Cambodia - This month, the Cambodian department of Agriculture has signed an Emission Reductions Purchase Agreement with the Hivos Climate Fund for the emission reduction of 5000 biogas plants. By signing this agreement, the Hivos Climate Fund has made a first step towards further involvement in the Cambodian biogas program, set up with SNV support. The Hivos Climate Fund invests in renewable energy projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The resulting reduction of CO2 emissions can be bought by Dutch companies, institutions and households in order to compensate their own emissions.
The Cambodian Biogas Program
The biogas program is being implemented by the Cambodian department of Agriculture, in cooperation with Dutch development organisation SNV, local financing institutions and various local private development organisations. In the first stage, 17.500 biogas plants will be built. The program already performs beyond expectations: right now, more than 300 plants a month are being built. This means the program will be finished before the appointed deadline.
Gas from manure
Biogas plants produce gas from cow and pig manure. This gas can be used for cooking. Cambodian women traditionally use wood for cooking, inhaling a lot of smoke in the process. Furthermore, wood is scarce in the Cambodian countryside and becoming more expensive each day. Biogas is faster, healthier and helps reduce deforestation. The manure which remains in the plant after producing the gas can still be used for agricultural purposes.
CO2 compensation in the Netherlands
Twenty kilograms of manure a day enable a family to power a stove and one or two gas lamps. In Cambodia, each biogas plant for domestic use reduces CO2 emission by around six tons per annum. This being half the amount of carbon dioxide a Dutch household produces yearly, the reduction of two biogas plants will be sufficient compensation.
The income resulting from the emission reduction sale can be used to extend and improve the programme in Cambodia.
SNV is widely experienced on the subject of biogas in Asia
(especially in Nepal and Vietnam). Supported by SNV, over 200.000 biogas plants have been built in Asia, which are used by more than one million people.
The Hivos Climate Fund also took an option on the emission reductions for 5000 plants to be built in Rwanda, Africa.
Cambodian Biodigester Program