Potential market for small-scale gasifiers in rural areas of developing countries

This thesis report assesses the potential market for small-scale gasifiers in rural areas of developing countries and regions. Biomass is already widely used in these areas for energetic purpose, giving gasification an interesting niche market for remote electricity production. Success factors include a high reliability, an efficient biomass supply chain and sufficient local electricity needs. Suitable fuel for a gasifier must be available at low cost, which could be wood harvested locally or agricultural residues such as rice husks or nut shells. A good potential for gasifiers fueled by wood has been identified in Eastern Africa, based on FAO's wood supply-demand models. South-East Asia and South America produce a lot of agricultural residues suitable for gasification. However, the electrification rate in South America is already high, which reduces considerably the interest for small-scale decentralized electricity production. Taking into account all these parameters, the most promising countries are Nigeria, India, Myanmar and Indonesia. Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines also offer opportunities in the rice and sugar industries, while the wood industry in Cameroon shall deserve a deeper investigation