Ebonyi: From rice husk to electricity
Egypt is legendary for pyramids and Nigeria’s answer to that is probably to be found in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. Husk from rice produced since the early 1960s have been preserved in dump sites, towering above the rusty iron sheets of the Abakaliki Rice Mill market. It is almost impossible to talk about Abakaliki without mentioning […]
Egypt is legendary for pyramids and Nigeria’s answer to that is probably to be found in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. Husk from rice produced since the early 1960s have been preserved in dump sites, towering above the rusty iron sheets of the Abakaliki Rice Mill market.
It is almost impossible to talk about Abakaliki without mentioning rice. The town is famous for its production of the grain and was said to have served the entire Eastern Region during the civil war.
With almost 300 stalls, the Abakaliki rice mill was established in 1957 and occupies a land mass almost the size of a football pitch. It has a combined 11, 000 ton capacity per month, 2,500 rice milling machines and 5,000 workers. These include rice millers, rice de-stoners, dust/rice husk carriers, rice blowers, rice blenders, bag stitchers, wheelbarrow pushers, loaders and mammy market traders. They are joined everyday by as many customers from across Nigeria.
This scene has as its backdrop the husk dumpsite, the hills of husks look like sand hills, giving off different shades of brown, and is estimated to be over 40-metres high. They are located in the valley-like end of the market and have caught the attention of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
“Sitting there not being put to use is really not beneficial. In this era of renewable energy, this [rice husk] is rich biomass material,” said UNIDO’s country representative, Dr. Patrick Kormawa.
As a test run to this effect, the UN agency set up a model biomass plant in Ekwashi Ngbo, Ohaukwu local government area of the state two months ago. The demonstration plant is meant to use the surplus biomass resources for electricity generation through gasification of the biomass. The plant capacity is 25 kilowatt. For every, 35kilogramme of biomass is used to produce 25kw of electricity. Wood chips are currently being used as biomass.
Christian Itsuma, who mans the plant, explained that “the plant will be connected to serve the community’s micro street lighting, MDG community hospital, power the micro palm kernel cracking outfit, ICT Center of Excellence for Hp LIFE, Renewable Energy study, ECP programme and community ICT HUB which UNIDO setup. Also the palm fruit digesting machine and rice milling machine and artisans like welders and tailor amongst others will benefit once it takes off fully when all preliminaries and testing are finished. In the long run it is intended to power a micro solar lantern manufacturing factory for village solar lighting.”
A general worry is how readily available wood will be for the gasification plant. “We operate a 12-month cycle whereby if we cut wood in January it would have grown back by the next January. A portion of land has been dedicated for this purpose.” Itsuma explained as he fed the machine more wood chips.
According to him, when expanded, “We will be able to generate 120kw, 250kw and finally 500kw with all the necessary environment and supports in place.”
It is hoped that the project will be replicated in other parts of the state and up-scaled.
To generate more biomass material for the plant, the state government, UNIDO and private investor, Ebony Agro Industry created three rice clusters at Osso Edda, Iboko and Ikwo, respectively. The clusters are expected to produce five tons, three tons and 12 tons of rice respectively and a total 30 tons per hour when fully operational.
The husk produced from the mills, according to Kormawa, will be more than enough biomass to generate electricity which after the state consumes what is need can sell the excess to the national grid.
Kormawa said the initiative came after observing that there were hundreds of old milling equipment which although produced, were not efficient as they emit smoke.
“The millers were organized into small groups and introduced to smaller more efficient machines which produce using environmental standards thereby reducing pollution.”
The amount of rice produced at the moment he said will not be enough to power the perceived plant. “We urged the government to produce enough rice padding for milling which will produce feed stuck for the plant.”
Rice prices have gone up since the move was initiated to relocate the Abakaliki rice mill to these three new sites. In Abakaliki, rice is sold by the bushel, rather than by buckets or tiers, as seen in other parts of Nigeria. A bushel which usually sold for between N3, 000 to N2, 500 now sells for N4, 500.
More have now turned to the hills of husks, looking for broken, discarded rice they can eat.
Just as our reporter approached the market, women on top of the husk hills were visible, sifting the chaff in wide-brimmed shallow baskets or trays held high above their heads. As they shake the baskets, only the chaff falls in front of their feet, making small pyramids. It takes skill.
A woman who called herself Nkem said, “It took me about one hour to sieve through and get this half bag of rice. The chaff (husks) in the other bag I will use to make fire when I am cooking.”
Another, Christy, said she doesn’t only eat it but, “My children sometimes hawk them. On the days they come along to pick rice here, whatever they gather is for sale.”
Rice prices are not the only issue at stake here. The plan to relocate the mill has been strongly resisted, resulting in a legal battle between the state government, traders and other individuals who have stakes in the business.
Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr. Ifeanyi Ikea, says the relocation of Abakaliki rice mill is a matter of health and safety. “Rice is our major crop and from it we produce a lot of husk which we can convert to energy. Once we set up the biomass plant for this purpose it will not be safe for people to live and do business on a daily basis around the plant because of the emissions from the machine. The noise, vibration and all that.”
But operators of the mill and their workers are not convinced, believing their means of livelihoods are at stake.
“If they say it is disastrous to us what of the people who will be manning the plant and working around there? Will they be immune to it?” asked Mr. Emeka Chikwelu, a trader in the market.
The News Agency of Nigeria quotes Chief Joseph Ununu, the Chairman, Abakaliki Rice Mill Company Limited as saying that: “The development has affected our sales and ultimately led us into series of difficulties.”
A trader, Mr. Sunday Onah said, “When they said they were relocating us most people sold off what they had. That now gave room to others who didn’t, to sell at whatever rates they wanted. Also this is really not rice peak season. Even though the cost is normally high at this time, but not this much, usually.”
Back at the husk hills, the women are just as unhappy with the government’s idea of relocating the market.
Adaora Ibiekwe said for over ten years, she cannot remember buying rice, as she started living close to the market with her family at about this time. “This is where I have collected all the rice we eat year in, year out. I don’t want to imagine how much suffering removing this from here will bring on many of who feed from here.”
At the moment, Abakaliki is dependent on the national grid for power supply. The combined efforts of the clusters are expected to generate about 1000 megawatts.
Electricity generation using rice husk known as biomass is a concept that started in India which uses a biomass gasifier that creates fuel from husks after it has been separated from the rice.
Dr. Kormawa explained the process involved. “The process of biomass gasification is a relatively old simple technique where the biomass is heated to very high temperatures in an atmosphere below one per cent oxygen. In this environment, rather than burn in flames, it turns into what is referred to as ‘producer gas.’
“The husk is fed into the machine. Depending on how it is set up, there is a gasifier with filters which clean dust and other residue from the gas. There is also a generator from where the producer gas powers a turbine and then generates electricity.”
What the Abakaliki people are losing with the relocation of the rice mill, it is hoped that they will gain in the generation of electricity with biomass.