Biogas: An Untapped Resource

Have you ever been on the streets and seen heaps of rubbish and wondered, “Can’t anything be done about all these piles of rubbish?” Well, something can be done. It’s called biogas.

What is Biogas?

Biogas typically refers to a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste or food waste. It is a renewable energy source and in many cases exerts a very small carbon footprint (Wikipedia).

How is Biogas Produced?

Biogas is produced in biogas systems. Biogas systems make use of a mature, easy-to-use technology. The main component of a biogas system is a large tank, or digester. Via anaerobic digestion, bacteria which is present in the digester converts organic waste into methane. The organic waste is supplied by an operator daily and this waste can be gotten from agricultural waste, market waste, food waste, etc.

Why not Biogas?

The methane gas produced inside biogas systems can be used as fuel for cooking, lighting, and other energy needs. Also, waste that has been fully digested in the tank exits the biogas system in the form of organic fertiliser. And, the water waste can be poured on plants to improve plant growth as it is rich in nutrients.

Biogas is cheap and relatively easy to produce. It is conservative because it makes use of manure, kitchen wastes, etc and it is also a renewable energy source. Biogas is relatively clean and eco-friendly compared to other forms of fuel. If embraced on a larger scale, biogas can be used to supply electricity to rural communities where power supply is erratic, especially in Africa, and the power holding companies can be made to concentrate on the urban centres thereby making power supply evenly distributed and regular.

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