Publieke samenvattingen SBIR oproep Ontwerp innovaties van lokale materialen voor de bouw, publieke ruimte en gezondheidssector Afrika fase 2

In samenwerking met lokale partijen ontwikkelen de ondernemers hun innovatie in het land van hun keuze. Deze SBIR is gericht op het gebruik van lokale materialen voor de gebouwde omgeving en voor de publieke ruimte en infrastructuur en producten voor de gezondheidszorg. Het onderdeel gezondheidszorg gaat over medische producten die langer meegaan en duurzame alternatieven voor medische (wegwerp) producten. Voor de gebouwde omgeving gaat het om innovaties gemaakt van lokale materialen. Onder publieke ruimte en infrastructuur vallen ook projecten die zich richten op producten die de leefkwaliteit van de buitenruimte verbeteren en oplossingen voor geïntegreerde opslag van water en duurzame energie passen hieronder.

Dit zijn internationale projecten, daarom zijn de projectsamenvattingen in het Engels.

Blok Kats van Veen Architecten - Laminated bamboo for structural use (LBS) in the built environment sourced and produced in Uganda

The product is an engineered bamboo beam made in Uganda from radial laminated bamboo from Uganda. Laminated with bio-based resin in the local partner factory in Jinja. The product is a viable alternative material for structural use, given the many cash-linked limitations and negative impact on climate of other building materials such as reinforce concrete, steel, and non FSC timber. The project is about prototyping, building a mock-up structure, testing, demonstrating, production, and start of sales. When used in buildings, it improves the quality, health and wellness of new homes and places and ensure that all communities become resilient while reducing carbon emissions.

NPSP B.V. - Bio composites for Ghana, optimization, testing and pilot production - Ghana

The scope of the project is to manufacture bio composite roof panels in Ghana made from bio-waste raw material which will provide a cheaper alternative to the existing roof panels in Ghana while decreasing the environmental impact of roofs and stimulating the economy of Ghana. 

To do this, a testing roof and pilot factory will be built in partnership with Space Accra in Ghana to test the product before commercialization. Testing will be done on the material itself, the market for the material, a pilot production and the reliability of local resource sources. 

This project will solve the issue of reliance on imported aluminium and Aluzinc, which are both increasingly scarce and require extraction from the earth to make virgin materials.

African Bamboo B.V. - Affordable Bamboo Housing Project - Kenya

In the second phase of the SBIR project, African Bamboo develops a prototype prefab housing based on modular construction components, utilizing locally (Kenyan) cultivated bamboo. The company developed bamboo-based panels suitable as modular building components (window- and doorframes, worktops, roof rafters and wall panels). Due to African Bamboo manufacturing technology, significant decreases in energy consumption, waste production and by-product formation are obtained. Likewise, tons of CO₂ emission are prevented with positive effects on Kenyan nature preservation. Besides, the Kenyan liveability is stimulated by creating permanent, full-time jobs for inhabitants and organic, more durable and cheaper houses.

Oskam V.O.F. - Reaching the Base of Pyramid with new CEB Technology - Kenya

All across Africa, there is an urgent need for alternatives to mainstream construction materials characterized by a big dependence on cement. Building with local earth is one of possible solutions, but the machinery for production of compressed earth blocks (CEB) is often low in quality or, as in the case of Oskam, high in quality, but also in price. With this project, Oskam and partners aim to provide high-quality but affordable compressed earth blocks to the Kenyan market and beyond.

To achieve this, different aspects will be developed simultaneously, main one being prototyping a set of new CEB machines in a way that will significantly reduce costs without compromising the quality. The goal is to manufacture the machines in Kenya, so a big attention during prototyping will lay on using materials that can be sourced locally.

Layco Medical Devices B.V. - Development of a vacuum extractor with local materials in Uganda

Uganda, like many LMICs, has relatively high maternal and neonatal mortality rates, caused by complications during childbirth. Limited access to healthcare and a limited availability of dedicated medical equipment are important causes. The use of vacuum extraction is low in LMIC regions, although its impact could be very high. In this project, Layco Medical Devices aims to develop, in close collaboration with local partners, a fully reusable vacuum extractor (VELA) to facilitate vaginal births, that is almost fully made from local recycled plastics and has a high usability, high quality and is low-cost to fit the local context in Low and Middle Income countries, like Uganda.

SEMILLA Sanitation Hubs B.V. - Innovative two-step biogas filling system (bottled biogas) - Uganda

The ‘Waste to Clean Air’ project revolves around the idea of an innovative two-step biogas filling system, that intends to curb the negative social and environmental trends currently affecting Uganda within its refugee/marginal settlements. The project’s overarching goal is to capture, bottle, and sell biogas that is produced from organic human waste excreta. This currently contaminates underground water reservoirs with toxic chemical nitrates. Drawing upon technical experience from within the Netherlands, circular waste management systems have been designed and adapted to fit the rural North-Ugandan context to provide clean energy alternatives and improved living conditions for all involved.

Spaak Circular Solutions B.V. - Cement from Rice Husk Ash - Ivory Coast

Cement production worldwide is responsible for >8% of CO₂ emissions. From the phase 1 validation, the company found 15% of the ordinary cement can be replaced with Rice silica Ash obtained from pyrolytic burning of the rice residues, resulting in higher strength grade construction materials. Replacing part of the cement with the ash offsets the GHG emissions within the cement production, and promotes the use of local produced, bio-based cost-effective concrete materials for the urban and rural construction needs. In order to achieve this, the company intends to establish strong partnerships with local actors and stakeholder in Ivory Coast.

NETICS B.V. - HYAMAT - South Africa

HYAMAT is a biodegradable geogrid made from water hyacinth, a circular alternative for geosynthetic soil erosion control in public space and infrastructure! Water hyacinth is invasive and completely covers waterbodies with dramatic effects. Usually almost no removal budget is available. In South Africa it is currently harvested for baskets on an experimental scale. In the R&D phase they aim for a significant production boost by optimizing and transforming this value chain for HYAMAT. Including development of machinery for fibre extraction. In Phase 1 the company built an ecosystem with stakeholders covering the value chain from harvesting till the application of HYAMAT.

Nature Nomads B.V. - Mahali POA  CoolBricks - Uganda

CoolBricks is an affordable, sustainable, fully circular and durable housing solution for low-income families living in Uganda who are vulnerable to soaring material costs and live in unsafe houses. The bio-based, 100% natural, bio-stabilized bricks combine high-tech material science with low-tech mechanical innovations that result in a product that is superior in strength and water resistance, at 50% the price of commonly used fired bricks in Uganda. The multi-disciplinary team of experts has hands-on experience in developing new bio-materials, building houses, and building successful business. With the CoolBricks they aim to revolutionize the affordable housing market by re-inventing the earthen houses.

HaskoningDHV Nederland B.V - Reuse of sediments from Weija reservoir in Ghana construction sector

Globally, reservoirs are generally neglected when it comes to increasing pollution and siltation. These reservoirs often have societal functions crucial for employment, food, drinking water, and biodiversity. Similarly, the Weija reservoir (Ghana) awaits rehabilitation to sustainably deliver drinking water to 2.5 million people in Accra East and West. Additionally, there is a high demand for affordable raw materials in the construction industry, especially in the Weija region. This largely depends on expensive international imports. Innovative technologies to reuse dredged sediment in building blocks are known in Europe. This project seeks to apply and up-scale this innovation in Ghana nationwide.