impacts.
• Chapter 2: This chapter analyzes the implications of using traditional biomass on development goals and International Environmental Conventions. It emphasizes the need for sustainable alternatives to traditional biomass and kerosene for a more sustainable future.
• Chapter 3: This chapter highlights the increasing importance of renewable energy technologies (RETs) and the growing investment in this sector. It discusses the potential of RETs to mitigate the dependency on fossil fuels in developing countries.
• Chapter 4: This chapter explores the barriers for the dissemination of RETs in developing countries. The main focus is on the need for accurate data, a conducive institutional environment, and social acceptance by potential users.
• Chapter 5: This chapter analyzes the specific challenges of Sub-Saharan Africa’s dependency on traditional biomass. It highlights the need for more sustainable alternatives to meet the growing energy needs of the rural population.
• Chapter 6: This chapter examines the household energy situation in Kenya. It analyzes the role of electricity as a future energy source and discusses the opportunities and constraints of renewable energy technologies in the country.
• Chapter 7: This chapter provides an overview of Jatropha curcas L. (physic nut) and its properties as a multipurpose tree. It highlights the plant’s potential as a source of biofuel and examines the viability of Jatropha plantations in developing countries.
• Chapter 8: This chapter introduces the Jatropha System (JS) and its potential for decentralized energy provision. It discusses the project implementation strategy of the UNDP GEF SGP and the involved stakeholders.
• Chapter 9: This chapter describes the research area in Kwale District and its natural environment and socio-economic conditions. It provides a detailed overview of the area’s agro-ecological zones, population density, and agricultural activities.
• Chapter 10: This chapter analyzes the current household energy consumption patterns in the research area. It examines the use of firewood, charcoal, kerosene, and other fuels for cooking and lighting.
• Chapter 11: This chapter explores the potential of Jatropha as a buffer zone for protecting indigenous forests and as a hedge plant for protecting farmland from wild animals. The chapter also analyzes the productivity of Jatropha trial areas under different agro-ecological conditions.
• Chapter 12: This chapter discusses the processing of Jatropha seeds to produce crude Jatropha oil and Jatropha seed cake briquettes. It describes the development and testing of a manually operated hydraulic press.
• Chapter 13: This chapter examines the potential of Jatropha products for household energy usage. It discusses the need for affordable and socially accepted energy appliances and analyzes the acceptance of a newly developed Jatropha oil lamp (Akiba lamp).
• Chapter 14: This chapter compares the economic viability of trading Jatropha seeds with the decentralized processing and use of the plant’s products. It introduces the concept of the Jatropha value chain.
• Chapter 15: This chapter discusses the study’s findings and explores the future potential of Jatropha for household energy provision in developing countries.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This study focuses on household energy provision, renewable energy technologies, biomass, biofuel, Jatropha curcas L., decentralized energy systems, social acceptance, rural development, and poverty reduction. The dissertation examines the use of Jatropha products for lighting and cooking as a sustainable alternative to kerosene and traditional biomass in rural areas of developing countries.

• College: RWTH Aachen University
• Grade: Cum Laude
• Author: Fritjof Boerstler (Author)
• Publication Year: 2010
• Pages: 312
• Catalog Number: V159624
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640722174
• ISBN (Book): 9783640722358
• Language: English
• Tags: Kenya, Energy, Energie