Valorisation of FS for recovery of energy and co-composting with sugar cane bagasse (Zambia)

In Chembe rural district (CRD) in Zambia, currently there is insufficient energy supply by the service provider which results in long power outages. At the same time, the faecal sludge (FS) generated in onsite sanitation systems is currently not collected or treated. Once full, the onsite sanitation systems (pit latrines) are abandoned and replaced by newly constructed pit latrines close to them, while the primary drinking water sources are wells and boreholes. Thirdly, the CRD is an extensively rural area with the production of large quantities of sugar cane waste that requires treatment or disposal. At the same time, there are frequent shortages or unavailability of chemical fertilizer to serve the needs of the local farmers for crop production. Therefore, this research investigated the potential for addressing all the listed challenges through the valorisation of FS co-treatment with sugar cane waste to produce energy by co-digestion and fertiliser by co-composting. The research demonstrated a good potential for co- treatment of FS with sugar cane waste for the production of biogas and fertiliser. The results indicated that 40% of the interviewees agreed, 40% were neutral, and 20% strongly agreed to use biogas energy for cooking. About 92% of the interviewed local farmers in CRD are willing to use organic fertilisers. It was also recommended that private/government entities should develop a commercialised energy system with enhanced service delivery which will allow the employment of local people.