The Biogas Dissemination Scale-Up Programme (NBPE+) is a public-private partnership at federal, regional and district level funded by the European Union and the Government of Ethiopia. SNV is the overall programme manager and also provides technical assistance to the implementation. The Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity (MoWIE) executes the programme on behalf of the Government of Ethiopia.

The overall objective of NBPE+ is to improve the living standards of farmers and their families, in the Ethiopian regions of Afar, Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambela, Oromia, SNPPR, Somali and Tigray while reducing the over-exploitation of biomass and greenhouse gas emissions. By developing a viable bio-digester sector, the programme also aims to contribute to economic and business development as well as creating socio-economic and environmental benefits, through a sustainable energy mix.

The specific objectives of the programme are:

• To provide 180,000 people with biogas as clean energy (mainly used for cooking) and bio-slurry as high value fertiliser (in total, 36,000 bio-digesters);

• To improve the affordability of bio-digesters and provide a pro-poor orientation towards female headed and disadvantaged families;

• To expedite sector capacity development for a sustainable domestic bio-digester sector  and engage of partners to fill the capacity gap;

• To further develop existing and create new types of bio-digesters, appliances and accessories for both domestic and productive purposes;

• To further develop the institutional and policy framework for the biogas sector in the country.

The Biogas Dissemination Scale-Up Programme builds on the achievements of the National Biogas Programme of Ethiopia (NBPE) which has been implemented since 2009 in four regions funded by the governments of the Netherlands and Ethiopia. NBPE is part the Africa Biogas Partnership Programme, with Hivos as fund manager and SNV providing technical assistance. By the end of 2016 NBPE had supported the installation of over 15,000 bio-digesters.

NBPE+ was launched in May 2017 with an implementation period of over five years.