Crude extracts from cashew apple pomace (CAP) dried at different temperatures were used in High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography to quantify total alkaloids content (TAC), total flavanoids content (TFC), total saponin content (TSC) and total phenolics content (TPC). Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was used to determine the antioxidant capacity (AOC) of CAP. Fourier-Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy-Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) was used to identify the functional groups present in the pomace. TAC, TFC, TSC and TPC were used as inputs to model AOC using Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), and Support Vector Regression (SVR) and a coupled model was developed using the residuals of GPR and SVR. It was found that increasing drying temperature decreased TAC, TFC, TPC and AOC but TSC increased. Both GPR and SVR predicted AOC with high accuracy. Drying CAP at lower temperature preserved more bioactive compounds hence high AOC; FTIR-ATR showed that CAP has good hydration capacity and contains majorly inorganic phosphates, aliphatic hydrocarbons and primary alcohols. Model coupling enhanced AOC prediction.

Regardless of the challenges facing renewable energy development in today’s world, hydropower is still the most broadly patronized source of renewable energy, with a global installed capacity of 1330 GW in 2020. Hydropower contributes the largest share of the total installed renewable energy globally, accounting for more than 54% of renewable energy generation capacity worldwide. In this 21^st century, the quest for a global shift to a carbon-emission-free future has been epitomized by China through its way of overcoming some crucial challenges to becoming the number one hydropower producer in the world. China is currently the top exporter of its hydropower technology and expertise to a reasonably significant number of countries across the globe. Due to failed energy policy implementation, Nigeria, on the other hand, has been languishing in air pollution from fossil fuel energy generation due to poor and erratic electrical energy supply from the grid, despite its enormous hydropower potential. However, a resurgence of Nigeria’s National renewable energy and Energy Efficiency Policy in 2015 resulted in a consortium signed between China and Nigeria, placing China at the helm of reviving Nigeria’s hydropower industry, yielding some positive outcomes so far. A partnership between technologically advanced and undeveloped countries, particularly Africa, is required to overcome significant avoidable hydropower constraints towards attaining their full hydropower output potential. In this way, the imperative to guaranteeing a globally cleaner and more sustainable energy future is more reassuring.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from reservoirs are responsible for at most 2% of the overall warming effects of human activities. This study aimed at incorporating the GHG emissions of a reservoir (with irrigation/sugar production as its primary purpose), into the carbon footprint of sugar produced from irrigated sugarcane. This study adopts a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach and encompasses the cradle-to-gate aspect of the international organization of standardization ISO 14040 guidelines. Results show that total carbon footprint of refined sugar could be as high as 5.71 kg CO₂-eq/kg sugar, over its entire life cycle, depending on the priority of purposes allocated to a reservoir and sugarcane productivity. Findings also reveal that the dammed river contributes the most to GHG emissions 5.04 kg CO₂-eq/kg sugar, followed by the agricultural stage 0.430 kg CO₂-eq/kg sugar, the sugar factory 0.227 kg CO₂-eq/kg sugar, and lastly the transportation stage 0.065 kg CO₂-eq/kg sugar. The sensitivity analysis shows that carbon footprint CF of sugar production is largely influenced by the rate of biomass decomposition in the impounded reservoir over time, followed by the reservoir drawdown due to seasonal climatic fluctuations. Significant amounts of GHG emissions are correlated with the impoundment of reservoirs for water resource development projects, which may account for up to 80% of total GHG emissions to the reservoir’s primary purpose. Sugar production expansion, coupled with allocating more functions to a reservoir, significantly influences the CF of sugar per service purpose. This study is an indicator for policymakers to comprehend and make plans for the growing tradeoffs amongst key functions of reservoirs.

Due to renewed interest in fruit residue application, cashew apple pomace and other fruit pomace are receiving unparallel attention as substitute for food ingredient or food enrichment options. This necessitates this study to investigate drying as vital approach in preserving and conditioning cashew apple pomace. In this study, cashew apple fruits were blended in fruit blender and filtered through 150 microns filter; the filtrate was further tightened in a fabric material and pressed with manual hydraulic press to further express the juice in it. The pomace was stored in a refrigerator at 3 ?C for 18 h to homogenise the moisture. The pomace was divided into nine equal weights, a portion was fed into hot air oven dryer at 60 ?C and constant circulating air velocity of 2.2 m/s, the changes in mass was measured using digital mass balance after every 10 minutes. The procedure was repeated at 70 and 80 ?C and in triplicate; in each case the mass of the samples was measured. It was found that cashew pomace dry under a single falling rate period, effective moisture diffusivity increased with increasing drying temperature and ranges from 9.02015?10-9 to 2.12177?10-8, activation energy was estimated as 41.880 kJ/K, specific drying energy consumption decreased with increasing drying temperature and ranges from 24.1 to 45.3 MJ/kg. Our proposed drying model was found to adequately simulate the drying kinetics of cashew apple pomace.