The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Biogas

  • Harnessing biogas to power the future

    Harnessing biogas to power the future

    SIR: In a nation grappling with the dual challenges of waste management and energy scarcity, Nigeria stands at a crossroads. The solution to both these pressing issues may lie in a single, often overlooked technology: biogas. As the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria’s potential for biogas production is immense, yet largely untapped.

    Now, industry leaders and renewable energy experts are calling on policymakers to embrace this technology, which could simultaneously address multiple national challenges and pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future.

    The potential applications of biogas are diverse and far-reaching. From cooking fuel to power generation, biogas could help alleviate Nigeria’s chronic energy shortages. Moreover, the process yields a valuable by-product: bio-fertilizer. In a country where agriculture remains a cornerstone of the economy, this could prove instrumental in boosting productivity at a lower cost, while also aiding in pest control.

    Nigeria’s waste management problem is well-documented. Major cities like Lagos generate an estimated 10,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, much of which ends up in overflowing landfills or polluting waterways. By converting this waste into biogas, Nigeria will not only reduce the environmental impact of improper waste disposal but also generate much-needed energy.

    The energy potential is significant. According to a study by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigeria could potentially generate 25,000 megawatts of electricity from biogas. This would go a long way in addressing the country’s energy deficit, which has long been a barrier to economic development.

    Job creation is another potential benefit. The biogas industry could create thousands of jobs across the value chain, from waste collection and sorting to plant operation and maintenance. In a country grappling with high unemployment rates, particularly among youth, this could provide a much-needed economic boost.

    Biogas technology has been successfully implemented in many countries around the world. In Germany, for example, there are over 9,000 biogas plants in operation, contributing significantly to the country’s renewable energy mix. In India, millions of small-scale biogas digesters provide cooking fuel for rural households.

    Read Also: Climate change: FG advocating biogas as alternative to charcoal for domestic cooking

    The technology is scalable, ranging from small household digesters to large industrial plants. This flexibility makes it suitable for both rural and urban settings in Nigeria. The environmental benefits of biogas adoption in Nigeria could be substantial. By diverting organic waste from landfills, biogas production could significantly reduce methane emissions. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is produced when organic matter decomposes in anaerobic conditions, such as in landfills.

    Moreover, by providing a renewable alternative to fossil fuels, biogas could help Nigeria reduce its carbon footprint. This aligns with the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and could position Nigeria as a leader in renewable energy in Africa.

    While biogas plants can be cost-effective in the long run, they require significant upfront investment. The path forward, according to experts, involves a three-pronged approach: political decision-making, community involvement, and the creation of an ecosystem that brings together politicians, communities, and green finance initiatives. The latter involves bringing together various stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector companies, financial institutions, and community organizations.  The potential benefits of biogas adoption in Nigeria are clear: improved waste management, increased energy access, job creation, and environmental protection. What remains is for policymakers to recognize this potential and take decisive action.

    • Okeke Esq. Abuja.

  • Tackling electricity crisis with biogas

    A gradual, but steady push to draw the right investments in biogas production may have taken the centre stage. Those promoting biogas which, essentially, is fuel generated from organic waste, are encouraged by the need to find an efficient, sustainable and cost-effective renewable energy solution to the nation’s perennial electricity crisis.

    To them, the biogas option is, perhaps, the much-needed tonic to resolve the twin challenge of disposal of livestock waste for smallholder farmers, and the provision of electricity to consumers in off-grid communities. They also believe that biogas is a cheaper and cleaner energy that can replace traditional gas and coal power.

    More importantly, with the capacity to generate $29.29 billion, about N4.54 trillion annually, the Chief Executive Officer, Avenam Links International Limited, Mrs. Nina Ani, said investment in biogas production has become a compelling proposition for farmers and innovators.

    She said yearly, agricultural, municipal, plant, sewage, green, food, and livestock wastes, among others, across the country, are estimated at 542.5 million tons and worth $29.29 billion about N4.54 trillion.

    Interestingly, existing and prospective agri-preneurs have seen the huge opportunity in biogas production. For instance, since she emerged thye first runner-up at the Total Nigeria Plc Africa Startupper Challenge 2016, the Team Lead, Zeta Prime Alternative Technologies, Miss Uzoma Eleke, has not looked back.

    The Total Nigeria Plc Africa Startupper Challenge 2016 provided the platform for Nigerian aspiring innovators to compete by showcasing their projects. Of 1,943 projects submitted and evaluated, three were selected, with Eleke as the first runner-up.

    Eleke has since been working on a prototype biogas project that can be used by smallholder farmers who are off grid. Already, she has successfully tested the first lab-scale prototype across major off-grid communities in Kuje and Bwari Area Councils of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). She is, today, one of the leading lights in the current push to explore opportunities in biogas.

    Eleke explained that her pilot anaerobic digester will produce methane (biogas) from fermented organic waste (biomass). Obviously, the budding entrepreneur, who is determined to become an electricity producer powered by biogas, has seen an opportunity in the construction of a centralised biogas plant that will utilise waste to produce energy and bio-fertiliser.

