Stephanie Solal Djimtoingar, a PhD Candidate in Sustainable Energy Engineering and Management of University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, successfully defended her thesis. This achievement makes her the first female international PhD student of the University. She is set to graduate during the next Congregation of the University. She is also the first female international student to successfully graduate in her Masters’ Degree from UENR.

Presenting her topic “Evaluation and Optimization of Calotropis Procera Biomass for Biogas Production” Stephanie disclosed that her study is the first attempt to assess biogas production potential from Calotropis Procera for its application in Chad’s energy production by using an anaerobic digestion method. Delving further into her work, She indicated that an average annual availability of 6.3 tons of Calotropis Procera in Chad could produce 891.61 m° and 9150.884 m of biogas from its leaves and stem respectively. “The theoretical energy potential of the Calotropis Procera was estimated at 1.5016 Mwh/year and that of the Calotropis Procera stem at 24.0787 Mwh/year’. She affirmed that, the quantity of energy could offset about 1% of Chad’s total Energy Demand per year.

Stephanie stressed that the findings from her study would be useful in complementing efforts in finding sustainable energy alternatives and remediation strategies of Calotropis Procera wastes in Chad and its similar contexts. She added that her study also gives a technical basis for further research in economic and environmental sustainability as well as for policymakers on the production of energy from Calotropis Procera.

Sharing her experience on the PhD journey, Stephanie said that it had been an amazing pursuit. Considering what is expected of a PhD Candidate, she narrated “It has been good but PhD, you know is not easy”

Stephanie’s thesis was supervised by Ing. Prof. Nana Sarfo A. Derkyi, Head, Department of Renewable Energy Engineering and Dr. Francis Atta Kuranchie, a faculty member at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.