About 2.7 billion people in developing countries lack access to clean energy for cooking (International Energy Agency, 2010), and rely on traditional biomass fuels like firewood, agricultural residues and dried manure. This situation forces women and children to spend hours on gathering traditional fuels. Burning biomass fuels also generates in-house fumes that pose serious health risks. For the user, biogas provides clean cooking energy, contributes to health improvement and reduces the time needed for biomass collection. Since 1989, SNV has supported the preparation and implementation of national programmes on domestic biogas in a number of countries.

What is domestic biogas technology?
Domestic biogas plants convert animal manure and human excrement at household level into small, but valuable, amounts of combustible methane gas. This ‘biogas’ can be effectively used in simple gas stoves for cooking and in lamps for lighting. Especially in remote rural areas where (reliable) electrification does not exist, farmers use biogas for illumination and cooking. The residue of the process, bio-slurry, can be easily collected and used as a potent organic fertiliser to enhance agricultural productivity. A minimum of 20 kg of manure is required on a daily basis to feed the plant. All plants are equipped with a provision to attach a toilet. On average, farmers keeping a minimum of two heads of cattle or six pigs can generate sufficient gas to meet their daily basic cooking and lighting needs. Investment costs of quality biogas plants vary between EUR 200 and EUR 900, depending on plant size, location of construction and country.

SNV’s approach aims to develop a sustainable biogas sector in which local companies market and install biogas plants (including quality and after sales services) for households who are willing to invest. This approach generates substantial income opportunities that support socio-economic development in rural areas.

Learn more about SNV’s approach

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