THE BEAUTY OF MALAWI

This is the beauty you can enjoy as you go round Malawi doing your research.

MZUZU UNIVERSITY LUANCHES THE CHOMA-CHIGWERE BIOGAS PROJECT

It was the British High Commissioner himself who luanched the project.The Vice-Chancellor of Mzuzu University, Prof. Landson Mhango, watches him cutting the ribbon.

It was exciting to witness the fire coming from the biogas.It was amazing to see that cowdung is a source of heating energy.

Yes, what you consider a waste should be a resource in another way.

MZUZU UNIVERSITY COMPLETES A DEMONSTRATION BIOGAS PLANT

When we talk we do it. Our aim is to bring change to the community. Education is useless if it can not benefit man and woman on this earth.

The system you see in this picture on the left is a biogas plant.

The plant uses cow dung to produce methane which is used for cooking.

The plant supplies three kitchens. The Mdhlanga's can sigh for relief; no more long distances to fetch for firewood.All they do is open a gate valve and light a match.

This was done with funding from the Malawi British High Commision. Eleven other plants are to be constructed in the Choma-Chigwere area.

The objective of the project is to mitigate climate change through promotion of biogas from cow dung.

The use of biogas will reduce deforestation thereby saving the trees and other fuel vegetation which are carbon sinks.

At the same time, the project will reduce the emissionof methane(21 times stronger than Carbon Dioxide in causing global warming) from cow dung into the atmosphere. When metahne is burnt by the beneficiaries as they comfortably cook in their kitchens, the products are water and carbon dioxide( Carbon Dioxide is used by the plants in the process of photosynthesis). Thus the emissions are reduced.

Mzuzu University Appraises Kamkwamba's wind Turbine

The system you see is what William Kamkwamba developed after he dropped out of school due to lack of School fees.

Despite being a school dropout, he managed to turn science theories into practical and provide electricity for his home in Kasungu-Wimbe.

With a wooden tower, a bicycle dynamo (now replaced by a 48V DC grenerator) and a tractor fan to which he attached wooden blades, he is able to watch TV, play DVDs, listen to radio, and provide electric light to his home.

The boy is also currently developing another turbine for water pumping and the system is just awaiting commissioning.

Mzuzu University, in particular the department of energy studies team comprising of
Collen Zalengera, Fredrick Munthali and Maxon Chitawo went to see the system early July.

Mzuzu University is now working with Kamkwamba in trying to improve on the technology and add in more professional and techincal aspects for promotion of the wind energy system.

Mzuzu University has just finished an appraisal report for the system and the report is the foundation of the long term parternership between the two parties.

Mr. Kamkwamba is now happy to have a solar/wind hybrid system after securing some funding from well wishers. He now also has a solar water pumping system which provides piped water to his family members.

Mr. Kamkwamba has now gone back to school after well wishers realised his potential of helping the world more especially when the world is about renewable energy.

Geothermal Potential in Malawi

These waters amid which I am standing are boiling and I tell you it is nothing but heat from inside the earth.. the mantle.

These waters can scald you, they run a long distance but still with high temperatures.

The site is in Malawi as we go to Karonga.It is a potential research site.

Biogas from human Waste!!!!

Biogas is one of the renewable energy sources. A good percentage of it is methane which can be used for cooking, lighting ,and generating electricity by driving internal combustion gas turbine generators.

Biogas can be produced from such wastes as paper, municipal solid waste, saw dust, cow dung just to mention a few.

There are still some people who feel it is a taboo to produce biogas from human waste and use it for cooking.

What is your opinion?