Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
THE Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is constructing a massive biogas digester that will turn human waste into gas at Khami Maximum Prison on the outskirts of Bulawayo, which would feed clean energy to thousands of prisoners at the second-largest correctional facility in the country.
The biogas digester is being built on the periphery of the Medium Prison in the Khami Maximum Prison Complex at a cost of ZWL2.8 million and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, buttressing President Mnangagwa’s drive towards energy security, renewable energy expansion and sustainable industrial growth.
The Khami Maximum Prison Complex biogas digester brings together 694 projects that REA has completed across the country this year.
Biogas digesters produce low-pressure methane gas energy from decomposing cow dung and biodegradable waste materials, which can be used for domestic purposes such as cooking.
The raw gas is different from the liquefied petroleum (LP) gas that most consumers use for cooking.
REA public relations and marketing executive, Mr Johannes Nyamayedenga, said the biogas digester will significantly reduce electricity costs at the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service facility.
“The project will play a critical role in supplying the prison with green energy that will be produced from turning waste into reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly energy for cooking and heating.
“Apart from getting clean energy for cooking and heating, the prison will be able to greatly reduce high electricity bills that are presently incurred for domestic use within its premises,” said Mr Nyamayedenga.
“REA is expected to spend about ZWG2 890 929.70 on the 200 cubic metre biogas digester at Khami Prison and we expect it to be complete and commissioned by December this year.”
In addition to supplying clean energy to Khami, the biogas digester will also produce organic fertiliser for agricultural purposes.
Khami Prison has thriving agricultural projects that produce cabbages, carrots, tomatoes, onions, maize, vegetables, as well as cattle, goats, sheep, chicken and piggery rearing.
“Slurry, which is waste or by-product from the biogas digester, is rich organic fertiliser. The prison can even package the organic fertiliser and sell it to other farmers in the surrounding communities.
We have witnessed the great success of biogas digesters of this magnitude in other places such as at St Paul’s Musami Mission High School in Murehwa,” said Mr Nyamayedenga.
He said REA encourage institutions and households to embrace biogas energy as an alternative source of energy.
“Biogas digesters are efficient alternative sources of energy that do not destroy or damage our environment in the manner that firewood does. A lot of institutions are often charged by EMA (Environmental Management Agency) for poor sewer disposal practices, so biogas digesters can offer alternative means to produce clean power from waste.
“In total, REA has completed 152 institutional biogas digesters as well as 542 domestic projects this year,” he said.
Two years ago, REA started training biogas digester builders to provide sustainable energy access to areas not connected to the national grid.
The agency also introduced off-grid mini-solar projects in rural communities to power all rural areas by 2030 and alleviate stress on the national grid.
The use of renewable energy is a key enabler for the country to achieve development goals in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS2), with emphasis on reliable and affordable energy access while aligning with Government’s investments in sectors that include mining, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.