    Although funding is a major challenge in biogas production, Eleke and other entrepreneur who have in the biogas ring seem undeterred. Admitting that it is expensive to acquire biogas digesters, she, however, said investment in biogas is worth it in the long run.

    But Eleke is not the only proverbial early bird in what may have emerged as a promising investment opportunity in biogas. An agricultural firm, Ajima Farms, has already powered Rije Village in Kuje Area Council in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with 20 kilowatts of electricity from biogas.

    The project, called Ajima Farms Biogas Digester Off Grid, was inaugurated by the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), led by its Regional Director, Tom Coogan, with project coordinator, Ajima Farms, Fatima Ademoh, and Reji Village Head, Ibrahim Kuyagwa.

    Ajima Farms was the inaugural winner of the USADF Off-Grid Energy Challenge, which was also conducted in eight other African countries. USADF gave a grant of $100,000 to Ajima Farms. The Foundation later expanded the funding with $50,000 for a second biogas project in Kuwizhi Village, in the same council area of the FCT.

    The grant was a shot in Ademoh’s arm. Exuding confidence, she explained that in the beginning, Ajima Farms was presented with two problems – the management of agricultural wastes and villages that were not connected to the national grid and could not access electricity.

    “We looked at how we can solve these problems. The wastes were not good for the health of the community; the gas released by these wastes into the atmosphere was 24 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas,” she explained.

    According to Ademoh, the USADF-funded project had three components, which are energy generation, clean gas cooking solution and energy efficiency. “We have similar project at Kuwizhi with 10 kilowatts. That gave birth to the biogas project here in Rije village of Kuje Area Council,” she stated.

    She said Ajima Farms gathers the waste from the commercial farms around the village and also gets waste from the community. According to her, the village youths bring the wastes to site, secure and also operate the biogas generators.

    “There is a meter that regulates the consumption of power from the source of power supplied to consumers in the village through the pre-paid metering system we have, and is not the same with the power Distribution Companies,” she said.

    The budding agri-preneur was emphatic that with 45 per cent of Nigerians currently not connected to the national grid, which means they do not have access to electricity, investment in biogas remains a clean form of energy.

    She, therefore, called on government leverage on Public Private Partnership (PPP) to deploy this renewable energy option at a larger scale.

    The Nation learnt that since 2013, the USADF has funded over 70 entrepreneurs in nine countries, and has invested over $7.5 million in their enterprises.

    The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria) had also adopted Oriendu Village, a rural Community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State for the establishment of a biogas digester.

    The move, The Nation learnt, was in collaboration with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Umuahia. It was meant to demonstrate to the adopted community alternative cheap source of energy for cooking and lighting in the rural areas, while also creating employment opportunities for residents.

    The NRCRI Director of Extension Services/WAAPP, Dr. Godwin Asumugha, said the technology is an alternative and cheap source of energy in rural areas, adding that already, more than 10 youths were being trained on how to establish the technology.

    He explained that the concept was introduced for developing, disseminating and evaluating technologies emanating from research institutes. The institutes are to conduct their demonstrations in the identified and adopted villages for adoption and impact, and impress on intending farmers and end users the viability of technologies being promoted.

    The NRCRI, WAAPP collaboration has been on since 2011. It was aimed at facilitating the dissemination of improved agricultural technologies, including biogas, amongst smallholder farmers.

    A small scale farmer in Ibulesoro Community in Ondo State, Mr. Adewale Zacchaeus, is one of those who have seized the opportunity in biogas. Five years ago, Zacchaeus had no light in his farm. He sold most of his produce as he couldn’t process them because of lack of electricity. His Ibulesoro Community was not connected to the national grid.

    Today, having embraced biogas, Zacchaeus story has changed. He now generates renewable electricity from cow dung. Thanks to the collaboration between the Federal College of Agriculture (FECA), Akure, Ondo State, and WAAPP-Nigeria in biogas production.

    While FECA used Zacchaeus’ place to demonstrate how to use cow dung to generate power with a modest biogas plant, WAAPP provided the much-need fund for the project. With the use of cow manure for the biogas technology, he and members of his family now enjoy free, but sustainable electricity all year round.

    In fact, on the strength of the FECA, WAAPP partnership, the entire Ibulesoro Community now uses animal wastes for electricity generation and cooking gas. The cow dung is sourced from various farms close by, with one cow producing over 30 gallons of manure a day.

    Before the project, Zacchaeus was spending several hours collecting wood for cooking and heating water in his farm. But the construction of a biogas plant in his home transformed his life and those of his family members. They are now freed from the daily drudgery, and they now have more time to spend on activities that generate income for the family.

    Zacchaeus has since moved a notch higher, becoming a skilled hand in the installation and maintaining of a biogas plant. Also, he is now being sought after by other members of the community wishing to install and maintain their biogas plants.

    The Provost, FECA, Dr. Samson Odedina, did not mince words when he said biogas technology offers farmers and rural dwellers the opportunity of generating electricity from animal waste, which can also be used as fertiliser. He said biogas plants are easy to build, operate, and maintain.

    He added that in countries dealing with changing rainfall patterns and off grid power challenges, biogas production can change the narrative and transform the lives of small farmers.

    Explaining how the innovative technology works, the provost said: “Biogas plants or digesters work by encouraging the breakdown of cow dung. The resulting methane gas can then be stored and burned as fuel.

    “Each day, the plant converts 200 kilogramme (kg) of dung a livestock produces into eight to 10 hours of power. It takes 30 kg of dung to generate one cubic meter of gas.  Livestock dung, comprising of excreta and urine is a vital, renewable and sustainable precursor for producing bio-fertiliser (farm yard manure) and biogas.”

    Odedina said the college was ready to assist farmers and households to use animal wastes for biogas production, adding that biogas production using cow dung will meet the kitchen energy requirements of most rural households in Nigeria.

     

    Electricity crisis makes biogas

    imperative

    To bring about efficient service delivery in Nigeria’s power sector, the Federal Government in November 2013 unbundled the defunct state-owned Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) into 18 successor companies and subsequently handed them over to private investors under a privatisation excercise.

    The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), which midwifed the process, projected that the private investors who bought 60 per cent shares in the power assets would increase electricity generation capacity to 20,000 megawatts by 2018.

    In a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the BPE, the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) also agreed to roll out meters to ensure that customers are no longer exploited under the estimated billing methodology.

    The electricity generation companies (GenCos), on their part, said they will turn around the hydro power plants and other gas-fired plants and also expand their capacity to generate more power supply above 5, 000 megawatts (mw).

    But, five years down the line, none of these has happened. Rather than enjoy any significant improvement in electricity supply, Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity has worsened in recent years, setting the authorities and the investors on the war path with angry consumers.

    The gap between the country’s energy needs and current energy provision has continued to widen, as a country rich in oil and gas as well as hydro and solar resources currently generates between 3, 000 MW and 4,000MW.

    According to the US Agency for International Development, this generation capacity is less than a third of what is required to supply electricity to more than 190 million Nigerians.

    The crisis in the power sector, which appears to have defied solution, according to experts, has made the use of biogas a compelling proposition. The technology’s cheaper, cleaner and relatively easy operation and maintenance may have also added to its attraction.

    Besides, in the last 10 years, there have been increases in the demand for fuel in terms of transportation and power generation. This has so far been met largely from the nation’s stock of fossil fuel such as crude oil, which is finite in nature.

    Besides, fossil fuels are not environmentally friendly and are also expensive. This is why the use of alternative and more environmentally-friendly energy sources such as biogas is being advocated.

     

    How biogas operates

    Technically, the process of biogas generation, known as anaerobic digestion (AD), provides clean gaseous fuel for cooking and lighting. The digested slurry from biogas plants is used as enriched bio-manure to supplement the use of chemical fertiliser.

    According to experts, biogas systems take organic material such as animal dung and kitchen waste into an air-tight tank, where bacteria break down the material and release biogas – a mixture of mainly methane with some carbon dioxide.

    The biogas can be burned as fuel for cooking or other purposes, and the solid residue can be used as organic compost.

    The technology is believed to improve sanitation in villages and semi-urban areas by linking sanitary toilets with biogas plants. A family type biogas plant generates biogas from organic substances such as cattle dung and other bio-degradable materials such as biomass from farms, gardens, kitchens and night soil wastes.

    According to experts, using biogas saves farmers two or three hours per day from collecting wood and cooking. They said the avoidance of smoke from wood is a huge benefit to health and welfare, because of reduced incidence of respiratory and eye-related problems.

    Each biogas plant saves about four tonnes/year of CO2 (water) by replacing the use of wood. More importantly perhaps, the output residue from a biogas plant can be used directly on nearby farm as a fertiliser.

    Interestingly, Odedina said the college has developed capacities to help Nigerians set up family type biogas plants mainly for rural and semi-urban/households. He said the college trains farmers and students to use biogas technology to generate methane gas from cow dung and transfer it into cooking fuel.

    The plants, according to him, are well-designed and consist of an underground brick-built vessel with a ground level inlet for new feedstock and outlets for gas and residue. All materials used are available locally, except for the gas burners and High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) piping, which come from abroad.

    Odedina reiterated that sustainable energy through biogas could drive agricultural transformation. He said by implementing the cow dung energy project for farmers, the college envisaged a transformed agric industry that meets the needs of the rural and urban poor, small holder farmers.

    The Managing Director of Abuja-based consultancy JMSF, Richard Ogundele, said cow dung is the most important source of bio-fertiliser that can be used for generating energy. According to him, operators of farm ranches can invest in a machine called a digester that collects the cow manure into a pile.

    The mechanism is simple. Waste vegetables from the local grocery store, like lettuce, are added to the digester and the contents are mixed. The mixture serves as a good place for micro organisms to brew and the process produces methane gas.

    The methane gas is collected into an engine and converted into power. This power can then be used to heat homes and produce electricity. Ogundele said with large livestock operations growing in number through ranches, each produces thousands of pounds of animal wastes daily.

