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This section wants to provide latest information regarding the ongoing R&D activities in Africa. The International Resources Group (IRG) performed a financial and economic analysis of biogas digesters for the initiative. The outcome was positive, but strongly dependent on firewood´s price. At macro economic level,biogas programmes are profitable even when overall programme costs are taken into account. For Rwanda, the EIRR is estimated at more than 20%. Winrock and IRG carrying out studies. Here are several interesting and recent publications related to the development of biogas technology in Africa: - B. Amiguna and H. von Blottnitz, a,June 2007, Investigation of scale economies for African biogas installations .Environmental and Process Systems Engineering Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town,South Africa
According to the authours, " Biogas technology can serve as a means to overcome energy poverty, which poses a constant barrier to economic development in Africa. This technology can be built on a wide range of scales, and conventional financial wisdom is that larger installations have advantages resulting from economies of scale. This study analyses the statistical evidence bearing on the existence of economies of scale in the small to medium scale production and use of biogas to support faster estimation (at the order of magnitude level) of investment costs for different plant sizes. Investment cost data were gathered for 21 biogas plants in the 4–100 m3 range built since 1999 in eight African countries." - Mshandete, A.M Parawira.W,January 2009, Biogas technology research in selected sub-Saharan African countries– A review, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam. Tanzania.
This recent publication highlights that less than 10% of the African population have access to electricity. The authors , Mshandete & Parawira, go on to state: “The need for alternative renewable energy sources from locally available resources can not be over emphasised. Appropriate and economically feasible technologies that combine solid waste and wastewater treatment and energy production can simultaneously protect the surrounding water resources and enhance energy availability. Biogas technology in which biogas is derived through anaerobic digestion of biomass, such as agricultural wastes, municipal and industrial waste (water), is one such appropriate technology Africa should adopt to ease its energy and environmental problems”. Researchers and implementers working in the field of biogas will find interesting the links we included below
http://www.dra.co.za/ Development Research Africa
http://www.ruralcostarica.com/biodigester.html Rural biodigester technology
http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB/ Scientific journal in Africa
http://www.puxinbiogas.com/index.asp Biogas technologies. Share last ideas and participate in discussions here at http://biofuelexperts.ning.com/
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