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Biogas for Better Life, An African Initiative aims to provide cleaner and safer cooking facilities for at least two million households; improve family health; create jobs; and improve the position of women. The Initiative will be promoted using a market approach, working with audit and intensive marketing programmes. Construction and manufacturing companies, civil society, media, and the public and private sectors will be involved.
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Many households in Africa are increasingly facing problems with energy supply. The availability of traditional cooking fuels such as wood, agricultural waste, dried dung and charcoal is declining, while commercial fuels are too expensive and their availability unreliable. Women and children spend hours collecting wood, animal dung or crop residues. This takes precious time, and precious lives: the indoor pollution caused by cooking with traditional biomass leads to acute respiratory infection, the world’s greatest child killer. Often, the same households are facing also the consequences of lack of proper sanitation, resulting in water borne diseases affecting mainly women and children.
There is – in short – a large demand in Africa for more sustainable energy sources and improved sanitation. Domestic biogas can meet that demand. It uses domestic resources like manure produced by cattle, pigs and poultry as well as human excreta. It is roughly estimated that around 100 million households are living in the rural areas of Africa. Half of those possess livestock that provide the input material for biogas digesters. Water is essential for a biogas installation to function. Only a part of the African population has access to sufficient water. The potential market could roughly account between 30 and 50 million installations.
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| Vision - A commercial domestic biogas market | The initiative will create a commercial market for household level biogas plants by mobilizing a commercially viable number of biogas plants, ensuring long term commitment by stakeholders and, building consumer confidence. The Initiative aims to install 2 million domestic biogas plants, which will be sold through a commercial mechanism, over the next 10 years. The initiative will focus on areas with livestock density, availability of water, scarcity of alternative energies for cooking, favourable policies, as well as, areas where there is strong potential for entrepreneurship, and financial sustainability. At present, there is a need to develop a commercial market for the biogas plants. On the demand side, households need access to micro-credit and special credit schemes. On the supply side, commercial companies, including small entrepreneurs and large companies, need to be developed. Training (both technical and business development), capacity building, loan disbursement, as well as, awareness raising, product marketing, and quality control will be required to attract potential clients. The focus will be on countries with the most promising prospect in order to have the greatest impact and strengthen the Initiative. The activities will be determined by upcoming opportunities, and the potential for success. The country programs will start through a sequence of desk studies, feasibility studies, market development plans, along with the final implementation decision. It will be important to maintain the continuity of the study and consultation phases along with ongoing implementation. To accelerate demand the initiative will continue to promote and establish market mechanisms for at least 10 years.
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| Approach - Focus on a targeted market | The core of the initiative will focus on local level implementation. The operating agents will work with local development organisations with demonstrated experience in biogas. These operating entities will be assisted by international organisations, including those who participated in the Exploratory Workshop in Amsterdam, and others to join. The implementers will carry out biogas marketing programs including promotion, development of local businesses, liaising with micro-credit providers, and collaborating with national and local Governments. Governments will play the public role by creating an enabling environment for market dveelopment, providing subsidies, tax policies, standards, and other measures to legitimize the programme. Special attention will be needed for cross sectoral issues, such as health, employment, rural / regional development, social welfare, livestock breeding, agricultural production and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The international community will be requested to support the grant part of the initiative, estimated at US$ 800 million over a period of 10 years. The investment component can be provided by local development banks, international credit providers and cash contribution by households. Local organisations will have specific roles in terms of promotion, extension and consumer awareness raising. Local businesses (contractors, manufacturers, dealers in spare parts and appliances) will play a crucial role by mobilising the supply side of the market development process. Commercial success of the biogas businesses will lead to sustainability of the Initiative. In addition to implementation, the Initiative will leverage funding for grants, promote knowledge exchange, networking, research, and awareness raising about the issue. The structure of the Initiative is still subject to discussion, but may include an Ambassador for the Initiative, an Independent Board, a Fund Manager, and an Advisory Committee.
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Positive effects of biogas digesters on health have been reported. Biodigesters improve health by providing a cleaner cooking fuel (biogas) thus avoiding respiratory and eye diseases caused by the smoke inherent to traditional ways of cooking, particularly open fires. Women have the greatest risk of a range of diseases including, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), respiratory illnesses, eye diseases, and tuberculosis. Children, particularly those under 5 years of age, are at high risk of contracting acute respiratory illnesses such as, pneumonia. Operating a biogas plant implies that manure is directly fed to the plant, keeping the farm yard cleaner and producing valuable organic fertilizer from the bio-slurry wich is a by product. A further improvement is possible by connecting latrines to the digesters. Sometimes this is not feaible due to local cultural practices and beliefs. This will not be forced upon customers but rather exists as an additional option where ever the demand exists. The design and construction of biodigesters facilitates the connection of a latrine. It will however require some time before households are to connect a latrine. In Nepal, initially, very few household were interested in latrines; however, at present, more than 60% of households with biodigesters are connected to a latrine and are using it.
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Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) has made an preliminary analysis of the technical market in Africa based on availability of domestic cattle, presence of water, scarcity of fuel wood, population density and temperature. The study shows a technical potential of some 20 million installations spread over different regions in Africa. SNV will further elaborate on this study and will provide a more complete assessment of the market in the coming months.