    With a lot of farms off grid, Ogundele said farmers can invest in biogas production. He pointed out that although, the technology is relatively scarcely used around the country, those that have invested in the digester are on their way to becoming self-sufficient in electricity supply and usage.

    He said apart from removing the need to pay electricity bills, the system protects the households from the problems of indoor air pollution, while also saving the cost of refilling LPG cylinders.

     

    Job creation capacity

    Odedina said biogas production can also create jobs in the farming communities. He said youths could be trained to set up and maintain biogas systems in their communities thereby reducing the country’s high unemployment rate particularly among the youths.

    He said the college would be ready to embrace more partnerships with organisations and experts within the renewable energy industry, donors and development partners to bring sustainable energy solutions to the agric sector, adding that the college will ride on the crest of  the knowledge to train Nigerians in the renewable energy industry.

    Farmers are also said to be partnering with organisations to implement projects to provide sustainable energy solutions for the agric sector. The projects include solar photovoltaic (PV), biomass energy, clean cook stoves, biogas, small hydro energy solutions for irrigation, food processing, agro-processing, and food production.

    But as attractive and promising as biogas may have become, experts say that government must address the issues of policy and funding, which, according to them, are the two major challenges inhibiting the right investments in biogas production.

  • Farmers embrace biogas for electricity

    Some farmers are now looking up to biogas technology to transform animal and other wastes into power plants. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Hope for biogas power generation is high among farmers and innovators as it potentially solves the twin challenges of disposal of livestock waste and provision of energy to offset the rising cost of electricity.

    Biogas is a type of biofuel  produced from the decomposition of organic waste. Animal manure, food scraps, wastewater and sewage are examples of organic matter that can produce biogas.

    Mr.Adewale Zacchaeus, a small- scale farmer in Ibulesoro community in Ondo State, has every reason to smile. Two years ago, he had no light on his farm. Hence, he only sold his produce as he couldn’t  process because there was  no electricity: the village is not connected to the national grid. But his story is different today. He now generates renewable electricity from cow dung. All thanks to the Federal College of Agriculture (FECA), Akure, Ondo State and the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria).

    While FECA used his place to demonstrate how to use cow dung to generate power with a modest biogas plant, WAAPP funded the project. So now, thanks to cow manure and biogas technology, he and his family not only have free, but sustainable power all year round.

    Ibulesoro community now uses animal wastes for electricity generation and cooking gas, courtesy of FECA and WAAPP.

    Cow dung is sourced from various farms close by. One cow can produce over 30 gallons of manure a day. Zacchaeus is happy he can enjoy electricity.

    Before the project, each day, Mrs Zacchaeus spent several hours collecting wood for cooking and heating water. The construction of a biogas plant at their home has transformed their lives. She has been freed from the daily drudgery and now has more time to spend on activities that generate income for the family. Her husband has become skilled at installing and maintaining the biogas plant, making him crucial for the development of other plants in the area.

    For FECA, turning cow manure into biogas is a boon to agriculture.

    By implementing the cow dung energy project for farmers, FECA Provost Dr  Samson Odedina said the school envisages a transformed agricultural industry that meets the needs of the rural and urban poor, small holder farmers, and provides transition to modernising agriculture.

    Odedina said energy is needed in all aspects of agricultural and food production, including processing, service provision, among others adding that such sustainable solutions, provide the key to improving energy ana reducing poverty among the rural poor.

    According to him, the college trains farmers and students to use biogas technology to generate methane gas from cow dung and transfers it into cooking fuel.

    In this regard, Zacchaeus, a beneficiary, is able to collect cow manure to power his home.

    The Provost is looking forward to a new revenue source and jobs to be created through the initiative. The construction cost of biogas power generation facility is N500,000.

    Despite biogas being more expensive than other forms of renewable energy, the farmers chose it because it provides them with a way to dispose of waste while generating power. Liquid biogas residues left after the fermentation process are also utilised as fertiliser.

    The Akure municipality ferments so much tonnes of cattle waste per day from the abattoir that can be collected by farmers.

    Another success story is in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. There, an agricultural firm, Ajima Farms, has powered Rije Village in Kuje Area Council, with 20 kilowatts of biogas from generators. The project, called Ajima Farms Biogas Digester Off-Grid, was inaugurated by the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), led by its Regional Director, Tom Coogan, along with project coordinator, Ajima Farms, Fatima Ademoh, and Reji Village Head, Ibrahim Kuyagwa.

    Ajima Farms is the inaugural winner of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) Off-Grid Energy Challenge, which was also conducted in eight other African countries. USADF gave a grant of $100,000 to Ajima Farms, and later expanded the funding with $50,000 for a second biogas project in Kuwizhi Village in the same area council of the FCT. Since 2013, USADF has funded over 70 entrepreneurs in nine countries, and has invested over $7.5 million in their enterprises.

