Promote biogas for cheap and clean energy for rural households of Uganda

Biogas energy typically refers to a mixture of gases produced by the breakdown of any organic matter. It is produced from readily available raw materials such as animal waste, human and recycled waste. It is a renewable energy source with no carbon footprint. 

 Statistics from the Ministry of Energy indicate that there are only about 1,000 biogas digesters in the country which shows that usage of biogas energy is virtually untapped in Uganda.

Most projects are currently in development are either in the planning or demonstration stages around the country, the potential of biogas energy for decentralized small-scale electricity generation is yet to be realized by many especially in villages that remain without access to electricity.Also, biogas energy technology is yet to be promoted at any significant scale by government programmes, national utilities or NGOs active in rural electrification.
 

As government implements the second phase of the rural electrification programme, there’s a need to integrate use of readily available alternative energy sources such as biogas to deliver power to rural households because it’s cheaper and sustainable in the long run.

The rural electrification programme aims at equitable regional distribution of electricity and increasing rural electricity access in Uganda. The target of the recent Rural Electrification Strategic Plan 2013-2022 is to achieve electrification access of 22% (i.e. consumers who will be utilizing electricity in their homes, businesses or institutions) by 2022 from the current level of 5% for rural areas.
 

Electricity access continues to be low and majority of the population in rural Uganda continue to rely on wood fuel which in turn leads to environmental degradation and health hazards.

The Government has continued to favour extension of power to the rural poor with Hydro-power from dams in Jinja which is expensive for the Government and for the rural poor to install and maintain.

Transportation and distribution of Hydro-power over long distances leads to losses that have to be recouped inform of high tariffs.To achieve the ambitious target of the recent RESP2013-2022, government should concentrate on sustainable energy sources such as biogas to deliver power to rural households.
 

Biogas materials are often very much available in rural areas which are beyond the reach of typical grid systems. Animals such as cattle, goats, and produce large amounts of biogas because of billions of micro-organisms living in their digestive system.

Biogas plants can be built on domestic level, which enable most households to own one. These plants treat bio-waste which produces gas for cooking instead of using traditional firewood or charcoal. It also prevents the tendency to throw the waste materials on roads and in public places and reduces landfill waste.

Biogas energy is constant unlike intermittent renewables like wind and solar. It is also often economically viable for power generation and available at low cost and in sufficient quantities.

Biogas technology is already successful in China where almost 90% households and institutions use this energy source.

It has also been used in Rwanda prisons since 2001, about six prisons are saving 50% of cooking costs by using human excreta to produce cooking gas for the prison population of about 30,000.
 Recent increased focus on mini-grid solutions coupled with the potential for making use of locally produced renewable biomass resources means that biogas could provide an important contribution towards rural electrification in Uganda.

Electricity connects rural communities to the world, provides opportunities such as jobs, education and business thus access is very necessary.The Government should increase investments in other sustainable energy sources like biogas so as to increase access in rural areas and also double the share of other renewable energy sources in the energy mix.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/655756-promote-biogas-for-cheap-and-clean-energy-for-rural-households.html

Diana Taremwa Karakire
# Renewable energy in Uganda,Biogas energy.

Solar energy is a more affordable option for Ugandans

The Daily Monitor Newspaper in Uganda recently ran a story about 112-year-old Mzee John Oitamong, to whom a solar power kit worth Shs800,000 was donated by Village Power a non-government organisation. I would like to express gratitude to the Daily monitor and Village power for lighting up this old man’s life with solar power which is a clean and sustainable energy source.

Solar power, while not considered an option among high-intensity electricity consuming rich- households, does meet the immediate needs of low-income rural households and small businesses. Such a solar power kit is enough for a couple of lights and opens business opportunities which can transform lives while providing a cleaner alternative to the widely used conventional lighting methods, such as kerosene lamps.

Kerosene lamps are widely used for lighting in rural areas. Yet using kerosene for lighting is extremely inefficient, dangerous and expensive, and it has extensive health and environmental drawbacks. The World Bank estimates that inhaling kerosene fumes is the equivalent of smoking two packets of cigarettes a day. A number of NGOs such as Village Power are committed to eradicating the use of kerosene lamps by introducing solar power to rural households.

Indeed Uganda’s solar energy resource has the potential to provide off-grid electricity for the current 5 per cent in Ugandan villages who remain without access to power. It has become increasingly clear that hydro-power, as a dominant source of power, remains expensive for these rural poor.

Solar is a one-time investment for the consumer- unlike hydro which comes with regular power bills. They face daily worries like food and education costs. Many of them can barely afford housing, even in urban areas where there is more access to electricity.A one-time investment in solar energy would rid them of the daily worry of energy bills and leave moredisposable income that can be used for other necessities to improve quality of life. While the recurring argument is usually that solar energy systems are expensive, the common person would be able to afford it if it is subsidised and if the government and civil society makes an effort to publicise the benefits of solar energy.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Solar-energy-is-a-more-affordable-option/-/689364/2334098/-/u6x64vz/-/index.html
Diana Taremwa Karakire
# Renewable energy in Uganda