Biogas: Two Birds one stone… [PART 1]

Two of our most pressing problems driven down altogether by one biogas.

Our household fuel consumption is highly dependent on either petrol or fire woods or coal. Both of which are not sustainable and are costing us a lot both environmentally and monetary. They are also either too expensive or not available for the day to day domestic consumption.

On the other hand there is an ever increasing waste generat
ion in the country which is filling up our dump sites beyond capacity and forcing the government to consider relocating to a new dump site. Bringing the two problems together: What if we can use these wastes to generate a fuel to curb our house hold consumptions?

The answer is Biogas. It is one type of biofuel, which are generally fuels generated from Biomass. There are various kinds of Biofuels such as Bio-liquids, Bio diesel, Bio-solids, Bio alcohol, Bio-gas etc. We have experience with the Bio-Alcohol Ethanol currently used mixed with gasoline.

Biogas is a fuel generated from plants and waste especially organic wastes from food remains, animals and sewage slug. Because we are not a highly industrialized society our consumptions and hence wastes are majorly organic. We can manage and use these wastes for the productions of biogas for daily domestic consumption. If we have domestic animals like cows we would be able to provide for more than just our house.

Biogas is produced in an anaerobic (“no oxygen is present”) environment when bacteria break down the organic material. The mixture that develops is about 70 percent methane and 30 percent carbon dioxide with a few other trace elements. The methane is the valuable source of fuel.

Basic elements of the Biogas Plant

Methane is virtually odorless and is invisible in bright day light. It burns with a clear flame without smoke and is non-toxic. It produces more heat than our regular fuels like kerosene, wood, charcoal, cow-dung chips etc.

When considering using biogas, it is usually thought of as a messy process that results in smells and all the other unpleasant stuff. But biogas is as clean as you are organized , meaning , the better you manage the waste that comes out of your house the more you’ll get out of it.

By Chalita