| dc.description.abstract | Growth in food processing will summon deeper exploitation of energy resources and significantly increase climate change. Food processing generates a sizeable amount of waste, creating a waste management problem yet organic waste can be converted into suitable energy inputs. Between January 2019 and June 2019, Soroti Fruits Limited spent UGX 50,000 per ton on the transportation of fruit waste, and over UGX 155,000,000 to procure diesel fuel for its steam boilers. Similarly, Jakana Foods Limited uses five electric fruit dryers in its production chain. Both companies had not quantified the amount of process waste they generate. The objective of this study was to quantify process heat and fruit waste generated by the two companies, develop briquettes from the waste, determine the briquettes’ physical and chemical properties, and evaluate the financial viability of briquette development investments at the two companies. Fruit waste was quantified using hanging dial and floor type weighing scales. Process heat was derived from the measured electrical energy and diesel fuel. Briquettes were developed from jackfruit, mango, and orange fruit waste by sun drying the waste and carbonizing it. Cassava starch, corn-starch, and clay binders at concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15% were used. Process heat varied directly with the quantities of fruits processed and fruit waste generated. Orange and jackfruit waste were the dominant solid waste varieties at Soroti Fruits Limited and Jakana Foods Limited, respectively with daily average waste generation of 22,894.6 kg and 105.124 kg, respectively. The daily average process heat consumption was 464.33 MJ and 27 GJ at Jakana Foods Limited and Soroti Fruits Limited, respectively. Fixed carbon content in the developed briquettes ranged from 22.87% to 62.06%, ash content ranged from 6.55% to 57.20%, volatile matter content ranged from 15.71% to 39.41%, moisture content ranged from 4.21% to 13.66%, calorific value ranged from 17.55 MJ/kg to 32.24 MJ/kg, and compressive strength ranged from 0.125 N/mm2 to 0.471 N/mm2. Bulk density ranged from 413.21 kg/m3 to 580.1 kg/m3, the drop strength ranged from 27.74% to 88.84%, time to boil ranged from 33 to 70 minutes in the cold start phase. Average particulate matter emissions ranged from 138 μg/m3 to 627 μg/m3, and average carbon monoxide emissions ranged from 30 ppm to 74 ppm. An investment into briquette development at Soroti Fruits Limited was found financially viable with NPV, and IRR, as UGX 240,290,084, and 30.6%, respectively. however, it is not financially viable to invest in briquette production at Jakana Foods Limited because the investment carries an NPV of UGX -41,319,570. | en_US |
