PyroPower Africa Project Consortium has introduced a technology called “Pyrochem” to achieve sustainable energy, boost food production, mitigate climate change and curb post-harvest losses in Nigeria.
The consortium, led by Pyrogenesy Limited, disclosed this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.
PyroChem is a technology that could take any type of agricultural waste, heat it without oxygen and break it down into two major parts– vapour (fuel) and solid which is similar to charcoal.
The consortium is made up of funders and partners including Energy Catalyst, University of Leicester, Aston University, Hello Tractor and AtManCorp.
Others are African Agricultural Technology Foundation, (AATF), PyroGenesys Nigeria and MBINET, with PyroGenesys as the lead partner.
Speaking about the PyroChem technology, Mr Simon Ighofose, the lead partner, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, PyroGenesys Ltd, said the testing of the technology in Nigeria was imperative because of the vast arable land Nigeria possessed.
” Pyrogenesys has invented a technology which is patented; the technology is called pyrochem.
“This technology can take any type of agricultural waste, heat it without oxygen and break it down into two major parts.
“The first part is a vapour, which is a fuel; we burn that vapour to generate renewable electricity and renewable heat.
“The second part is a solid similar to charcoal, but it is a very special form of carbon; we upgrade it into a biofertiliser; we then supply that biofertiliser back to the farmers from whom we initially obtained the waste.
“This gives farmers a locally produced biofertiliser that can outperform imported inorganic NPK, which reduces soil fertility; soil fertility needs carbon to become more fertile.’’
He said that when farmers used the biofertiliser, they enriched their soils.
“Moreover, because it contains a special type of carbon, it means that the carbon removed from the air by plants (converted into carbohydrates) is then converted by us into carbon.
“When farmers put this into the soil, it removes carbon from the environment for 100 million years. This process helps in the fight against climate change.
“We hope that all those who pledged to invest in climate and carbon removal projects will consider what Nigerian farmers are doing with PyroChem technology and the PyroPower Africa consortium led by PyroGenesys,” he said.
Ighofose said that the technology tackled post-harvest losses, mechanisation, bio-fertiliser production, biogas power production and climate-smart agriculture.
He also listed rural development and industrialisation, job creation for youth and women and boosting food production and food security.
A part of the consortium, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), said it planned to roll out a Mechanisation Hub Model, which entailed Farmer Aggregation and bringing services closer to farmers among others.
Speaking, Dr Daniel Willy, Senior Manager, Policy, Agribusiness and Commercialisation, AATF and Interim MD-Agridrive Nigeria Ltd, said that there would be bundling of mechanisation services with Agro-inputs to strengthen Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs).
He said that there would be farmers training and capacity strengthening on agribusiness and GAPs, gender mainstreaming and youth engagement.
