Pyrolysis for coffee pulp valorization

Much literature about the use of pyrolysis in the coffee production sector focuses on a stationary plant design. We evaluate the benefits of a mobile plant to also serve small coffee farmers where the harvesting season lasts only about three months. In such situations most other treatments/valorizations methods cannot be economically applied. Thousands of tons of coffee pulp are therefore not valorized and left to rot. This not only means releasing the potent greenhouse gas (GHG) methane but also contaminating seeping water, polluting rivers and ground water resources. Not valorizing readily available resources means also ignoring a competitive advantage. For this study, the technology component of the joint global UNIDO-UNEP Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) program, identified pyrolysis as a potential technology for step-reductions in terms of byproduct treatment and their valorization. The sectorial study included a top down and bottoms up approach to cross check the findings. This included a desk review of existing RECP assessment and conducting five new RECP assessments in representative agro-industrial coffee companies. Furthermore additional information was attained through first-tier surveys with entities like chamber of commerce, regional government orcoffee equipment manufacturers.