ECOSMART: Enabling local Circular ecOnomy hubs using SMart solar AnaeRobic Digestion Technology

ECOSMART探索了一种新型强化厌氧消化（AD）过程与太阳能技术智能集成的技术经济可行性，以形成循环经济模型的基础。它将建立一个综合的英国-尼日利亚供应链，将社会和性别考虑与经济和环境效益结合起来。该项目将重点放在木薯、山药、玉米和混合市场废物的增值上，这将确保妇女和低收入者在受益者中占很大比例。ECOSMART将以该联盟的专业知识为基础，利用当地可用的材料和低成本组件来确保可负担性，并通过系统设计减少原料保留时间，处理废物和产生沼气的速度比传统的连续搅拌反应器罐（CSTR）系统快4倍。它还将以有利于土壤管理的比例生产土壤改良剂和肥料，从而支持当地的可持续农业做法。这种可负担、低碳、安全的生物能源模式的投资回报期为4.5年，将进入尼日利亚74.5亿英镑的微型电网市场，通过在项目后期计划的培训来支持企业和能力建设机会，以支持当地制造。控制系统将由英国中小企业适应全球商业机会。对灵活的能源使用和可负担性的关注将推动需求侧管理和微型电网技术，因此发展中国家可以跳过集中式基础设施，开创创新的、更公平的发电、配电和使用模式。

ECOSMART explores the techno-economic feasibility of smart integration of a novel, enhanced anaerobic digestion (AD) process with solar technology to form the basis of a circular economy model. It will establish an integrated UK Nigerian supply chain, aligning social and gender considerations with economic and environmental benefits. Its focus on valorising cassava, yam, corn and mixed market wastes will ensure a high proportion of beneficiaries are women and those on low incomes.ECOSMART will build on the consortium's expertise, utilising locally available materials and low-cost components to ensure affordability, and reducing feedstock retention time through system design to process waste and generate biogas 4x faster than conventional Continuous Stirred Reactor Tank (CSTR) systems. It will also produce soil amenders and fertiliser in a ratio beneficial for soil management, thus supporting local, sustainable agricultural practices.With a 4.5-year payback, this model of affordable, low carbon, secure bioenergy will tap into Nigeria's £7.45B minigrid market to support enterprise and capacity building opportunities with training planned at later stages of the project to support local manufacture. Control systems will be adapted by UK SMEs for global commercial opportunities. The focus on flexible energy use and affordability will advance demand-side management and minigrid technology, so developing countries can leapfrog centralised infrastructure to pioneer innovative, more equitable models of generation, distribution and use.