Cows to Kilowatts: Anaerobic Bio-digestion of Abattoir Waste Generates Zero Emission and Creates Sustainable Bio-Energy and Bio-Fertiliser in Africa

The Cows to Kilowatts model pioneered a new model of waste management that treats slaughterhouse effluent at the source and converts harmful greenhouse gases into clean energy through social enterprise. The innovation deploys a cutting-edge anaerobic fixed film bioreactor technology to treat abattoir waste and produce biogas more efficiently than conventional biodigester technologies. This also reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and provides a cheap source of bio-energy and bio-fertilizer.
The bioreactor dubbed “Cows to Kilowatts” is located at Ibadan, the largest indigenous city in Africa. About 1000 heads of cows are slaughtered daily. The 5000m³ bioreactor is designed to capture about 1,800m³ of methane per day and generating about 0.5MW of electricity off-grid for power starved poor communities and with emission reduction of about 0.2MT of CO2 per year.
The captured methane is used to drive gas generators to provide electricity for power starved poor communities. This new waste-treatment model is revolutionizing traditional practice in slaughterhouses, contributing to safer living environments and boasting economic viability for the local economy. Operated as a social business, the profit is being invested into waste-treatment facilities in other locations, further increasing the beneficial impact.