Independent energy for small farmersThe project contributes to climate action by enabling small farmers in southern China to supply themselves with clean energy. In Wenchang County in Hainan Province and near the city of Zunyi in Guizhou Province, families can have their own small-scale biogas plants built thanks to project funding. These are filled with organic waste such as manure from pigs. The anaerobic fermentation process in the tanks of about 8 cubic metres produces biogas, which is then used as thermal energy for the custom-built gas cookers.
In this way, farmers save the costs for coal or other fuels to cook on traditional inefficient stoves. Thanks to the use of waste as a clean energy source, their hygiene situation has also improved. The project prevents CO2 emissions from cooking and methane that would be produced by rotting biomass in the open air. In addition, it improves the living conditions for poor households.
How do biogas projects help fight global warming?In biogas facilities, biomass is fermented into biogas in sealed digesters. Biomass may consist of organic waste or dung from cows or other animals. In countries like India or Vietnam, families use the gas from small biogas plants for cooking. This reduces CO2 emissions that would be produced by cooking with wood or charcoal. Biogas plants also prevent methane from escaping into the atmosphere, as is the case when organic waste is stored in an open pit. Instead, the gas is fed from the closed digesters to specific cookers and thus provides an independent and renewable source of energy.
