Energy Potential of Crop Residues in Senegal: Technology Solutions for Valorization

Abstract Different crops are harvested in Senegal at different periods throughout the year. Therefore, crop residues are constantly available, and there is potential for recycling these residues to produce energy. However, most of these crop residues are often burned or leftover in fields. This chapter assesses the energy potential of five crop residues available in Senegal, in terms of raw material quantities and calorific values, in order to propose adequate valorization schemes. The methodology of the study is based on a review of scientific literature in the field, the processing of data collected from the national specialized agencies, and laboratory tests of pellets manufactured from these residues. The experiments also propose techniques of hybridization in pelleting. The results show the feasibility of combining crop residues to produce pellets, with improved energy characteristics. They also demonstrate that pellets from crop residues can substitute part of industries’ heat demand with the combustion technology and part of rural communities’ electricity demand with the gasification technology.