Abstract
There is a large amount of Banana bunch and Banana peel wastes that distribute throughout the city of Addis Ababa and simply dump and pollute the environment. This study aimed to produce and characterize briquettes from wastes of the banana bunch and banana peel as well as determining fuelwood substitution by estimating the energy potential of the briquettes.
Samples of banana wastes were collected randomly from purposely selected areas. After air drying, the samples of the banana bunch and peel were carbonized inside a metal kiln. Then, the carbonized powder was mixed together with 15% of clay soil as a binder. Briquette with 12 holes called beehive briquettes was produced using beehive coal machine. Proximate analysis was carried out using ASTM Procedure. The results of briquettes produced from the banana bunch, banana peel, and the mixture of the banana bunch and banana peel have calorific value 11,547.63, 24,073.13, and 17,879.36 KJ/kg respectively. Based on those Calorific values yearly mean average energy potentials of the banana bunch, banana peel, and mixture of the banana bunch and banana peel briquettes were 1.94 to 2.14TJ, 32.26 to 35.61TJ, and 13.49 to 14.89 TJ respectively. These energy potentials can substitute a total of 1,548.73 to 1,708.9 tons of charcoal or 9,292.02 to 10,252.76 tons of fuelwood could be saved from being deforestation per year. As a result, a total of 1,703.61 to 1, 879.79 tons of CO2 emission avoided from the atmosphere. It can be concluded that the briquettes produced from banana wastes can be used as a source of household energy and reduced CO2 emission by reducing deforestation. Economic analysis and feasibility of briquettes of banana wastes should be studied further.
Keywords: Banana Bunch, Banana Peel, Energy Potential, Fuel Wood.