| Ethanol Byproduct Used As Manure In Malawi |
| Written by Carl Drotsky | |
| Wednesday, 06 October 2010 | |
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Vast amounts of effluent produced as a by product of ethanol production has led the Ethanol Company Limited (ETHCO) to new innovations in using the left over sludge. For every liter of ethanol that is produced, 13 liters of effluent sludge is sent through to ponds for evaporation. Together with the sludge that is discharged, 1 tonne of sludge sediment is left to lie at the bottom of the mash clarifier, a sludge sedimentation tank mounted between the beer tank and the fermenting vessels. Eliminating this waste before distillation would mean that there would be less scaling in the distillation column and a much smaller level of clogging in the pipes leading to the evaporation ponds. However, with this advantage, another waste disposal problem is created as more sludge sediment is removed from the system.
Vast amounts of effluent produced as a by product of ethanol production has led the Ethanol Company Limited (ETHCO) to new innovations in using the left over sludge. For every liter of ethanol that is produced, 13 liters of effluent sludge is sent through to ponds for evaporation. Together with the sludge that is discharged, 1 tonne of sludge sediment is left to lie at the bottom of the mash clarifier, a sludge sedimentation tank mounted between the beer tank and the fermenting vessels. Eliminating this waste before distillation would mean that there would be less scaling in the distillation column and a much smaller level of clogging in the pipes leading to the evaporation ponds. However, with this advantage, another waste disposal problem is created as more sludge sediment is removed from the system. This effluent disposal burden led to the Sludge Manure Project implemented in 2003. What was discovered is that distillery effluent, including sludge, has a nutrient potential high enough to be valuable as an alternative fertilizer for agricultural crops. Application of distillery effluent or sludge to farm lands in maize production, for example, would reduce the soils nutrient requirements from fertilizers. The Ethanol Company Limited made a decision to start delivering sludge to farmers in an area of about 12km in the factory surrounds, a distance that was later increased to a 20km radius. This first phase served as a means of evaluating the effect the nutrient sludge could have on the agronomic performance of maize production in comparison to the use of inorganic fertilizer. This would be the move that would supply the company with enough research and evidence to encourage farmers and other agencies to use sludge as an alternative fertilizer in their maize production in the future. After these findings, the Chitedze Research Station conducted a study to assess the efficacy of the sludge on maize yields when used as an organic fertilizer. The results of this three year study showed that using the sludge as an organic fertilizer has a positive effect on the yields received from the maize crop, and in some places proved to be as effective in the supple of nitrogen as inorganic fertilizers. It was discovered that the efficiency in supplying soil nutrients is highly moisture reliant. However, soil properties also improved after the research period indicating that the sludge neutralizes acidic soils and enhances and maintains the level of soil nutrients. In 2004, the project won 3rd place after being entered into the IDESA awards for innovation. Mr Bernard Nkhoma is one of the lucky farmers who in 2005 proudly reported that he has used ETHCO sludge in his 1 acre garden. Mr Nkhoma's garden had a vibrant maize crop after applying ETHCO sludge as manure. The garden was prepared and planted in the same way as any other fertiliser-applied By using ETHCO sludge, he had saved around MK4,000, which he would have spent on artificial fertilisers for basal and top dressing. The Development Officer at Nkhunga Extension Planning Area (E.P.A), Mr Samuel Saka, proudly showed ETHCO Management the various farmers' gardens that had used ETHCO sludge manure. Mr Saka expressed that a lot of farmers had benefited from the free sludge delivered to them. Ethanol Company management proudly add that along with protecting the environment, it too is assisting in the reduction of hunger and poverty within the greater community of Dwangwa. The Article Author: Learn more about ethanol production in Malawi. Stop by the ETHCO site where you can find out all about the ethanol community projects and the benefit it brought to communities in Malawi. |
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