BioFactory - Low-cost, sustainable biogas production, through self-contained, off-grid latrine/waste-processing systems

该项目由4个主要合作伙伴组成，包括生物工厂有限公司(BF)、西英格兰大学卫生技术中心(UWE)、阿德尔·索法拉(Adel Sofala)和南部非洲资源中心(Bristol Link To Beira)。每个合作伙伴都被选中，以利用他们在项目中的核心优势。正在开展这一项目，以了解和发展学校、非正式住区和难民营内的沼气使用。该项目包括研究、设计和开发高炉离网垃圾管理的独立系统，该系统显著提高了厕所通道的质量，通过将垃圾处理成沼气和土壤改良剂来捕获和保留垃圾。沼气将被用作烹饪燃料，以减少社区内对木炭和木柴的依赖40%。该系统是为拥有120-200个全职用户的社区设计的。BF的系统整体上是创新的，通过整合特定的组件；通过现场处理垃圾，沼气可以通过公共厨房直接卖回给用户，而不需要运输和存储(通常是非常大的垃圾管理成本)。围绕使用BF系统的商业计划也是创新的，通过回收沼气销售成本，我们可以向原本无法使用的社区免费提供改进的厕所。该项目将遵循厕所处理系统的开发阶段。将在英国建造一个原型优先系统，用于制造测试，从机械和电气角度验证设计，并测试工艺功能。UWE将为系统输出制定关键的生物测试方法，以确定处理过程的有效性。英国的原型将被用作进行工艺敏感性测试的试验台。由于预算变动和与Covid有关的延误，我们将不能按计划在莫桑比克部署一个系统。在寻求其他筹资安排的同时，这一部署被无限期推迟，以便能够起草新的计划。与此同时，生物工厂概念的技术开发以及关键的工程和生物安全创新将继续在英国进行。

This project consists of 4 major partners, including The BioFactory Ltd (herein BF), University of West of England's Health Tech Hub (herein UWE), ADEL Sofala (herein ADEL), and Southern African Resource Centre (or Bristol Link to Beira -- herein BLB). Each partner has been selected to utilise their core strengths within the project. This project is being undertaken to understand and develop biogas use within schools, informal settlements and refugee camps. The project includes the research, design and development of BF's standalone system for off-grid waste management, that dramatically improves quality of toilet access, capturing and retaining the waste through processing into biogas and soil conditioner. The biogas will be used as a cooking fuel to reduce charcoal and firewood dependency within the communities by a 40%. This system is designed for communities of between 120-200 full-time users. BF's system as a whole, is innovative through the integration of specific components; by treating the waste on site, the biogas can be sold directly back to the users through communal kitchens, without the need for transport & storage (often a very large cost in waste management). The business plan surrounding the use of BF's system is also innovative, through cost recovery from biogas sales, we can provide improved latrines for free to communities that otherwise don't have access. This project will follow the development phase of the latrine-processing system. A prototype first system will be built in the UK for the purpose of manufacture testing, validating the design from a mechanical and electrical perspective, and to test process functionality. UWE will be developing critical biotesting methods for the system outputs, to determine the effectiveness of the treatment process. The UK Prototype will be utilised as a test bed to perform process sensitivity testing. Due to budget changes and Covid-related delays we will not be able to undertake the planned deployment of a system to Mozambique. This deployment is indefinitely delayed while alternative funding arrangements are sought, such that new plans can be drawn up. In the meantime technical development of the BioFactory concept and the key engineering and bio-safety innovations will continue in the UK.