Biogas-fueled pump

Suitable conditions

Advantages

Disadvantages

- Makes good use of organic wastes. You can obtain fuel from sewage sludge and animal slurries first, and prevent runoff and methane emissions at the same time – and you still get fertiliser at the end of the process. - Is a clean, easily controlled source of renewable energy. - Uses up methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. - Reduces pathogen (disease agent) levels in the waste. - Residue provides valuable organic fertilizer. - Simple to build and operate. - Low maintenance requirements. - Can be efficiently used to run cooking, heating, gas lighting, absorption refrigerators and gas powered engines. - No smell (unless there’s a leak, which you’d want fix immediately).

- Most practical to be generated and used at the source of the waste. This is because the energy needed to compress the gas for transport, or convert it into electricity is excessive, reducing the efficiency of biogas energy production. - For safety, basic precautions must be adhered to.

Reference manuals, videos, and links

• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Bio-Gas.
• Video: Anaerobic methane digester how to, including biogas scrubbing.