History and future of domestic biogas plants in the developing world

Technologies which recover biogas do so by harnessing anaerobic degradation pathways controlled by a suite of microorganisms. The biogas released acts as an environmentally sustainable energy source, while providing a method for disposal of various wastes. Biogas contains 50-70% methane and 30-50% carbon dioxide, as well as small amounts of other gases and typically has a calorific value of 21-24 MJ/m(3). Various appliances can be fuelled by biogas, with stoves offering an application appropriate for deployment in developing countries. Widespread dissemination of biogas digesters in developing countries stems from the 1970s and there are now around four and 27 million biogas plants in India and China respectively. These are typically small systems in rural areas fed by animal manure. However, in many other countries technology spread has foundered and/or up to 50% of plants are non-functional. This is linked to inadequate emphasis on maintenance and repair of existing facilities. Hence for biogas recovery technology to thrive in the future, operational support networks need to be established. There appear to be opportunities for biogas stoves to contribute to projects introducing cleaner cookstoves, such as the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. Beyond this, there remains potential for domestic plants to utilise currently underexploited biogas substrates such as kitchen waste, weeds and crop residues. Thus there is a need for research into reactors and processes which enable efficient anaerobic biodegradation of these resources. (C) 2011 International Energy Initiative. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.