WASH Innovative Solution Urine Transformation and Reuse

Innovative solutions : WASH >> Ecological Sanitation >> Reuse of Urine

in Agriculture, domestic electricity or for small manufactures
Actually several WASH projects implemented by CARE WASH are promoting
ecological sanitation, ECOSAN technologies and the use of Eco-Toilets. (Like
PEAFEC project of CARE CO Niger: Water, Sanitation & Ecological Fertilization
project in the low valley of Tarka/Niger ).
Eco-toilets help produce compost for agriculture for improving soil fertility and
reducing the use of chemical fertilizers, and the collected urine can be used
directly as fertilizer as a substitute of urea fertilizer.
But today we know that urine valorized (processed or not) in addition to its
fertilizing power and its many possible applications in agriculture can be used as
fuel! Indeed it is possible to develop (adapt) electric generators operating with
urine. After the liquid fertilizer developed by ECOSAN is another possible use of
urine. Well used once transformed this new property of urine could be a fuel of
the future for development projects (to scale!)
The yellow energy urine as fuel: an electric generator which fueling with
hydrogen from the simple urine electrolyze or ammonium transformed
into ammonia feed a special fuel cell >> two new ways to produce
energy from urine!
This first method of converting urine into fuel by electrolysis (the simplest) was
developed in Nigeria and four schoolgirls who at the same time "invented" a
generator running in urine!
The process is simple: urine is placed in an electrolytic cell separating urea by
electrolysis into nitrogen, water and hydrogen. Hydrogen is collected, filtered and
captured in a gas bottle before being sent to the generator.
One liter of urine can produce 6 hours of electricity. A commercial application of
this process will involve a relatively elaborate security system. However, the fuel
is free, abundant and renewable!
In the second transformation process, however more complicated, Ammonium
mainly present in the urine is turned into ammonia to feeding a special fuel cell.
The main component of urine is, of course, the water, but it contains the main
waste is urea.
The urea or carbamide (INN) is an organic chemical compound of the formula CO
(NH2) 2. It is also the name of the family of urea derivatives of general formula
(R1, R2) N-CO-N (R3, R4).
The components of interest for the valorization of urine and its use as a fertilizer
and/or fuel are nitrogen and hydrogen.
Urine as Fertilizer
The most important current use is in the form of nitrogen fertilizers. Urea is
hydrolyzed into ammonia and carbon dioxide in the ground: CO (NH2) 2 + 2 NH3
CARE HERU - WASH Senior Advisor Patrick. Reymond @care.org.au

WASH Innovative Solution Urine Transformation and Reuse

+ H2O CO2
Urea, which contains 46% nitrogen, and can be directly diluted with water for
watering, but it has a highly hygroscopic and needs to be packaged in granules or
beads to be used as spreading fertilizer (soil amendment).
Urine as Fuel
This process would produce hydrogen from urine, which also produce hydrogen in
a sustainable way (and nitrogen and ammonia separately by electrolysis) to get
rid of one of the most abundant waste the planet and thus preserve freshwater
resources.

Urine Valorisation and VCD (Value Chain Development)

The advantage of the value of the urine by its transformation into a powerful
fertilizer (by simply adding water and fermentation) and its conversion into
usable fuel in conventional generators (simply by electrolysis) is to provide
greater autonomy (independence) to remote rural areas, or poor people, enabling
them to produce products based on location, lower costs and contribute directly
improve the generating sources of income and livelihood in general.
It is easy to visualize the value chain which can be built around organic base
product free in its production, its lowest cost in its processing and all the profit
centers that will be created along the chain (income generating activities) and
the multi stakeholders process involved.
A value chain Is the set of procedures to determine the ability of an organisation
to gain a competitive advantage.These steps correspond to the company's
services or to arbitrarily complex nested activities that constitute the
organization.
The Value chain shows the importance of coordination in an organization because
each link of adds value to optimize.
VCD (Value Chain Development) is the development of a set of interrelated
activities which continued to create the identifiable value and, if possible,

CARE HERU - WASH Senior Advisor Patrick. Reymond @care.org.au

WASH Innovative Solution Urine Transformation and Reuse

measurable. It therefore includes all stages of the supply of raw materials to final
consumption.
See Urine VCD below

CARE HERU - WASH Senior Advisor Patrick. Reymond @care.org.au

WASH Innovative Solution Urine Transformation and Reuse

Urine Transformation Value Chain Development (VCD) and Multi-Stakeholders process (MSP)

Production
Better
Livelihoo
d&
Revenue
Increased
Productivity
Efficient &
profitable

Urine
Transforma
tion

Electrolyse
>>
Hydrogen
fuel (H2)
Conditionin
g >>
Ferlizers
Production

Transform
ed
product
exploitati

Reduced imports of
fuel & fertilizers,
savings

Ecologi
cal
Sanitat

Profit

CARE HERU - WASH Senior Advisor Patrick. Reymond @care.org.au

WASH Innovative Solution Urine Transformation and Reuse

Results of the implementation of the VCD and MSP
Processors and farmers / householders / manufacturers final products benefiting
from different transformations of the base product (urine) are the same
stakeholders within process! This should facilitate the adoption of the concept of
reuse of urine while awareness and social marketing are well planned (according
to a participatory approach MSP) and involve all stakeholders.
VCD Outputs, Outcomes and Impacts
Outputs
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Better communication and information sharing

Increased trust among actors / stakeholders
Better joint analysis and priority setting
Joint action on specific issues
Increased interactions with external actors such as government and
donors

Outcomes
VCD - Core capabilities 5Cs logic to describe and group outcomes
1. Capability to act and self-organize (improved confidence, engagement
and mutual understanding of VCD actors resulting in initiatives and
partnerships)
2. Capability to cohere and integrate different dimensions (ability to
think beyond specific actors interests and see overall perspectives)
3. Capability to relate and create operating space (increased
effectiveness of engagement with all institutions to influence policy
development, enabling environment to improve financing options)
4. Capability to learn and adapt (joint understanding and better resilience
capacity lessons learned and best practices)
5. Capability to produce relevant development results (ability to
organize and improve primary process in the VCD)
It is on these 5 Core Capabilities that plans for capacity building should
focus!
Impacts
Increased productivity, incomes and employment of all
stakeholders along the value chain
More efficient and profitable production and processing
Reduced imports of fuel, fertilizers, etc., savings
Reference: International Development studies (Earthscan / SNV 2010)

CARE HERU - WASH Senior Advisor Patrick. Reymond @care.org.au