Biogas: Replacing oil with renewable reliable clean energy

It is now a well-accepted truth that the energy produced by human activity is costly for people and the environment. Trying to correct its impact by finding renewable resources and clean energies is the backbone of current efforts for sustainable development. Yet, until now, renewable energies have often been perceived as expensive alternatives to fossil fuels such as oil or coal, which have proved to be efficient and comparatively low-cost.

This week we would like to share with you a project that Michelin India has set up to provide affordable and efficient renewable energies solutions to Indian villages. The company has started a Biogas Initiative in several villages in Tamil Nadu. The goal is to provide close to a hundred families with a reliable, affordable and environmentally friendly source of energy. The key to the venture’s success is its reliance on Biogas. The term Biogas encompasses any mixture of flammable gases (i.e. methane, carbon dioxide) derived from the degradation of organic matter, which can be used to produce light or heat. Simply put, bacteria digests organic matter (such as animal or human waste), producing gaseous fuel that can be used for a range of applications.

The technology has a long list of advantages – not the least of which is reliability, making it a terrific solution in places with erratic oil supplies – but the beauty of the project is that it uses small ‘bioreactors’ to deliver Biogas energy to families. Fuelled with enough cow and human waste, the reactors (ranging from two to three cubic meters in size) can provide heating and light for the whole family. The first biogas reactor has already been installed in the village of Peria Vannan Kuppam and ninety more will be built for as many families in other nearby villages.