Shahbazi Presents Electric Ideas in SenegalFor Immediate Release Greensboro, NC: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University sent an alternative energy expert to Senegal to consult on rural electrification. Dr. Abolghasem Shahbazi, an associate professor in North Carolina A&T State University's Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Program, gave a presentation at the Rural Electrification Workshop in Dakar, Senegal. Shahbazi was invited to make a presentation about using agricultural byproducts, such as sugarcane stalks, as sources of fuel to produce electricity. Conversion processes discussed by Shahbazi included direct combustion, thermal gasification, and anaerobic digestions or biological gasification. In discussing each of these, Shahbazi addressed the start-up procedures and costs, as well as the potential of each process. According to Shahbazi, similar bioenergy processes already have played a significant role in Senegalese energy supply and consumption, accounting for approximately 60 percent of Senegalese energy. “Nations everywhere are struggling to find sources for their energy,” said Shahbazi. “In Senegal, as well as in the United States, the problem is compounded in remote rural locations, where access to energy is costly and not typically reliable. Working together on these problems benefits citizens of both countries.” A&T and the University Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal’s largest university, recently signed a memorandum of understanding, which will entail student and faculty exchanges, as well as possibilities for collaborative research and outreach. The workshop was a joint effort between the Renewable Energy for African Development (REFAD) Consortium and the Senegal Ministry of Energy and Hydraulics. In addition to six scientists from the United States, 27 Senegalese scientists and volunteers were among those invited to present at the meeting. - 30 - For additional information, please contact Dr. Abolghasem Shahbazi, NC A&T Agricultural Engineering Program, at (336) 334-7787. |