TEST (Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies) is a methodology developed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as part of the SwitchMed programme. It provides a toolkit that enables manufacturing companies to gain a competitive advantage through the implementation of resource efficiency strategies and solutions.
The step-by-step approach combines the essential elements of a number of tools for sustainable production, for example Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Assessment (RECPA) or Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA). The TEST methodology offers companies the opportunity to compare their material, energy and water consumption with international benchmarks and best practices and thus discover and prioritise optimization potential.
We applied the following steps of the UNIDO TEST Methodology in cotton and cashew nut processing industries in four countries of the Niger River Basin (Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Ivory Coast):
- STEP 1.6 – Revealing sources and causes of inefficiency
- STEP 1.7 – Development of options generation and feasibility analysis
Carbotech addressed issues related to air, water and soil pollution as well as health and safety, including fire risks. We also calculated the climate impact of the measures we recommended to the companies. Many of the site visits in remote areas of the Sahel took place with our local technical partner SETHI based in Burkina Faso. SETHI focused on evaluating how to cover the energy demand with photovoltaic energy. Our consortium partner puREsource addressed specific energy efficiency factors.
The different companies committed to implement several measures we proposed. This project was followed by different steps aiming at supporting the companies to finance the implementation of the measures, in which Carbotech gave its technical expertise.
