Written by Jessica Morgan
A new scientific paper in Elesevier magazine has been published investigating the challenges and advantages of IFAD's innovative biogas operations in Kenya and Rwanda partnered with Biogas International (BI). Since 2011, IFAD and BI have collaborated to test and pilot portable, low-cost flexi-biogas systems; the Flexi Biogas© (FBS) for smallholder farmers. The system promotes the use of clean sources of energy for cooking and lighting needs in rural areas.
Similar to an open-ended pillow case, the FBS consists of a plastic digester envelope housed in a greenhouse tunnel. The tunnel acts like an insulated jacket, trapping heat and keeping the temperature between 25 and 36 degrees Celsius. The combination of the tunnel and the plastic bag increases the volume of gas production and reduces the retention time, ensuring a high rate of fermentation and gas production.
The study highlights how FBS devices have the potential to address important and pressing issues in sub-Saharan Africa. Issues such as agricultural and energy difficulties related to cooking and lighting needs, climate change, social cohesion and household income.
The paper constructs a thorough study of these FBS units through analysis of peer-reviewed papers, project documents and research interviews. It has been found that this technology can reduce energy instability whilst also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Results
The project, funded by IFAD remains in its pilot phases. Yet there is a large amount of data available so some conclusions can be made. The overriding benefit is that FBS units synergise solutions to three major concerns within Kenya's rural population.
Time collecting firewood, mostly performed by women, takes from 3-5 hours daily. This time can now be allocated to income generation opportunities and spending time with children (imparting knowledge and education).
Biogas digesters produce a by-product which is a high nutrient quality organic fertilizer. This helps agricultural and food security needs. The use of it in Kenya has shown increased production yields and also a higher quality of vegetables.
The organic fertiliser leads to a reduced demand for chemical fertilisers meaning income can be saved for other essential items. This in turn means less pollution as the production of fertilizers and their consumption emit large volumes of greenhouse gases which biogas does not.
However there is history of stigmatism against biogas users in Kenya due to previous biogas failures. Also construction of the FBS requires skilled technical expertise and complex logistics, making installation expensive and time-consuming.
This is exacerbated by the county's environment policy. It states that secure land tenure is a prerequisite to building permanent installations, such as FBS. In rural communities secure land tenures are hard to acquire, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This means that the systems are struggling to spread to a greater number of people.
Yet with this knowledge in place improved project design can start to combat these issues, understand policy procedures and improve and spread the use of FBS. Well-targeted subsidies on renewable energy sources and the removal of subsidies for fossil-fuel based sources such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene will be powerful incentives for people to take an interest in biogas.
The paper concludes that because these units show such promising results, continued effort needs to be made to communicate the benefits of these systems to the target audience and support continued assistance to the purchase and use FBS.