Victor Idankpo Ameh

Title : Bioenergy potential of cyperus esculentus (Tigernut) residual as a second-generation feedstock

Abstract:

Bioenergy is widely regarded as a critical sustainable and renewable alternative to the challenging use of fossil fuels as a source of energy on a global scale. Meanwhile, contemporary bioenergy is among the top sources of renewable energy in the world today, representing ~55% of renewable energy and ~6% of the global energy supply, the price of biofuel is slowing the rise of biofuel usage and acceptance. The non-availability and cost of feedstocks are the major contributing factors to the price of bioenergy. The processing of Cyperus esculentus (Tigernut) into a milky product results in ~30–50% biowaste residual. The circular economy concept of creating value from waste is a more sustainable means of handling municipal solid waste. Therefore, the aim of this study is to generate bio-products suitable for energy purposes from Cyperus esculentus (Tigernut) residuals by thermochemical conversion. The bioenergy characteristics, including, higher heating value (HHV), CHNSO elemental analysis, GC-MS analysis, FTIR, ultimate analysis, and proximate analysis of the biochar and bio-oil produced, were carried out to ascertain their energy potentials. Because of the significant presence of volatile matter, which is more or less than 65% in the proximate analysis, the Cyperus esculentus residual was expected to produce a high yield of liquid and gaseous bio-products appropriate for energy uses.

Audience Take Away

• Cyperus esculentus waste was presented as a renewable source of energy.
• The yield of biofuel products from the Cyperus esculentus residual was established.
• ​​​​​​​Understand the characteristics of biofuel from Cyperus esculentus biomass.
• ​​​​​​​Biomass from Cyperus esculentus is a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy.

Biography:

Mr. Victor is a Ph.D. student/Researcher with the Chemical Engineering Department in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment of the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. He conducts research with the Renewable Energy and Biomass Research Group of the University of Johannesburg. Victor holds a Master of Engineering in Advanced Material Engineering option from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. He had his undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Yola, Nigeria. Victor has a particular interest in waste-to-value and new materials development.