Bangkok, 27 October 2008 – His Excellency Tjaco T. van den Hout, the Dutch Ambassador to Thailand, has opened the International Workshop on Financing of Domestic Biogas Plants organized by SNV.
On 22 and 23 October 2008, SNV organised an International Workshop on the Financing of Domestic Biogas Plants in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 68 persons from 20 countries in Asia, Africa and Central America participated.
Suitable financial instruments like credit and investment subsidy are required for the upscaling of national programmes on domestic biogas in an increasing number of countries. Carbon revenues may become available as a new source for financing such instruments. Practitioners, researchers and policy makers in the area of both biogas and financing were invited to exchange the latest information about access to financial instruments for households and to discuss strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
In his opening address, the Ambassador congratulated SNV and its associated partners with the award winning results achieved so far. At the same time, he indicated that the task ahead remains huge, with two billion people worldwide still lacking access to clean, safe and sustainable domestic energy services. As the benefits of domestic biogas plants are multiple and substantial, the Ambassador encouraged SNV and its partners to develop more activities in the region.