Publications

This document presents basic information about biogas technology in the form of Biogas Digest Volume 4. The document contains 19 sections on different countries and regions. They are respectively:
• Biogas technology in Bangladesh
• Biogas technology in Belize
• Biogas technology in Bolivia (region Chochabamba)
• Biogas technology in Burundi
• Biogas technology in China (Sichuan)
• Biogas technology in Columbia
• Biogas technology in India
• Biogas technology in Orissa (India)
• Biogas technology in Sangli (India)
• Biogas technology in the Ivory Coast (region of Korhogo)
• Biogas technology in Jamaica
• Biogas technology on Java (province of Central Java)
• Biogas technology in Kenya
• Biogas technology in Morocco (region of Souss-Massa)
• Biogas technology in Nepal
• Biogas technology in Tanzania
• Biogas technology in Thailand
• Biogas technology in Tunisia (Sejenane, El Kef)
• Biogas technology in Vietnam

This annual report provides more detail of the strategic position choices SNV made in East and Southern Africa in 2007 and illustrates our approach with case studies from our practice.

Energy in Africa capability statement

This report is one of a series of country feasibility studies promoted by the “Biogas for Better Life: An African Initiative”. It analyses the opportunities and constraints on biogas development in Kenya. The study provides a history of biogas in Kenya and overviews three biogas technologies, the floating drum, fixed dome, and plastic tubular digesters. The feasibility of biogas promotion is explored in relation to existing and potential biogas consumers.

The report concludes that there is technical potential for domestic biogas in at least 35 districts in Kenya. Further, there is potential to develop a biogas market in Kenya with several institutions currently working on biogas. The financial and institutional analysis demonstrates the relatively unattractive investment framework for individual farmers for the current product market combinations of 16m3 biogas systems.

There are several financial products available for households wishing to invest in biogas through institutions like KUSCCO, and a range of microfinance institutions who are able to offer non-biogas specific financial products.

Affordability, accessibility of fuel, functionality and aesthetics are the primary factors considered by people in the choice of cooking device bought and used.

Fixed dome systems have advantages in terms of cost (including maintenance), space, aesthetic appeal relative to floating drum systems, but there are not enough technicians trained on the construction of fixed dome biogas systems, and quality controls and after sales support is fragmented and variable. The marketing plan specifies the volume of training and support necessary to support companies to actively promote biogas in Kenya.

This document presents the biogas user manual of the Kenya National Domestic Biogas Programme. This document elaborates in Chapter 1 on biogas technology. Chapter 2 explains the general operation and maintenance, with general rules of biogas-uses. The next chapter is about the biogas plant. It explains with pictures what a complete KENBIM plant contains. There is an emphasis on the burner and on the biogas plant and agricultural cycle system. Chapter 4 elaborates on feeding of the plant with a focus on mixing chamber maintenance, expansion chamber maintenance, storage tank and compost pit maintenance, water trap maintenance, manometers, and gas pipe maintenance. Lastly, Chapter 5 explains potential problems and likely solutions in a biogas digester in table form.

Building of a quality bio digester requires good knowledge and skills on the part of the constructor, the mason. Good functioning or performance of a bio digester is associated with the selection of the right size, choosing the right site for construction, selecting the construction materials and appliances to comply with the quality standards, constructing the components with strict adherence to the norms and ensuring effective operation and maintenance activities – most of which are the responsibilities of the mason.

This handbook is designed for the mason, who wants to make a living out of building biogas digesters. For biogas technology to perform well, a guided approach is needed to achieve this; disseminate, build, and sell the technology. We are training masons so that they know how to build a bio-digester and to standardize the bio-digester, so people can use the same sizes criteria.

The objectives of the Training are streamlined in this manual as follows:

• To build technical capacity to groups of artisans/technicians so that they get involved in the construction of biogas plants for their own income generation and faster biogas promotion and dissemination in the country;
• To strength KENDBIP’s capacity for promoting domestic biogas plants in many regions of Kenya;
• The mason is able to train the end user how to operate and maintain the Biogas plant.

The Kenya National Domestic Biogas Programme (KENDBIP) is a component of ABPP (Africa Biogas Partnership Programme). The objective of this Programme Implementation Document (PID) is to outline the approach being taken by the Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP), in its capacity as the National Implementing Agency (NIA) for KENDBIP. Sector development implies the close collaboration of all relevant stakeholders at all levels. In this process, KENFAP is not just a player amongst others, but acts as the “sector leader”.

This PID proposes that KENDBIP be implemented based on private sector market oriented principles, but relying on governmental support for a favourable regulatory and policy environment. The programme adopts and customizes the approach to biodigester dissemination developed by SNV – the ‘multistakeholder sector development approach’. KENFAP will operationalise a ‘Biogas Office’, which, once set up, will go through a participatory envisioning process to ensure effective delivery of goods and services under KENDBIP. To reduce the investment cost barrier of domestic biogas installations, the programme will provide an investment subsidy; in addition, financial institutions will be encouraged to partner in the programme to provide loans to the end users and the government will be approached to offer investment incentives. It is expected that KENDBIP will lead to savings of 37,388 tons of fuel wood and 13,460 tons of charcoal. An estimated 73,623 tonnes5 of CO2 equivalent emissions will be avoided, and the health of over 15,000 men and women and over 38,800 children will be significantly improved.

Formulation of Programme Implementation Document for Domestic Biogas Programme in Kenya: mission report on selection of biogas plant design and formulation of quality control framework and certification procedures for biogas constructors (2009).

This is a mission report on the selection of biogas plants design and the formulation of quality control framework and certification procedures for biogas constructors. The main objective of the mission was to assist in the formulation of PID for the National Domestic Biogas Programme (NDB) in Kenya.

The success of the biogas programme depends heavily upon the workable and effective implementation plan that is based upon the grassroots reality of the sector. This technical mission has been considered to be instrumental in collecting first hand primary data and information on these issues from the users’ level so that the findings are reflected in the implementation plan.

The mission included a field investigation and a constructors’ workshop. The programme was successfully completed in the stipulated time frame. It has been effective and successful in selecting the most appropriate model of biogas plant to be disseminated, in formulating workable quality control framework, and in preparing accreditation/certification mechanisms for effective participation of private sector
companies in the programme. The workshop provided a common platform to share ideas, information, problems and potential solutions regarding biogas plant construction in Kenya.

The outcome of the general training programme evaluation supported the effectiveness and success of the workshop in particular, and the mission as a whole. In order to formulate practical PID for effective promotion and extension of biogas technology in the country, outcomes of this mission are expected to be instrumental and highly beneficial.