Research Notes: Biogas In Nepal
Villagers in Nepal are increasingly being persuaded that small biogas installations using human waste to provide fuel are not only desirable but are also helping to reduce deforestation of the Himalayas and carbon emissions.
Biogas as a sustainable energy source in Nepal: Present status and future challenges by Gautama.R, 1 , Baralb.S, Herat.S
waste materials are readily available in farms, rural people of many developing countries have been benefited from this technology. Besides, this technology is cheaper and simpler, thus, gaining
popularity throughout the world. Nepal is one of the least developed countries with the vast majority of people involved in subsistence agriculture. The use of biogas technology in Nepal has benefited the country in improving health, environment, economy and energy conservation.
Introduction
Methane (CH4) gas generated using biodegradable substances such as vegetable wastes, agriculture residues, wastewater, cattle manure, human excreta, etc. in anaerobic reactors is popularly known as biogas. In agriculture-based countries around the world, biogas is produced in household
reactors known as biogas digesters to provide energy for lighting and cooking.
[I have discussed the history and the agriculture state of Nepal in my previous blog posts, so I will skip this….] However, the main thing to know is that 80% of people in rural places live on subsistence farming.
Nepal is a landlocked country. Furthermore, the climate also changes from tundra to tropical from north to south.
Nepal’s economy is driven mainly by the agriculture sector which accounts for almost 85% of human resource involvement and 39% of gross domestic product (GDP). Since the majority of the population is involved in the agriculture sector, livestock such as cattle, poultry, goat, etc. are domesticated widely.
Environment of Nepal is discussed in this post.
The emergence of Biogas
The technology and motivation for the use of biogas stemmed down from the neighbouring country, India. Farmers in India used the biogas technology to generate cheap fuel and tackle the litter problem. Since Nepal shares many socioeconomic and geographic similarities with India, the development of the biogas sector in Nepal was greatly influenced by the development of the biogas sector in India. The table below summarises the Biogas activity in Nepal.
| Year | Biogas activity in Nepal |
| 1955 | First demonstration model |
| 1974 | Department of Agriculture implemented a program to construct 250 biogas plants, interest free loan was provided |
| 1977 | Biogas and Agriculture Equipment Development P. Ltd. was established for the first time |
| 1980 | Gobar Gas and Agricultural Equipment Development Company (GGC) modified the Chinese fixed dome model |
| 1990 | The GGC modified fixed dome model accepted as a suitable model for Nepal |
| 1991 | Biogas Support Program (BSP), an independent organization, was established to oversee Nepal’s biogas sector |
| Present |
|
Benefits of Biogas usages:
- Reduced smoke exposure in the indoor environment, reduced acute respiratory infections on population of all ages, improved infant mortality rates, reduced eye ailments, reduced concentrations of carbon monoxide.
- The use of biogas digesters has helped improve the hygiene situation. It is estimated that 77,000 households in rural Nepal have now toilets that are connected to biogas plants
- With the shortage of lights, education becomes impossible for children. Establishment of biogas digesters has provided energy for lighting in more than 20,000 households in
rural areas. This has provided a convenient means for reading or study even in the dark. - Employment has seen an increase. Approximately 11,000 people are employed in the biogas sector. The breakdown is as follows: technical 6000, administrative/financial 2700, local promoters 800, and the rest suppliers.
- Time has been saved, women and female children are involved in collecting the firewood, they have been able to reduce up to 3hrs everyday that they used to spend in collecting
firewood. - Also environmental benefits such as reduction in deforestation, reduction in the use of agriculture residues in stoves, reduction in kerosene use and lastly reduction in chemical fertilizer use.
Opportunities and challenges
- Cold temperature- In many hilly areas of Nepal, the temperature drops below 101C, which is not suitable for biogas production. Due to this, the biogas technology has been found to be less feasible in hilly areas. Therefore, more research needs to be done in increasing the efficiency of biogas production in colder regions.
- Private sector participation: At present there are more than 30 private companies in Nepal that are involved with the biogas sector. However, only eight of these companies are capable of installing more than 500 biogas plants per year because they are weak financially
- Remote locations: Remote locations of many villages in Nepal make it difficult for efficient implementation of biogas plants.
- Mosquitoes: Many biogas plant users have complained about the prevalence of increased mosquitoes after the installation of biogas plants. This has also caused adverse publicity of biogas plants among people.
In conclusion, the use of biodegradable materials to overcome Nepal’s energy problem is effective especially in rural places, however the scale of this project really depends on the governments policies. With other source of energy providing much more secure supply there might be a scope to go for those. However, problem being in rural places is the location, especially associated with the generation of methane in colder regions need to be addressed in order to make this technology more versatile throughout the country.
Article referenced and summarised from: Science Direct
Images from: Google Images
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