LabTogo
told by Matthias Werner
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This report tells of our biomass research in West African Togo. In October 2024, our DBFZ research team visited this diverse country.
We now take you on this extraordinary journey.
How can the use of biomass make cooking and electricity generation more sustainable in Togo?
LabTogo is a cross-border research project. The DBFZ and the University of Lomé are leading the project, supported by the WASCAL program in Togo.
The scientific team of the German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ) pursues an ambitious goal with its LabTogo project: to find out how biomass can make a sustainable contribution to Togo's energy supply.
Not only the scientific collaboration, but also the cultural exchange made the research trip a unique experience.
Join us on an exciting review!
Now dive deeper. You can either jump directly to a chapter, or simply scroll down and look at the individual project sections step by step.
The Starting Point
How can the use of biomass make cooking and electricity generation more sustainable in Togo?
People live in Togo.
the energy comes from biomass. The majority of it is wood and charcoal, which are used for cooking. The wood is cut down in the forests in the north of Togo. There, it is partially processed into charcoal and then transported throughout the country.
Wood is burned for cooking in Togo every year. This corresponds to a deforested area of 146,000 football fields annually - 3.7% of Togo's area.
The consequences:
Respiratory problems due to soot when cooking indoors.
Emission of climate-damaging gases.
Deforestation of forests in North Togo.
The Mission:
Alternatives to the energy source wood are being sought!
A research cooperation for more sustainability in West Africa
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) offers support to West African countries to counteract climate change and achieve sustainable land use.
For this purpose, it has established the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) which is active in ten West African countries. The focus is on collaboration between scientists and policymakers.
The main building of WASCAL Togo is located on the campus of the University of Lomé and serves as the center of this cross-border initiative. Dr. AGBOKA Komi, the director of WASCAL Togo, also works here.
Dr. AGBOKA Komi, Director of WASCAL Togo about WASCAL.
Biomasses
What biological waste and residues are there in Togo, in what quantities, and how can they be recycled?
Togo has a variety of biomass resources that have not been adequately utilized so far. Within the LabTogo project, different regions have been examined to understand the potential of these resources. Alternatives to wood and charcoal usage are to be found.
Two approaches were pursued: on the one hand, the production of biogas from biological residues and waste to be used for cooking was investigated. On the other hand, the researchers analyzed the direct combustion process of residues in stoves.
Gallery - biogenic residues and waste in Togo:
Coconut shells
Rice husks
Teak leaves
Palm kernel shells
Chicken farms and biomass on a map
Special attention was given to the chicken farms in Togo, as they provide a large amount of readily available chicken manure. Due to its high organic matter content, this is excellent as a basis for biogas production.
All collected data was consolidated into detailed maps. These not only show the locations of the chicken farms, but also the amounts of available biomass in the different regions of Togo. This information serves as a basis for efficient planning of biogas production and resource distribution.
The maps in the following gallery show how crop residues and biogas potential were evaluated in detail
Distribution of carbohydrate-rich crop residues Crop residues: banana lignocellulose, banana starch, bean stalks, cassava peels, cassava stalks, cotton seed hulls, cowpea stalks, corn husks, corn straw, rice husks, rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, yam straw
Distribution of protein-rich crop residues
Crop residues: coconut fronds, coconut husks, cocoa pods, oil palm fronds, robusta coffee, sugarcane leaves, yam peels
Distribution of chicken farms in Togo and biogas potential of two clusters of chicken farms
Knowledge Transfer and Collaboration
In order to independently assess and evaluate biomass potentials in the future, a series of training sessions was conducted as part of the LabTogo project. Researchers and students in Togo worked together with experts to develop methods for using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing.
The program included an introduction to GIS, hands-on training for on-site data collection, and independent project work. Participants learned how to map agricultural residues and evaluate biomass potentials. This knowledge transfer strengthens local research in the long term and contributes to the development of sustainable solutions for the use of biogenic resources in Togo.
Sebastian Semella (left, DBFZ) in workshop with Gouvidé Jean Gbaguidi (right, PHD candidate WASCAL)
When a biomass is to be further processed, it often needs to be shaped into the right form. Learn more about the new compaction technology center in Lomé in the following chapter.
The Compaction Technology Center
In which form can biomass be best processed further?