    Ademoh said: “We own Ajima Farms and we were presented with two problems, which were agricultural wastes and surrounded by villages that are not connected to the national grid and could not access electricity. We looked on how we can solve these problems. “The wastes, as we looked at them, were not good for the health of the community, and the gas released by these wastes into the atmosphere is 24 times dangerous more than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. The project has three components, which are energy generation, clean gas cooking solution and energy efficiency. We have similar project at Kuwizhi with 10 kilowatts. “That gave birth to the biogas project here in Rije village of Kuje Area Council.

    This is to power the community. Currently, we gather waste from commercial farms around here and also get waste from the community, and the youth bring them on site. They secure and operate biogas generators. “There is a meter that regulates the consumption of power from the source of power supplied to consumers in the village through the pre-paid metering system we have, and is not the same with the power Distribution Companies.”

    According to her, currently 45 per cent of Nigerians are not connected to the national grid, which makes them to have concern with communities that do not have access to electricity, and added that biogas remains a clean form of energy, whereby the government could come up with Public Private Partnership (PPP), to deploy this energy at a larger scale.

    Team Lead, Zeta Prime Alternative Technologies, Miss Uzoma Eleke is developing innovative renewable energy technologies.

    In 2016, TOTAL Plc launched a competition called the Africa Startupper Challenge 2016 where some Nigerian innovators competed by showcasing their projects. 1,943 projects were submitted and evaluated out of which 3 were selected.The first runner up of Total Nigeria 2016 Startupper Challenge was Uzoma Eleke.  Her organisation is working on a prototype biogas project   that can used by farmers who are off grid.

    She has   successfully tested the first lab-scale prototype across major off grid communities in Kuje and Bwari Area Councils of Abuja.

    Uzoma explained that the pilot anaerobic digester will produce methane (biogas) from fermented organic waste (biomass). She sees an opportunity for the construction of a centralised biogas plant that will utilise available waste to produce energy and bio-fertiliser. She is determined to become an electricity producer powered by biogas.

    While most farmers would   embrace biogas as a way of cutting on the cost of fuel for domestic consumption, she noted that it is still expensive toacquire biogas digesters.

    Overhead costs although many of them still find the Sh100, 000 needed to install the units to be steep; they contend that what accrues from this renewable energy source is worth it in the long run.

    Across Africa, the biogas business is booming. Biogas is produced from large fermenting tank for corn, liquid manure and glycerin.

    Experts believe if well harnessed, Nigeria can realise at least N4.54 trillion yearly from biogas produced from organic waste processing.

    One of them is the Chief Executive Officer, Avenam Links International Limited, Mrs. Nina Ani.

    Mrs Ani said yearly agricultural, municipal, plant, sewage, green, food, and livestock wastes, among others, across the country, is estimated at 542.5 million tons and worth N4.54 trillion (or $29.29 billion).

    She said aside the monetary value, biogas as a renewable source of energy and cooking gas has positive long-term implications on human beings and their environment unlike the traditional fossil fuels.

    She identified governmental policy and funding as two major challenges inhibiting the right investments in biogas production.

  • ‘Nigeria can generate N5tr yearly from biogas’

    ‘Nigeria can generate N5tr yearly from biogas’

    If well harnessed, Nigeria can realise at least N4.54 trillion yearly from biogas produced from organic waste processing, the Chief Executive Officer, Avenam Links International Limited, Mrs. Nina C. Ani, has said.

    Ani said yearly agricultural, municipal, plant, sewage, green, food, and livestock wastes, among others, across the country, is estimated at 542.5 million tons and worth N4.54 trillion (or $29.29 billion).

    In a presentation on biogas as a sustainable solution to energy and waste management challenges in Nigeria, Mrs. Ani said aside the monetary value, biogas as a renewable source of energy and cooking gas has positive long-term implications on human beings and their environment unlike the traditional fossil fuels.

    In a chat with The Nation, she identified governmental policy and funding as two major challenges inhibiting the right investments in biogas production in Nigeria.

    On what will be become the lot of private waste operators and sewage waste evacuators when the system is earnestly harnessed, she said instead of driving them out of business, they (waste operators and evacuators) would be integrated into collecting wastes for processing experts, thereby preventing the acrid stench from emptying sewage waste into the sea and dumping municipal waste at refuse dump sites.

    To speed up acceptance of the system, Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria President SegunAdaju called on all payers in the sector to team up and influence government’s policy that would allow the system to thrive and encourage investment.

    The duo spoke alongside others at a seminar in Lagos tagged “Biogas production and waste management” organised under the auspices of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos.

    The Managing Consultant, Naturescape Consulting, Jumoke Kassim, also called for an orientation that would make end-users to properly arrange their waste before collections for easier processing.

    Making a case for biogas production, the Energy and Environment Desk, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce, Lagos, said: “Given the energy gap and waste management challenges in Nigeria, biogas technology presents a comprehensive and sustainable waste-to-energy solution for improved productivity in industry and a safer environment.

    “Biogas is utilised worldwide to redress fluctuating energy demand, produce fertiliser, cooking gas and biofuels. It also helps to mitigate deforestation; greenhouse gas (GHG), emissions and other environmental concerns associated with non-sustainable waste disposal and management practices.”

