Pivot Plant: Converting human waste to fuel to finance complete sanitation

Purpose

Pivot is building the first faecal sludge to solid fuel facility,

Activities

Pivot is building the first faecal sludge to solid fuel facility (called Pivot Works) in Mombasa, Kenya, that will act as a commercial-scale demonstration factory. When successful, this sanitation process and business model will dramatically lower the barrier to delivering complete sanitation in low-income urban areas of developing countries by generating a viable revenue stream from the sale of faecal sludge-derived by-products.

- Build a facility in Mombasa, Kenya with an initial capacity of 5 tonnes Pivot Fuel per day
- Significantly de-risk the project and unleash commercial capital to take the plant to its full-scale of 40 tonnes Pivot Fuel per day
- Leverage this demonstration plant to generate a pipeline of expansion opportunities, furthering the vision of radically improving public and environmental health in cities across sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

Countries of activity

Location of main activity

Objectives

Refine the technical process at scale
Validate the financial assumptions and business model
Demonstrate ability to deliver and close sales
Secure a large-volume long-term purchase agreement from a customer operating in Mombasa
Develop a pattern of reliable revenue generation
Work with potential technology and community partners to test effective collection pilots for sourcing FS from the poorest communities

Further information

Research or implementation partners: Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company

Filter tags

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Emptying and transport (non sewered) Energy: fuel (liquid or solid) Faecal sludge treatment processes Market development Peri-urban Private sector, including social enterprises Product design and engineering Resource recovery Specific to one or several countries Sub-Saharan Africa Treatment of faecal sludge Urban informal settlements (slums)

Links