Biomass is always different in form, density, or size. Research on it requires homogeneity. The simplest way is to dry the biomass and press it into pellets or briquettes. This is done in the compaction technology center that was set up as part of the project.
To find out how pellets are made from teak leaves, keep scrolling.
The teak leaves are dried.
The teak leaves are finely ground in a 'hammer mill'.
The water content of the teak leaves is measured. Water is then added.
High-quality pellets are produced under pressure and heat.
The finished pellets could now be further processed. But what is the 'energy value' and what is the 'ash content'? These economically crucial questions can be answered in the biogas laboratory. More information on this most elaborate and expensive facet of the project can be found in the following chapter 'The Laboratory'.
Scroll down!
The Laboratory
How to plan a high-tech laboratory from 5,000 km away and what can be analyzed with it?
the biogas laboratory from the outside
Elvire Abra Mawuse Droefenu, Laboratory Technician WASCAL
The biogas laboratory is the most elaborate part of the LabTogo project. Here all threads come together: Biomasses and pellets can be analyzed in various ways. At the same time, knowledge transfer takes place here between the DBFZ and scientists from Togo.
Project leader Dr. Nils Engler (DBFZ) on the challenges of setting up the laboratory
The laboratory building is innovative in terms of construction. It is made of overseas containers and was completely built and furnished in Germany. Subsequently, the individual containers were dismantled, shipped to Togo, and reassembled here.
Setup of the laboratory in Germany
In the biogas laboratory, biomass can be examined for its properties. For example, it can be measured how much energy content biomass has. Or it is analyzed what ash and moisture content the residual and waste materials have. This data is an important basis for research.
This is what the biomass samples look like after being treated in a 'muffle furnace'. Weighing allows the ash content to be determined - an important criterion for economic efficiency.
One important goal was to build up the skills in Togo to independently operate a biomass laboratory. The laboratory staff was trained on the equipment in several workshops in Togo and Germany. All equipment set up in Togo is also used at the DBFZ in Germany. In addition to knowledge transfer, cultural exchange was also beneficial for both sides.
For two weeks, this international team set up the equipment in the biogas laboratory in Togo.
And for all those who want to know exactly which devices are in the biogas laboratory, Dr. Nils Engler (DBFZ) gives a short tour of the rooms.
After this glimpse into the biogas laboratory, we want to show you a stove that doesn't require wood.
The Apeli Cooker
What cost-effective and simple alternative is there to cooking on open fireplaces?
Small, clean, efficient - the 'Apeli cooker' is a development by Dr. Dennis Krüger and his team at DBFZ, making cooking in Togo more sustainable.
'Apeli' is borrowed from the Ewe language spoken in southern Togo and roughly translates to: 'Cooker that preserves the household and the environment.'
Dr. Dennis Krüger
Gabriella Akoua Amouzou-Atchoe extensively tested the Apeli stove as part of her master's thesis. It was found that the stove not only consumes less fuel, but also operates almost smoke-free.
Gabriella Akoua Amouzou-Atchoe explains the benefits of the cooker
The special feature: The Apeli cooker converts wood pellets and other local residues such as bamboo or palm kernel shells into clean burning gas. A standard tin can serves as the base of the combustion chamber, making production particularly inexpensive. With a planned selling price of about 10 USD, the Apeli cooker is affordable for many households.
Credits
We hope you enjoyed this insight into the multifaceted research project LabTogo. This project brings together three research areas of the DBFZ (German Biomass Research Center) and showcases the diversity of our institution. Feel free to share the multimedia report and post it on your social media channels. You can find links for sharing in the menu.
If you would like to go back to the beginning, click on Start or scroll back up.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this project:
DBFZ Science Team
Dr. Dennis Krüger, Dr. Fabian Sittaro, Dr. Friederike Naegeli de Torres, Josephin Helka, Marcel Bodendorfer, Martin Apelt, Michael Goldstein, Nikolaus Manolikakes, Dr. Özge Mutlu, Peter Fischer, Roman Adam, Sebastian Semella, Dr. Sven Schaller
headed by Dr. Nils Engler
WASCAL Science Team
Elvire Droefenu, Gabriella Akoua Amouzou-Atchoe, Kodzovi Kodjo, Tcha-Tom Maglwa
headed by Dr. Komi Agboka
DBFZ Science Communication
Eva Siebenhühner, Matthias Werner