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.

Will Biogas Help India Reach Swadeshi*?

With growing scarcity of resources, Gandhi’s dream of self-sufficient communities, sustaining their needs from the local environment is more than ever a burning issue. India’s rural areas have an amazing source of perennial and cost-effective energy at their disposal, thanks to biomass. Biogas potential is huge and can contribute to lowering greenhouse gas emissions, alleviating women’s drudgery, and to enhancing rural development.

These renewable energy options are promoted by the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), which operates under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) through subsidies and information dissemination. The government has organized the National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) nationwide for the promotion of biogas technology and several NGOs have been active in implementing the program on the ground.

Biogas plants transform cattle dung into a clean and particulate-free gas that can be directly used for cooking in rural houses. It sounds simple and would be if farmers were given adequate guidance to install and operate biogas plants, with advice about the appropriate pipes or gas transport. We may well soon see all rural households turn into plant operators for the sake of Swadeshi!

Have you heard of any biogas experiences in rural areas? Please share any promising achievements you know of!

*Self-sufficiency