Valorisation of textile residues for energy production in Kenya

Kenya is an energy intensive developing country largely dependent on petroleum oil imports and hydropower for her energy needs. The unrelenting decline in the national hydropower capacity coupled with the continued rise of crude oil prices thus adversely affects all sectors of the country’s economy with the manufacturing sector suffering the most. The need for the country to strive for self sufficiency with respect to energy calls for urgent intervention so as to forestall the imminent stagnation in development. Indeed the availability of secure, affordable, reliable, clean and sustainable energy supply is regarded as one of the key drivers for the improvement of the quality of life and national development. Competitive locally produced biofuels can to a large extend supplement the country’s energy needs. Indeed locally produced biofuels such as biodiesel, bioalcohol and biogas have a potential of becoming a significant source of energy thus reducing the country’s dependence on fossil oil imports. This paper reviews the valorisation potential of two textile based agro residues namely cotton and sisal waste (CSW) for energy production. In addition, the technologies for transforming the CSW into secondary energy sources are also evaluated. While many different technologies portray capacity to utilise the textile residues for energy production, the biochemical transformation processes of alcoholic fermentation and anaerobic fermentation offer a very attractive route to utilize the CSW for energy production.