A Technical Design of the Polygeneration Unit in Rural Mozambique

Abstract: A fifth of the world’s population currently lives without access to electricity. Moreover millions of people die each year in diarrheal diseases worldwide due to poor hygiene and unsafe water. The off-grid fisherman’s village Quirimize is situated in Mozambique’s northernmost province, Cabo Delgado that has one of the lowest electrification rates in the whole country. The fishermen in Quirimize have in previous studies shown a self-expressed demand for ice for fish preservation. Access to ice could increase their income by enabling them to sell fish at a higher price, directly to fish markets. The most conventional way to provide electricity to off-grid societies is through a grid-tied distribution system or by diesel generators when the grid is not available. Grid electrification is however expensive when trying to electrify rural and remote areas. This report proposes a technical design of the Polygeneration Unit (PU) that is able to provide Quirmize with electricity, water and ice. Data for this study have been collected from contact and meetings with suppliers of technology, other relevant actors in the sector of rural development and energy and online databases. The Polygeneration Unit that only consists of renewable energy technologies (RETs) is simulated using the collected data. This study shows that the Polygeneration Unit as a renewable option is more economical viable than other more conventional methods of electrification such as grid extension or power supply from a diesel generator. The study also investigates the opportunity for ice production through absorption refrigeration and shows that this, theoretically, could be used as a complement to compression refrigeration.