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Water for a food-secure world

Processes for resource recovery for

African agriculture

Resource recovery and reuse (RRR)

Josiane Nikiema Researcher – Environmental Sciences

and all the RRR team

West Africa Office – Accra, Ghana

Phone: (+233) 302 784 753/4

Fax: (+233) 302 784 752

Email: J.Nikiema@cgiar.org

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Water for a food-secure world

Outline

1. Opportunities and challenges in waste

2. Case studies

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1. What is contained in waste ? Opportunities

Water

Nutrients

Organic matterImproves soil quality

Improve crop yields

Required for irrigation

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What is contained in waste ? Challenges

Pathogens

Undesirable fractions

Toxic fractions

Example: heavy metals

Example: plastics

Example: helminthes

eggs

Safe quality improvement

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2. Case studies

A. Reuse of water

B. Recycling of fecal sludge

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Clarias gariepinus (African catfish)

Stabilization Ponds

A. Water reuse – Aquaculture; Kumasi, Ghana

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B. The Fortifer© case, Ghana

• Recycle fecal sludge

• Produce a good quality product

Objectives Challenges

• Pathogens

• Sorting required

Keywords

Cost effective

SafeSimple

• 18 tanks (15 m3 each) needed

– 6 public latrines

– 12 Septic tanks

• Over 2 tonnes solid fecal sludge

produced every 2 weeks with a 240 m2

drying bed

Phase 1.

Drying step

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Phase 1. (Co-)composting, e.g. with organic market

waste or sawdust

First stages

Monitoring, through control of temperature and

addition of water

Final stage

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Phase 2.

Grinding

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Phase 2.

Enrichment

• It allows to align the

composition to the

needs for different

crops and soil

• So far, only N

enrichment (using

ammonium sulphate)

was performed

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Phase 2.

Pelletization

• Less volume is needed

for packaging

• Water and binder (e.g.

starch) are added

before pelletization

• Pellets can be sun-

dried

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Recapitulation: Phase 1

Production of composts

Organic

waste

Regular addition

of water

Drying

beds

Raw liquid fecal

sludge from

tankers or

collection points

Excess liquid to be

treated, e.g. in a

pond

Raw fecal

sludge Composting Compost

Raw solid fecal

sludge from dry

toilets

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Pelletization

Material to

pelletize

Raw

pellets Drying

Mixing

26%

water

Ground

compost

3% Starch &

7% Ammonium sulphate

Grinding Compost

Fine particles

Dry

pellets

Heat

SievingPellet

packaging

and use

Recapitulation: Phase 2

Production of enriched pellets

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Open field test with Fortifer© in Accra

(with Ferric lixisol)

0

1

2

3

4

Control Inorg. Fert. EC-DFS (IR) EC-DFS (PG) EC-SDFS (PG) Poultry Manure

Ma

ize

gra

in y

ield

(To

nn

e/h

a) 150 kg N/ha 210 kg N/ha

Various pellet formulations

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Control IN-F EC-DFS IR EC-DFS PG EC-SDFS PG ECO-FC

ab

ba

ge

yie

ld (

Ton

ne

/ha

)

Cambisol - 150 kgN/ha Cambisol - 210 kgN/ha

Ferric Lixisol - 150 kgN/ha Ferric Lixisol - 210 kgN/ha

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

Control IN-F EC-DFS IR EC-DFS PG EC-SDFS PG ECO-F

Ma

ize

gra

in y

ield

(To

nn

e/h

a)

Greenhouse tests

with Fortifer©

ECO-F is a commercial compost

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Benefits with Fortifer© pellets

Challenges Final conclusions

Disease

incidence

Fortifer is safe.

Transport 50-80 % of the initial volume is needed to transport Fortifer

Handling Fortifer pellets are strong

The nutrients are gradually being released into the soil

Use No dust generated

Perception No perception barrier to Fortifer in 5 selected regions of Ghana

(preliminary investigation)

Cost < 10 US$ per bag of 50 kg

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Current stage: Demonstrate the feasibility of this

reuse concept – WaFo project

Kick off a Fortifer© plant (up to 1,000 tonnes per year)

Outcomes to achieve are:

1. Form a PPP with co-funding at 50% of total lifecycle costs

2. Secure off-take contracts for 50% of the production

3. Demonstrate an increase in volumes of sludge treated and a reduction in costs of sludge management in the target city

4. Proven and replicable business and technology solution established

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Thanks for your kind

attention !

The authors would like to express their gratitude to:

• Donors (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Department for

International Development (DFID) and Grand Challenges Canada (GCC).

• All partners! (BNARI: Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research

Institute, Ghana; UI: University of Ibadan, Nigeria; UG: University of Ghana;

VVU: Valley View University; TMA: Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana;

CSIR: Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana)