Policies and Levels of Development of Biogas in Different Countries - Literature review Example

Policies and levels of development of biogas in different countries Before developing biogas projects in any country, checking of the prevailing biogas diffusion that particular country is important so as to be able to the level of maturity of the sector in the country. The way the national diffusion targets are defined (where national diffusion target is number of biogas units targeted to be built a specific period of time) acts as an indicator of the actual level diffusion. In countries where there is promotion of domestic biogas, there is implementation of national programmes whose aim to ensure that there is establishment of proper biogas sector with the respective counties (IEA, 2012). These programmes normally would include financing arrangements in addition to training local workforce as well as providing technical support for those involved in the project development. Here different actors are usually involved including NGOs and these actors work in collaboration with public institutions as well as private sectors so as to benefit for any likely synergies. Domestic biogas units can be found in several countries with Asia countries such as Nepal and Vietnam being at the front line such that there are considered as the best reference cases with regard to biogas development to other countries where development of biogas is to be embraced (IPCC, 2007). The GIZ (society for International Cooperation and formally known as GTZ) and SVT whose origin is Netherlands are the two major international organizations that offer international service in terms of promoting and provision of technical support and dissipation of information about the same. Since the assessment of biogas development need to put into consideration the entire chain of agricultural production and in areas where nomadic farming is practiced domestic biogas projects tend to be unsuitable as dung collection is a great challenge even though plenty of it could be being generated by the hard of animals (GTZ, 1991). The developing countries where there has been a substantial diffusion of biogas include Nepal, Vietnam Rwanda and Kenya. In Nepal the total number of biogas plants that have been installed in the last 250,000 years is about 250000 and this makes it to be among the leading countries as far as domestic biogas development is concerned. The average monthly development in the past 20 years is about 1040 biogas (Fentaw, 2012). Diffusion of biogas in Vietnam has been busted greatly by the project dabbed “Biogas Program for the Animal Husbandry Sector of Vietnam” which commenced in 2003 whose aim is the development of a biogas sector in the country that was commercially viable. This project is under the management of Ministry of Agriculture and rural development (MARD), with INGOs like SNV being partners in this development. The last phase of the partnership was to be completed in 2014. During the years 2012 and 2013 there has been construction of about 125000 biogas units (MARD, 2013) The middle term targets of Rwanda include a National Domestic Biomass Program under the country’s Ministry of Infrastructure and the target to see the construction of 12500 biogas units by 2016 this being installation rate 250 biogas unit every month (NDBP, 2013). The other initiative under the middle term target is the installation of another 100000 by 2017 by the Government which translates to 1700 biogas units in every month. The NDBP initiative had a target of having 15000 biogas units installation by the end of phase 1 win 2012 (SNV, 2006). By this year through the NDBP programme there has been installation of only 2700 units these being an indication that the targeted number was not achieved as this was only 18% of the target. The 12500 biogas units is thus a revised target to be achieved by the year 2016 as mentioned earlier. In Kenya there is a similar NDBP programme which is being undertaken targeting the installation of 8000 domestic biogas units to done within 4.5 years, this being an average of 150 units per month. In Peru just like in other Latin America countries biogas development is still at its infant stage with no national program having been undertaken. This is despite there being the Dutch development organization SNV in conjunction with some institutions of the country and other NGOs, having proposed to have a national program set (The programme dabbed PNB,Plan Nacional Biodigestores) lasting a period of 5 years with the construction of 10000 domestic biogases being targeted this being a rate of 167 units per month (SNV, 2013). Tanzania is another country on the world map with regard to development of biogas. TDBP (Tanzania Domestic Biogas Programme) came to existence in2008 and its funding partly was by Africa Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP) which is a broader initiative that operates in six African countries. The first phase o was expected to end by 2013 with 12000 units being targeted to be constructed between 2008 and 2013 this being an average of 200 units per month. This programme has a sectoral approach in accomplishing their mission with all those in the partnership , including NGOs , public sectors and private sectors being given conducive environment for cooperation with regards training, technical areas and in financing (TDBP,2013). Biogas generation in developed countries The domestic biogas that is found in the third world countries is not suitable in developed countries like UK. One of the reason is that the domestic biogas units are designed for taking about 10 to 1ookg of biomass per day. Most typical household in UK where there are no animals produce less biomass than that for a typical domestic biogas but where there is an industrial farm much more biomass is produced. The other issue is the climatic conditions prevailing in countries like UK where there is need for insulation and heating and as a result the required designs are complex and expensive. This circumstances results to the in developed countries like UK being larger and much more complex where there volume ranges from 500 – 5000m3 with several thousands of biomass being required per year. With such a design the biogas production per digester is higher than what is required for a single farm for the purposes of heating and cooking. The normal practice is utilization of the biogas in a combined heat and power (CHP) unit that produces heat and electricity. For example in South Shropshire, there is a digester that consumes 5000 tones of household food waste annually and it in turn run a 195Kw CHP with about 15% 0f the going back to the plant. The rest of the power produced that is able to satisfy the power need of hundreds of households is directed to the national power grid. About 40% of the heat produced is directed towards heating the digester while the rest goes to waste even though this can be directed towards local heating scheme if installed (Centre for alternative technology, 2009). The challenge of using biogas for generating CHP is that the location of plants is in areas that are not densely populated. This is a challenge when it comes to piping of heat for district heating as it less viable. In a country like Germany where due to as a result of subsidization there has been construction of 400 farm-scale biogas plants while in USA exportation of purified biogas into national gas grid is being realized. Types of materials used in domestic biogas Cattle dung and manure Cattle dung is rated as being the best biogas material because of having the methane producing bacteria which is contained in the animals, stomach. In terms of specific gas production there is lower gas production with proportion of methane production standing at about 65% this being as a result of pre-fermentation in the stomach (AquaSanTec, 2013). Cattle dung is homogenous with regards to consistency and this makes it suitable for in continuous plants with the condition that it should be mixed with and equal capacity of water. Usually fresh cattle dung is collected and delivered to the plant by use of suitable containers such as buckets or baskets which are easily available in most homesteads. The dung is then hand-mixed with approximately equal volume of water before being introduced into the digester. Straw and leftover follers are removed so as to ensure that there is no clogging and also to prevent excess formation of scum (ONEA, 2013). In most cases cattle urine is rarely collected owing to the fact that most simple cow-sheds have dirty uncemented floors. In the cases where urine is collected, the arrangement is such that it runs along the manure gutter ending up in a pail located in recess at the gutter end point. The pail containing the urine is emptied into the mixing pit thus reducing the water to be used in preparation of the dung mixture. Urine has a reputation of increase gas production considerably. In order to have optimum use of dung and urine and to save on time used in the charging of the digester, it is recommended to have a cemented stable floor which is attached directly to a mixing pit. Where there can be a mixture of dung and urine the need for water will be laminated. However in most developing countries farms the collection of all animal excrements is never achieved and thus this leads to losing of urine with all its high level of plant nutrients. Pig dung and manure Keeping pigs in unpaved areas or pens makes it possible for only the dung to be collected. Then dung need to be diluted with water to the required consistency for recharge into the digester. The dust from the unpaved areas may result to considerably high amount of sand making its way to the digester unless it is allowed to settle in the mixing vessel. There may be accumulation of sand and soil at the bottom of the digester and this will call for periodic removal. Once a decision is made to use pig dung in the digester there is need to include a mechanical mixer that will be used in dilution of dung with water, since the odor of the pig dung is a big nuisance that can be withstood by few and this usually results to abandoning the exercise. Just like in the case of cattle stables, there is need of having cemented floor that slopes in the direction of the mixing pit. In comparison to cattle more often pigs housing are found to have concrete floor. The water used in cleaning up the pens result to liquid manure with a low content of solids. Consequently, where topography permits, and liquid manure is to be allowed to make its way to the digester by force of gravity. Wash water is to be used sparingly so as to minimize the required volume of the digester. The common practices involve the pig manure being collected in pails and this serves to advantage even though it is necessary to have a sand trap so as to prevent sand entering the digester. Goat dung The situation presented by goats reared in houses with unpaved floor is very similar to that of the pig. With the goat farm being the only practical place of obtaining a substantial amount of goat dung and with the goats being kept on straw bedding, then the available feedstock for the biogas plant will have a mixture of dung and the straw bedding. In most of cases such systems involve batch feeding where the dung together with the appropriate amount of water is fed into the digester without premixing. Usually a wheelbarrow or baskets are used in hauling of the feed-stock to and from the digester. Chicken droppings There can only be use of chicken droppings where chicken roosts are above a suitable dung collecting area of limited size. Without such arrangement the result will be having sand or sawdust being disproportionately high. It is possible to fill chicken droppings into digesters which are primarily filled with cow dung with no problem being paused. Chicken dung pauses a latent danger of having high levels of ammoniac concentration, but even with this challenge we have many biogas performing well that are combined with egg or meat production factories. The droppings that are collected usually are hard and dry and pulverization is usually necessary before loading into the digester and this call for incorporation of a mechanical mixer. The quality of biogas from chicken excrement is about 60% (ONEA, 2013). Human excrements In many cultures it is a taboo to handle human waste or even just mentioning its utilization. Thus is the human excrement is to be used in a biogas system, the toilets are to drain directly into the biogas system with the human waste being fermented with no need of pretreatment. The amount of water to be mixed with the waste need to be minimal through ensuring no water taps or external sources are directed to the system with cleaning or flushing being limited use of 0.5 to 1 liter of water. The western type of flushing is not appropriate for this case that involves small size biogas units. In areas where shortage of water is rampant, it is important to include sand traps since stones are used for cleaning after visiting the toilet. Types of biogas and costs Plastic tube digester is inexpensive technology costing USD 130-200. This type of biogas plant is not reliable as it can easily be damaged and it has a lifespan of a maximum of 4 years (SNV, 2010). There are very few of this type of biogas that have been exported to have been successively been constructed. It is not also easy to operate and it requires dismantling and recycling frequently. The plastic tank digester is easily installed and it has quick biogas production start up time of 3-4 days after installation. The tank is of relatively small volume and thus can be used where there is a few livestock heads. This type of biogas cost about USD960 for the 1.8m3. It is vulnerable to damage since it is not buried underground. This biogas has a small digester volume and can be is dismantled and recycled. The fixed dome technology is another type of biogas which has a lifespan of up to 20 years and is not prone to damage since it is buried underground. The cost of the biogas varies depending of the size and model. For the RW1 model the cost range from USD817.5 for the 4m3 and USD1240.5. For the RW3 model the cost of the 4m3 USD925.5 to USD1399.5 (GTZ, 1997). As the names of the models suggest this biogas are majorly associated with Rwanda. This type of biogas is easy to operate and they can also be a source of employment. Operation and maintenance Daily feeding with a mix having the right proportion of dung and water is one of the key operation requirements. The condensed water in the pipeline needs to be removed through the water outlet. The stoves and lamps are to be kept clean, the gas valves and gas taps are to be oiled. The overflow outlet should be cleaned and the and the pipe joints and valves are to be checked frequently to ensure that there are no leakages. There should be frequent addition of organic materials in the slurry pits. With all this tasks being carried out in a reliable and careful manner one can be sure that the plant will run properly. References Centre for alternative technology (2009).Biogas use in developing countries and the UK International Energy Agency (IEA) ( 2012). "World Energy Outlook," Paris. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007, "Fourth assessment report on climate change - AR4". GTZ( 1991). Improved biogas unit for developing countries. Fentaw E. ( 2012). "Bioslurry as an organic input for improved agricultural production," Ecology & Farming. ISAE (2012).Study on Bioslurry Use as organic fertilizer in Rwanda. Current domestic biogas users (2013).Interviews. AquaSanTec (2013). Blue Flame BioSlurriGaz Operations Manual. SNV(2010). Domestic biogas compact course. SNV (2006). Implementation Plan, National Programme on Domestic Biogas in Rwanda., GTZ(1997). "Biogas Digest, Volume IV: country reports,". MARD. (2013) Biogas Program for the Animal Husbandry Sector of Vietnam. NDBP(2013). Interviews. SNV (2013). "Plan del programa nacional de biodigestores en Peru". TDBP. (2013) Tanzania Domestic Biogas Program. [Online]. http://www.biogas-tanzania.org/ Read More

Diffusion of biogas in Vietnam has been busted greatly by the project dabbed “Biogas Program for the Animal Husbandry Sector of Vietnam” which commenced in 2003 whose aim is the development of a biogas sector in the country that was commercially viable. This project is under the management of Ministry of Agriculture and rural development (MARD), with INGOs like SNV being partners in this development. The last phase of the partnership was to be completed in 2014. During the years 2012 and 2013 there has been construction of about 125000 biogas units (MARD, 2013) The middle term targets of Rwanda include a National Domestic Biomass Program under the country’s Ministry of Infrastructure and the target to see the construction of 12500 biogas units by 2016 this being installation rate 250 biogas unit every month (NDBP, 2013).

The other initiative under the middle term target is the installation of another 100000 by 2017 by the Government which translates to 1700 biogas units in every month. The NDBP initiative had a target of having 15000 biogas units installation by the end of phase 1 win 2012 (SNV, 2006). By this year through the NDBP programme there has been installation of only 2700 units these being an indication that the targeted number was not achieved as this was only 18% of the target. The 12500 biogas units is thus a revised target to be achieved by the year 2016 as mentioned earlier.

In Kenya there is a similar NDBP programme which is being undertaken targeting the installation of 8000 domestic biogas units to done within 4.5 years, this being an average of 150 units per month. In Peru just like in other Latin America countries biogas development is still at its infant stage with no national program having been undertaken. This is despite there being the Dutch development organization SNV in conjunction with some institutions of the country and other NGOs, having proposed to have a national program set (The programme dabbed PNB,Plan Nacional Biodigestores) lasting a period of 5 years with the construction of 10000 domestic biogases being targeted this being a rate of 167 units per month (SNV, 2013).

Tanzania is another country on the world map with regard to development of biogas. TDBP (Tanzania Domestic Biogas Programme) came to existence in2008 and its funding partly was by Africa Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP) which is a broader initiative that operates in six African countries. The first phase o was expected to end by 2013 with 12000 units being targeted to be constructed between 2008 and 2013 this being an average of 200 units per month. This programme has a sectoral approach in accomplishing their mission with all those in the partnership , including NGOs , public sectors and private sectors being given conducive environment for cooperation with regards training, technical areas and in financing (TDBP,2013).

Biogas generation in developed countries The domestic biogas that is found in the third world countries is not suitable in developed countries like UK. One of the reason is that the domestic biogas units are designed for taking about 10 to 1ookg of biomass per day. Most typical household in UK where there are no animals produce less biomass than that for a typical domestic biogas but where there is an industrial farm much more biomass is produced. The other issue is the climatic conditions prevailing in countries like UK where there is need for insulation and heating and as a result the required designs are complex and expensive.

This circumstances results to the in developed countries like UK being larger and much more complex where there volume ranges from 500 – 5000m3 with several thousands of biomass being required per year. With such a design the biogas production per digester is higher than what is required for a single farm for the purposes of heating and cooking. The normal practice is utilization of the biogas in a combined heat and power (CHP) unit that produces heat and electricity.

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