    The seminar featured stakeholders, such as the Managing Director, Africa Renewable Energy Technology Limited, Acccra, Ghana, Theophilus Anang.

    He spoke on “Biogas Technology and Utilisation in Ghana, while Sales Representative, PlanETGmbh, Germany, Mathias Kern, made presentation on “Bioenergy Trends in Germany: Decentralised Clean Energy for Industry and Rural Development.

  • Students win N6m for biogas project

    Students win N6m for biogas project

    For their efforts, two students of the Lagos State College of Health Technology (LACOHET) in Yaba, Oluwafemi Sarumi and Samuel Dada, have won N6million for the development of their biogas renewable energy project. OLUWATOYIN ADELEYE reports on how they achieved the feat.

    By winning the entrepreneurship challenge of the Ready.Set.Work (RSW) project of the Lagos State Government, Oluwafemi Sarumi and Samuel Dada have put their school on the map.

    The Lagos State College of Health Technology (LACOHET) in Yaba was little known before last Thursday when Sarumi’s and Dada’s biogas renewable energy project won the grand prize of N1million and another N5million announced by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the event held at Landmark Event Centre on Victoria Island.

    The event marked the end of the 13-week employability and entrepreneurship training project, which exposed 500 final year students of the Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), and LACOHET to soft skills and business modules intended to enhance their chances in the labour market.

    The audience voted the biogas project as the winner. Before the result was announced, rather than remain silent in anticipation of the winner, the students were heard chanting “Biogas”in hushed tones.  It was deemed better than the other two final projects, Onebox, a social media platform for graduates to discuss topical issues, and Artisans on campus, a website designed as a hub for student artisans to showcase their expertise so that those in need of their services could reach them easily.

    Biogas beat 24 projects to clinch the crown

    Sarumi and Dada, who call themselves the Biogas team, said they would be in the business of converting animal waste, using a bio digester, into biogas, which is useful for cooking and electricity.

    Sarumi said their project was borne out of their desire to solve environmental problems in the country.

    “Our business would solve two major problems. First is to solve an environmental problem, that is the problem of proper management of animal waste at our abattoirs. And to provide the potential substitute in form of biogas that can provide necessary energy value that can be used for cooking at affordable rates by Nigerians. It can also be used for production of electricity.”

    The duo, who studied Environmental Health Technology, said paying attention in class helped them come up with the project.

    “Biogas contains methane, a combustible gas, which is present in  normal liquefied petroleum gas. We are environmental officers now, because we are now graduates so we have done our research and we know that our business was going to be the first of its kind in Nigeria. The bio digester, is what the waste passes through before producing a biogas, we have created one in our school for demonstration. There is  bio digester in a few other institutions like the Ogun State College of Health Technology, but it is not being used for commercial purpose, rather for laboratory experiment. But as a result of our work, waste is going to turn to wealth.”

    In addition to the prize money, Sarumi and Dada would get N100,000 upkeep allowance monthly for six months, so that they would not spend their seed capital.

    First runners-up for the competition, the One box team, got N500,000 seed capital; while the Artisans on Campus group got N250,000 for coming third.

    Of the 500 students that registered for the programme, 468 graduated, having met the requirements for conclusion of the programme – namely punctuality, 80 per cent attendance, and completion of all assignments.

    They were exposed to soft skills training and benefited from talks delivered by CEOs of blue chip companies.

    While the students that underwent the entrepreneurship stream of the project would undergo three-month apprenticeship with established entrepreneurs, 95 of those who passed through the employability stream and scaled interviews by employers would undergo six-month paid internships in various organisations.

    The students would work in firms, such as Total, Price Water Coopers (PwC), Access Bank, Gtbank Plc, Systemspecs, FCMB, Etisalat, KPMG, Nestle Plc, and Stutam.

    Governor Ambode’s joy at the success of the scheme was the reason he gave an additional N500,000 to the winners.

    He urged the participants to continue in the fervor of the programme to improve their skills.

    He said: “This initiative will enable many of you seated here today to get internship placements in high ranking corporate organisations, and also provide a platform for those with viable business ideas to benefit from angel investors and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.

    “Ready, Set, Work has been a journey requiring passion, diligence, discipline and perseverance. I say big congratulations to those of you who made it to this stage. I must emphasise, however, that this is only the beginning. In the face of ongoing economic challenges, this is a time to push ahead with the same strength and focus that brought you to this point, and to pursue with vigour the knowledge, skills, and ideas formed in you over the last three months. The private sector would benefit from your passion and professionalism, while the entrepreneurial world awaits your vision- driven ideas.”

    Special Adviser to Governor Ambode on Education Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh and the brain behind the scheme, said RSW was initiated to bridge skills gap in the labour market.

    “The RSW was a response by the government to the challenge of the private sector that the quality of graduates being produced was not capable of driving the economy.  The key thing here is that we want Lagos to continue to prosper, and the only way to do that is by growing our people. We want our graduates to be one of the first people that the corporate organisations want to employ,” Bank-Olemoh noted.

