Ethiopia inaugurates model biogas village
SNV Ethiopia and Southern Nations Nationalities and People Region Biogas Programme Coordination Unit have launched the first biogas village of its kind in Ethiopia.
The model biogas village will serve as a centre of excellence for bio-digester technology and its co-products. The two partners will send researchers and visitors to these villages to promote the technology as well as stimulate related research.
The village, Buna Mesk/Mendere-2, is located in Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples regional state, Sidama Zone, Wondo Genet Woreda Wosha Soyama Kebele. It consists of 56 households of which 27 own more than four dairy cows - a minimum technical requirement to own 6 m3 bio-digester. In the village, 21 households own a fully functional bio-digester (78% of households in the village) and enjoy the benefits (energy for cooking and lighting, bio-slurry and toilet connection). All the digesters in this village are functional.
According to Melakmu Dame, Credit Finance Expert of SNV Ethiopia, most of the digesters (73%) in village are constructed using credit finance from Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). Supplementing Melkamu’s idea, Bureau of Mines and Energy Agency head Tiratu Beyene called upon stakeholders to address gaps in upgrading credit finance flow from MFIs in the region to bio-digester users.
Bio- slurry is another benefit gained from installing a bio-digester which is a by product of the biogas and has often been called black gold as it can help to improve farmers yields once applied to crops. During the inauguration ceremony for the biogas village, users testified that they are diversifying their income and promoting the technology through sale of liquid bio-slurry.
The village was declared as model biogas village by regional Water Irrigation and Energy Bureau of SNNPR in October 2019. Thank to the success of this project, the region is working to increase the number of model bio-gas villages in this region. It has identified two additional woredas that could be candidates and is providing technical support to these sites. Thanks to the experience gained from Buna Mesk Model Biogas Village, the SNNP RBPCU has also initiated similar model biogas village in Offa woreda of Wolayita zone.
A village qualifies a model bio-gas village if:
All the available digesters are technically functional. For example the gas produced is used for cooking and/or lighting,
If households have installed them and if the production of the bio-slurry is properly managed
If users have connected their toilet to the digester and there is an established biogas village committee.
This committee is responsible to offer support to users with regards to minor maintenance, promote the technology, and communicate with masons/biogas construction enterprises or Woreda Energy Experts for technical support.
To learn more about SNV's biogas programmes please visit: