H. Mali

Chinese-built rice-husk gasifies power plants (160 kWh) were installed in the early 1970s, according to Mahin (1989), at two rice mills at Dogofiri and N'Debougou. These have operated successfully since then with more than 55,000 hours operating experience, although economic analyses of these plants are not easily available. In 1986, with the assistance of GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation), an additional Chinese-built gasifier was installed nearby at the rice mill in Molodo which processes about 20,000 t/yr of rice. The plant produces about 1 kWh for each 2.5 kg of rice husks used in the gasifier. It generates up to 160 kW of power. The total annual operating costs were DM146,877 (or DM0.261kWh) which is 54 per cent of that of a diesel- engine plant. The GTZ study (Mahin, 1989) indicates the difference in capital cost between the diesel and the gasifies plant. Investment costs of the gasifier power plant could be recovered in less than four years. Table 16 provides a summary of cost of the rice husk-fulled gasifier power plant at Molodo.