The four-year intervention of the African Biodigester Component for the development of a Sub-Saharan Africa biodigester sector-Kenya (ABC-K) is implemented from January 2022 to December 2025 by a consortium between GIZ and SNV in partnership with the African Bioenergy Programmes Limited (ABPL).

Key objectives

The project seeks to achieve a sustainable, stable and growing biodigester market that significantly contributes to achieving national sustainable agricultural production, energy access and climate targets. This shall be achieved using a well-balanced mix of demand-side, supply-side, financing and enabling environment interventions to boost demand and support small-scale and medium-scale biodigester companies in acquiring more clients.

Specifically, the project aims at facilitating a shift in the biodigester market from its pioneering to the expansion phase.

The approach

A market-based approach will trigger demand and promote the supply of high-quality bio-digester technology and services and eventually improve the enabling environment for the bio-digester component.

A Result-Based Financing (RBF) facility, which GIZ implements, will be the core instrument adopted by the project to provide the last push needed for the biodigester market to reach a critical mass of clients among Kenyan farmers. This is expected to enable suppliers of small-scale digesters to achieve economies of scale and for the market to be firmly rooted in the expansion phase towards becoming self-sustainable.

Within the four-year project period, at least 20,017 small-scale and 250  medium-scale digesters will be installed, providing an estimated 100,085 people with access to Tier 4/5 energy for clean cooking.

Expected outcomes for SNV

Outcome 1: Enabling Environment

SNV will focus on improving the biodigester market's enabling environment, considering the sector's holistic nature. To achieve this, SNV will focus on supporting policy development and strengthening associations and networks by providing technical assistance, advisory and mentoring, capacity-building, dialogue and advocacy support.

Outcome 2: Capacity building

SNV will set up an on-demand technical assistance facility to support the enabling environment activities, specifically focusing on capacity building at the sub-national level within selected counties with a high potential for installing biodigesters.

At the national level, SNV will work closely with government and sector entities towards appreciation of the benefits of biodigesters.

Outcome 3: Awareness raising

SNV aims to increase the demand and stimulate the adoption of small and medium-scale biodigesters through information sharing for awareness raising and maximising end-user benefits through valorising biogas and other by-products, such as bio-slurry and compost.

More information

For more information, please get in touch with Victor Gathogo, ABC-K project manager at vgathogo@snv.org.