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| Lessons Learned - From top down technology to bottom up marketing | To date, a small number of biogas plants have been installed in Afirca; although, most of these plants have fallen into disuse. However, there is reason for optimism, based on the experience in Asia especially, Nepal, Vietnam, India and China. In Nepal, a dedicated marketing approach has resulted in the sale of more than 150,000 biodigesters and over 95% these plants are operational. It may be argued that circumstances in Africa differ from those in Asia. Yet, local conditions can vary significantly within the African continent itself. No fundamental reason seems to exist why dedicated marketing programs would not work in Africa. The main difference compared with the past is the market orientation where large volumes can be sold to justify a substantial promotion programme. A first technical market survey has indicated a market of around 20 million households in Africa. The numbers justify a dedicated Initiative for 2 million digesters in Africa. One of the key lessons learnt from past experiences is never to simply give away a product. The initiative aims to embark on new programs in Africa by incorporating the success factors from experiences in Asia.
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The initiative, through the International Resources Group (IRG), has performed a financial and economic analysis of biogas digesters. The outcome is positive, but strongly dependent on the price of fuel wood. It is a very attractive option for the economy but less so for households. At a macro economic level, the biogas programs prove to be profitable even when taking into account all overall program costs. The Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) is estimated for Rwanda at more than 20%. Additional benefits arise from improved health, saved labour for fuel gathering, income from emission credits, reduced workload, particularly for women, and increased agricultural production. At present, Winrock International and IRG are conducting further studies to substantiate the economic and financial benefits.
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| Technology - What are biogas digesters about? | Biodigester operation mainly includes feeding the plant with a mixture of dung and water. The digesters convert animal dung, human excrement and other organic materials into combustible biogas. Biogas can be used in simple gas stoves for cooking and in lamps for lighting. The bio-slurry left over from this process is easily collected and can be used as a potent organic fertilizer to improve crop yields. Various types of biogas digesters have been developed including floating drum, fixed dome, and plastic bag models. Most of the plants disseminated so far are of the fixed dome type, made of masonry and/or concrete, largely underground, and installed in the yard of the family concerned. Operation mainly includes daily feeding of the installation with a mixture of dung and water. This is not very time consuming, usually taking upto 20 to 30 minutes per day, for farmers with livestock on-site and access to water. Removing the fermented material takes place automatically as the bio-slurry is discharged into a compost pit through a channel. These type of (fixed dome) biogas plants have a shelf life of over 15 years. Maintenance is restricted to occasional checking and, when necessary, repair of piping and fittings. The plant itself, when operated properly, needs minimal care. Investment costs range under US $300 in Asia to more than US $600 in Africa. On average, farmers with at least 2 cows or 7 pigs, or a flock of 170 poultry, can generate sufficient gas to meet their daily basic cooking and lighting needs. Within the same design, different plant sizes can be constructed to allow for the actual livestock holding and biogas requirement of the family. Clearly, the obvious advantage of domestic biogas is providing energy for cooking and lighting. Substituting conventional cooking material such as, fuelwood, briquettes, and dung cakes, not only saves fuel costs, but also reduces the workload of women and children involved in the collection or preparation of these traditional energy sources. Equally importantly, the indoor air pollution associated with cooking on inefficient wood stoves is virtually eliminate with biogas. The fertilizer closes the nutrient cycle, and also reduces soil degradation and erosion. In addition, the biogas process is carbon neutral, contributing to the global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
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Guiding Principles for Promotion Programs in targeted areas:
The initiative will go where good marketing opportunities are expected. The initiative will adhere to the following guiding principles:
Criteria for the selection of countries
• Short term potential for 10,000 - 20,000 biogas plants - a target that can be reached within 5 years
• Where clusters of 20 to 25 digesters can be built
• Existence of strong national demand/commitment (Government endorsement)
Social Factors
• Ensure participation of women on all levels
• Established rural household with some cash income
• Ownership / land rights with households
• Improvement of environment and health
• Favourable social/ cultural conditions
• Improve agricultural production
• Gender balance in household expenditure decisions
Favorable Market Factors
• Scarcity and/or high prices on fuel wood
• High prices of alternative cooking fuels
• Reasonable density of rural populations to manage program
• Effective private sector
• Demand for the services that can be delivered by the technology
• Develop a marketing and awareness strategy
Favorable Financial/Economic Factors
• Transparent and direct subsidy (as directly as possible to the end-user and linked to quality control)
• Equity (contribution from own funds in cash and/or kind/ initial investment by household ) about 10%
• Credit availability (at affordable rates, with or without collateral through MFI arrangements)
Favorable Institutional Factors
• (Good) rural extension system (government or NGO)
• Good rural banking/credit system
• Established private sector/rural masonry enterprises
• Support by traditional and/or local institutions
• Active participation of stakeholders
Favorable Technical/Resource Factors
• Robust and tested biogas standardized designs that meet local needs and conditions
• Availability of biogas appliances (valves, stoves, lamps) at low costs
• Availability of after sales service established, no preconditions.
Favorable Political Factors
• Stable and secure rural areas
• Commitment by national Governments
• Initial program subsidy support from government and donors
• Linking up with existing policy framework in energy, health, agric, sanitation
Guiding principles for national promotion programs:
The initiative is estimated to result in:
• Clean cooking energy for at least 10 million Africans.
• Reducing deaths of 5000 women and children each year.
• Raising agriculture production with up to 25%.
• Creating new jobs for at least 50,000 persons.
• Saving of time of 2 or 3 hours per household.
• Improving health and living conditions of women and children, reducing the use of firewood, and stimulating higher soil fertility and agricultural production.
• Saving on health costs up to US $80-125 per family per year.
• Saving 6400 tons of fossil fuel per year.
• Saving 3-4 million tons of wood per year.
• The Intiative will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 MT of CO2 annually.
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