Experts Sound the Alarm Over Poor Quality Biogas Plants

Business Daily (Nairobi)

Ngondi Mburu

5 April 2011

Experts are warning against inappropriate biogas plant installations being carried out by donor-funded organisations throughout the country, saying some are of low quality and unsuitable for farmers.

“Some of these plants are just enough to cook three meals per day on a single burner. They cannot be used for lighting,” said Mr Stanley Chepkwony, a biogas technical consultant.

The facilities, which cost about Sh100,000 to install, are permanent fixtures which cannot be expanded in future if the farmer sees the need.

Construction costs involve creating a digester, piping system, kitchen work, and other accessories.

“This is something permanent. Once constructed you cannot later demolish it. It can last up to 30 or 50 years,” said Mr Chepkwony.

He said farmers who later find out that the biogas plants do not meet their needs are forced to build fresh ones, which is expensive.

“We have received several complaints from the field and we have constructed bigger plants for some of the farmers, which is proving very expensive for them,” said Mr Chepkwony who works with the Private Sector Development in Agriculture.

The small plants, which range between four and 12 cubic metres, are being constructed by government and donor funded organisation.

About 700 such plants have been build throughout the country.

“These people are not informing farmers properly on the size of the biogas plants. They just want the farmers to have the plants installed,” said Mr Richard Karani, a biogas economist and consultant.

Enough energy

The Private Sector Development in Agriculture has constructed 650 plants, which range from 12 to 124 cubic metres, across the country.

The large capacity plants can produce enough energy to run engines, chuff cutters, lighting, and even household items like fridges in addition to cooking.

Before construction, farmers are advised to inquire on the capacity of the plants in relation to the number of animals they have and their future projections.

This ensures that they receive plants that meet their current and future needs.

Inconsistent supply of liquid petroleum gas and wildly fluctuating oil (including paraffin for lighting rural homes and cooking) prices have forced dairy farmers to turn to biogas.

Over reliance on kerosene has left many farmers vulnerable.

The cost of wood fuel and charcoal have been rising as these resources are depleted.

Rural households are heavy consumers of firewood and charcoal, leading to a high degree of deforestation.

Mr Adam Tuller a biologist with the African Conservation Centre, about 90 per cent of forest destruction is attributed to firewood and charcoal.

Development of biogas is expected to reduce pressure on the country’s depleted forest cover, which now stands at below two per cent.

“The use of biogas will enable us to have a clean environment and we will conserve forests,” said Mr Karani.

Owing to simplicity in implementation and use of cheap raw materials readily found in villages, biogas is proving to be one of the most affordable and environmentally sound energy sources for rural people.

Manure produced by cows is a rich source of biogas.

Many dairy farmers are waking up to the realisation of the potential of the resource.

Concerted efforts

Countries like China and India have realised the vast potential in biogas and have supported its development through subsidies.

Over two million Indian households have set up biogas plants, while the energy is used extensively throughout rural China following concerted government efforts to promote it as an alternative energy source.

Other developing countries that have intensified use of biogas include Nepal, Vietnam, and Costa Rica.

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