Could You Use Biogas ?

A biogas plant can digest materials that are readily available on farms, such as animal dung and crop wastes. In an urban context a small biogas digester not only produces a clean, high-grade fuel gas, it also produces a residue that is a great fertilizer. The quality of this fertilizer is often higher than if the same materials were composted by more traditional methods. The compost from the plant does not smell or attract flies, and once it has been dried it is easy to apply to your vegetable garden or to crops in the fields.  

Biogas is much more convenient to use than traditional fuels, such as firewood, dried dung and even liquid petroleum products. The smoke from other fuels makes pots dirty and irritates the eyes, where biogas gives a very hot clean flame.  Biogas can be used in engines to drive machinery, water pumps or generate electricity. Groups of farmers can cooperate to buy and run a biogas plant with an engine and they will all benefit from the income earned from a cottage industry, such as a grain mill, or perhaps from the increased crop production resulting from pumped irrigation. 

Biogas is a form of renewable energy and we are hopeful that it becomes much more integrated in our daily lives. Look around you and consider how you can best utilise the waste organic material that surrounds you… it is likely that a biogas plant could be developed to capitalise on this waste. 

Our membership area is full of information to get you started and help operate your own biogas plant. By now we hope you have been able to satisfactorily answer the question, “What can biogas do for you?” The question is now, what will you do? 

Still unsure what to do? 

Here is a 3 Step Plan to Get You Going 

1.    Do your homework.. join our member's area and study all the documents;

2.    Talk to others who have a system similar to that which you want; and

3.    Plan and seek out local legal requirements before buying anything!