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Oliver Kazunga Business Reporter
THE Rural Electrification Agency (REA) plans to set up 64 biogas digesters throughout rural provinces before the end of the year to provide energy at rural institutions. The digesters would be distributed equally to all eight provinces under the agency’s National Institutional Biogas Programme (NIBP).
In a statement, REA said the digesters would be built at rural institutions such as schools and hospitals.
The agency said it was introducing biogas to complement grid and solar technologies to meet basic energy needs and enhance local economic development in rural areas.
Electricity generated from biogas can be used for cooking, lighting and powering small power generators.
REA is also running a five-year National Domestic Biogas Programme (NDBP) aimed at improving the livelihoods of rural farmers through access to sustainable modern energy services.
During the five-year period, 8 000 biogas digesters are expected to be installed countrywide for domestic purposes.
“The benefits of biogas when fully explored can lead to the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) among them poverty, education, gender, health and environment.
“The benefits of biogas energy production among others include reliable alternative low cost energy to unsustainable firewood, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the production of odourless organic fertiliser for agricultural use.”
Biogas is a low cost clean energy option produced from livestock manure and household organic waste. It is accessible to all types of users for varied purposes in domestic, agricultural and industrial uses either large or small scale.
Biogas technology promotes the recovery and use of biogas as energy by adapting waste management practices to collect the gas.
A biogas system consists of the bio-degradable wastes (animal, plant and kitchen waste) and the feedstock is mixed with water and fed into the digester through the inlet chamber of the digester.
Last year, REA constructed five pilot biogas digester projects at different institutions in Harare.
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