    Commissioner on Economic Planning and Budget, Akinyemi Ashade, added: “We have a lot of skills to fix. The scheme is meant to fix  specific problems. We focused on making them more employable than they have been trained at school and we tried to hone their vocational skills.”

    It is not only the government that is celebrating the success of the RSW, the private sector has also lauded the initiative.

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Matthew Wilshere, who volunteered as a brands training facilitator during the project, said: “We partnered with Lagos State on this scheme because we are a youthful brand. ‘Ready Set Work’ is a fine initiative. The periods of transition between school and work and even during work, between positions, for every person is very important. It is impressive for Lagos State to help people in this transition.”

    Mr Uyi Akpata of PricewaterCoopers (PwC) said his organisation invested resources into the vision of the government on RSW because it was in line with the organisation’s vision, and promised to continue with the partnership as long as the scheme continues.

    PwC employed 10 interns and  Akpata promised them jobs based on their performance during their internship.

    Founder of Career Times, one of the facilitators of RSW, Kumbi Lawoyin, said: “Many young graduates have the potential to develop all their skills but don’t have the platform. Many of them displayed knowledge of their school work but lacked soft skills. RSW provides the platform to gain all this knowledge and understand its application.”

    For the students, the programme has given them a head start in their careers.

    Olatunji Salau said it exposed him to skills he did not know were important.

    “Initially, I thought it was a vocational course but I was exposed to skills I did not even know were important; for example, soft skills. I learnt how to take initiative, how to realise that if an environment is not convenient for me, I can rise to the occasion and make it convenient for me.”

    Loveth Igbokwe said she was graduating from school as a more confident person.

    “RSW helped me develop my self confidence and to focus on my future. I realised that my future starts now and I have to invest in my future from today. It changed my orientation about life. I used to think getting a job would be difficult but now I know I can harness my skills and I can achieve anything I want,” she said.

    Oluwatobi Damilare appreciated the government, advising his peers to do more with what they have learnt.

    “The SA has always told us, it is not enough that we have been given this platform but for us to take initiative. It is not the knowledge that matters but what we do with the knowledge. We must be good representatives and ambassadors of the RSW initiative,” he said.

  • Biogas: Cow dung power for farmers

    Biogas: Cow dung power for farmers

    A new technology known as biogas, which generates methane gas from cow dung and transfers it into cooking fuel, is exciting farmers, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Mr Adewole  Zacheus, a small scale farmer in Ibulesoro community in Ondo State has every reason to smile.

    Two years, he would simply plant his farm, harvest and wait for better market prices that would give his good returns. With what he got, he bought farm input and sort out other needs.

    He had no access to light because the village is not connected to the national grid. But the story is different. He is able to use cow manure to generate a renewable supply of electricity.

    He has the Federal College of Agriculture (FCA), Akure, Ondo State and The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria) to thank. While FCA, Akure, used her place to demonstrate how to use cow dung to generate power with a modest biogas plant, WAAPP funded the project. So now, thanks to cow manure and biogas technology, he and his family not only have free, sustainable power all year round. Ibulesoro community now uses animal waste for electricity generation and cooking gas-courtesy, FCA, Akure and WAAPP.

    However, the cow dung comes various farms close by. One cow can produce over 30 gallons of manure a day. The place houses an anaerobic digester, built to hold waste for days. The   biogas plant collects cow dung, mix it with water and channel it into fermentation pits. The resulting gas is fed directly to the farmer’s household to provide energy for cooking.

    The process begins when cow dung and poultry waste is put into a sealed tank. A biogas digester is an air-tight chamber or compartment containing bacteria that turn organic waste into biogas and a high quality organic fertiliser. As the biomass digests, it releases methane gas which can be used to generate renewable heat and power. The biogas fuels the engine, which in turn spins an electric generator to create electricity. Waste heat from the engine is used to keep the digester warm and offsets fuel purchase on the farm.

    One cow’s waste can produce enough electricity to light two 100-watt light bulbs for 24 hours daily.

    Traditionally, cow dung is used as a fertiliser, though today dung is collected and used to produce biogas.

    Zacheus is happy he can enjoy electricity, courtesy of FCA and WAAPP Nigeria.

    Each day, Mrs Zacheus spent several hours collecting wood for cooking and heating water.

    The construction of a biogas plant at their home has transformed their lives. She freed from the daily drudgery of firewood collection, now has more time to spend on activities that generate income for the family.

    Her husband has become skilled at installing and maintaining the biogas plant, making him crucial for the development of other plants in the area.

    For farmers like Mr Zacheus,  this reliance on biomass fuels could have made a hard life even more difficult. The fuel wood he and his family relied on was becoming increasingly scarce. This was mainly due to the destruction of the forests as a result of the intensive farming practices being employed to meet the demand for food. He was in need of an alternative, appropriate energy source to replace his costly one. The alternative energy source in question was Biogas and it relied on nothing more than cow dung for its operation. The biogas technology he requires to do this is wonderfully simple.

