Biogas system in building process

Early June, we decided for the construction of a biogas plant. The increasing electricity bills motivated us to take this step. We expect to reduce our farm electricity bill from about KSHS 9,000. - by KSHS 4,500. And the gas bill of about KSHS 3,500. - will be eliminated completely from the month’s budget.

The investment of about KSHS 90,000.- minus the subsidy of KSHS 25,000.- for the farmer, it results to a total investment of about 65,000.-. In our case the investment will pay back in one year. The gas reactor can be used for over 15 years.

At the moment, all over Kenya, biogas plants are built under the promotion of programme - Kenya National Domestic Biogas Programme (KENDBIP). This newly constructed biogas plants are will be unbureaucratically subsidized by 25,000 KSHS by the Kenyan government.

For more information please contact:

Kenya National Domestic Biogas Programme (KENDBIP)

Family Health Plaza,

Langat/Mai Mahiu Road,

P.O. Box 43148-00100 Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: 254 -20 -6008324 / 6000355

Mobile: 0723 903 957 / 0719 635 516

Fax: 254-20-6008325

Email: biogas@kenfap.org

Web: www.kenfap.org

Application areas

We have decided for something bigger – 12m3 , which we would like to cook with, use for security lights for the whole farm, cooking and lighting of chicken houses, water heating, lighting in the house, for grilling and oven in an open air ……..

Input: Wastes from cows and chicken

For our 12m3 system cow dung from a minimum of 5 cows will be required. This will be manually supplied from the milking shed; half manually mixed and put into the biogas plant.

Output: Green house gas for cooking

Without a biogas plant the cow dung is spread on the field and produce green house gases. By installing a biogas plant, the green house gas will be transformed into energy. Our system allows for a continuous cooking of over 12 hours.

Another very good output is the slag, the fertilizer which is removed as a waste product from the reactor. This to a great extend is germs free and therefore it is the optimal fertilizer for vegetable gardens and greenhouses.

Project Duration

The whole biogas plant project will be completed in approx. 30 days. Approx. 7 days for building of the actual system, approx. 21 days for the drying period of the system. Then the system will be in continuous operation and produces free energy.

Conclusion: Good for fixed cost billing and good for the environment.

We can only recommend the small scale farmers to build such a biogas system. We are convinced that this model will be applied by the farmers in Africa. It will substantially reduce the use of wood for cooking and therefore reduce the deforestation.

Additional Solar Power – Complete energy independence

At the moment we are considering, whether with a small additional solar energy plant, we would like to be independent from external electricity providers. With an additional investment of KSHS 150,000.-, our house and the farm would be completely energy self sufficient.