The Potential of Cocoa Pods and Plantain Peels as Renewable Sources in Nigeria

The use of thermochemical processes to convert biomass into energy products has continued to allay apprehensions arising from increasing depletion of fossil fuels and growing energy demand. Pyrolysis products (bio-oils and bio-chars) from cocoa pods and plantain peels have been characterized. Products distribution for cocoa pod and plantain peel was 29.4% and 38.1% condensate; 46.5% and 38.5% bio-char; and 24.1% and 23.4% noncondensable gas respectively. Bio-oils from the wastes were found to possess low acidity and improved stability upon storage. Over 70% oleic acid was obtained in cocoa pod bio-oil, which could serve as a raw material for many chemical industries. Bio-chars from both residues have higher heating value (HHV) as ˜22 MJ/kg and pH as ˜10 and could serve as renewable fuels in the country. SEM-EDS morphology and elemental composition revealed that these bio-chars contain about five elements essential for plant growth.