    In Africa, biomass has become an important energy source for farmers worldwide.

    Yet, the potential of using biogas has so far been unexploited, especially in the form of livestock manure in the agriculture system.

    Provost, FCA, Akure, Dr Samson Odedina said sustainable energy is needed for agricultural transformation.

    According to him, energy efficiency is also a critical area for improvement of the water-food-energy nexus for sustainable development.

    By implementing the cow dung energy project for farmers, the school envisages a transformed agricultural industry that meets the needs of the rural and urban poor, small holder farmers and provides transition to modernising agriculture.

    To revamp the industry, Odedina said energy is needed in all aspects of agricultural and food production, processing, service provision and livelihoods improvement, adding that such sutainable solutions, provide the key to improving energy poverty among the rural poor.

    According to him, the college trains farmers and students to use biogas technology to generate methane gas from cow dung and transfers it into cooking fuel.

    In this regards, Mr Zacheus, a beneficiary, is able to collect cow manure to power his home.

    He said it’s an efficient green solution for areas that are off the grid and that the college trains farmers and students to install, to repair and maintain it.

    With support from WAAPP Nigeria, he said FCA is researching biomass solutions for small holder farmers and communities.

    This is because biogas from cattle waste makes a lot of sense with farmers using firewood for cooking. With increasing activities of people cutting wood from the forest, fetching firewood is now tedious, time-consuming and risky activity that engages the entire household, including the children.

    Therefore switching to biogas provides a cheap and reliable source of energy for rural households.

    With biogas, he said farmers who own livestock such as cattle and chickens can collect the waste and load it daily into a biogas system to generate biogas. However, the choice of system is determined by the available resources. Once set up, he said   the system does not need any maintenance apart from regularly adding waste material.

    On the whole, he said producing biogas, could also create jobs in the farming communities where it is produced, while youths could be trained to set up and maintain biogas systems in their communities. It reduces waste that would otherwise pollute the environment.

    According to him, FCA, Akure is privileged to be in partnership with WAAPP Nigeria, CAVA and other international organisations in developing solutions for agricultural transformation.

    He said the college would be ready to receive more partnership with organisations and experts within the renewable energy industry, donors and development partners to bring sustainable energy solutions to the agricultural industry, adding that it will use the knowledge developed to train experts for the renewable energy industry across the country.

    So far, farmers are partnering with organisations to implements projects to provide sustainable energy solutions for the agricultural industry. The projects include solar photovoltaic (PV), biomass energy, clean cookstoves, biogas, small hydro energy solutions for irrigation, food processing, agro-processing, food production.

    The Coordinator, WAAPP-Nigeria, FCA, Akure, Dr Adeyemo Abiodun, extolled the virtues of biogas as a very attractive option for both the economy and for households in terms of renewable energy. The biogas plants, he said, could serve a household for 20 years. There are plants; he disclosed that can last for 100 years. Abiodun said operators of the gas plants can use either cow dung or poultry droppings. The droppings would be put into a sealed tank called a digester, where they are heated and agitated. In the absence of oxygen, anaerobic bacteria consume the organic matter to multiply and produce gas that can fuel a generator. For Abiodun, it is a win-win situation. While allowing homes to generate power, it helps farmers to monetise waste. On the whole, biogas programmes are profitable even when the overall cost of the programme is taken into account.

    According to him, the use of biogas plants to power local households would open up opportunities for rural entrepreneurs. “Many rural households that do not have access to electricity are going to team up to purchase biogas” he said. “With the efforts made by WAAPP, and FCA, there are possibilities of entrepreneurs exploring the range of possible value-added bio-based products, among which are bio-fuel and bio-plastics” he added.

    For this reason, many entrepreneurs will experimenting with biogas plants to produce electricity and power for small business units.

    Meanwhile, WAAPP-Nigeria has adopted Oriendu Village, a rural Community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State for establishing Biogas Digester.

    This step, in collaboration with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, is meant to demonstrate to the adopted community alternative cheap source of energy for cooking and lighting in the rural areas; creation of employment opportunities by training some persons in this respect; and discouraging deforestation, among others.

    At the training, the NRCRI Director of Extension Services/WAAPP, Dr. Godwin Asumugha, said the technology is an alternative and cheap source of energy in rural areas, adding that already, more than 10 youths were undergoing training on how to establish the technology.

    According to NRCRI Executive Director, Dr. Julius Okonkwo, the organisation, has since 2011, been collaborating with WAAPP to facilitate the dissemination of improved agricultural technologies, stating that the Adopted Village Concept which was first introduced to the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) in 1996 under the World Bank-assisted programs of the National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) was re-activated and consolidated by the WAAPP.

    According to him, the concept was introduced for developing, disseminating and evaluating technologies emanating from Research Institutes. The institures are to conduct their demonstrations in the identified and adopted villages for adoption and impact, and impress on intending farmers and end users on the viability of technologies being promoted.

  • Photo: Oshiomole commissions biogas plant

    Photo: Oshiomole commissions biogas plant