SNV is dedicated to a society where all people enjoy the freedom to pursue their own sustainable development. SNV contributes to this by strengthening the capacity of local organisations. In over thirty countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America, SNV advisors are on the ground to listen, connect, advise, facilitate and exchange expertise. SNV's support aims at promoting sustainable development by means of: generating production, income and employment opportunities, and improving access to basic services especially renewable energy technologies and water & sanitation. Our renewable energy expertise focuses mainly on domestic biogas, biofuels, improved cookstoves and improved water mills.
SNV started supporting the formulation and implementation of national programmes on domestic biogas since 1989. For the user, biogas provides clean cooking energy, contributes to health improvement and reduces the time needed for biomass collection, especially for women. Nepal was the first country of engagement, followed by Vietnam in 2003. Since 2006, domestic biogas programmes have also been established in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and then in Pakistan and Indonesia in 2008. Bhutan started in 2010. By the end of 2011, over 418,000 households in Asia had been equipped with biogas plants, improving the quality of life of more than 2.5 million people.
SNV’s biogas activities have been expanded to include Africa. Rwanda is the first country of engagement, with another six countries (Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya) targeted in the framework of the ‘Africa Biogas Partnership Programme’. This Programme took off at the end of 2008, in cooperation with Hivos, and aims to reach 70,000 households by 2013. Cameroon is developing its programme since 2009; Benin since 2010.
The experiences and lessons learned from Asia and Africa are underway to Latin America. Nicaragua conducted a feasiblity study in 2010 and initiated a biogas programme in 2012. Peru and Bolivia are in an exploratory phase.
At the invitation of the Asian Development Bank, SNV is now leading a working group on domestic biogas in the framework of the ‘Energy for All Partnership’. Through this initiative, an additional one million biogas plants are planned across the Asian region by 2015.
Contact Information
Our Focus
SNV is active in the field of domestic biogas in a number of countries within Asia (Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Pakistan, Indonesia and Bhutab; Africa (Rwanda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Benin and Cameroon); and Central America (Nicaragua). All these countries qualify for the setting-up of national biogas programmes as climatic conditions are favourable, livestock is kept at farms in an integrated manner, biomass fuels for cooking are becoming scarce and (potential) stakeholders show a clear will and interest for participation. By the end of 2011, 418,000 households in Asia had been equipped with biogas plants, improving the quality of life of 2.5 million people.
In 2011, more than 65,000 biogas plants have been installed in the framework of the country programmes supported by SNV; the production rate of biogas plants in Africa has doubled compared to 2010. We target to increase the number of installed plants with at least 10% in 2012.
SNV’s approach aims to develop sustainable biogas sectors in which local companies market and install biogas plants (including quality and after-sales services) for households who are willing to invest. This approach generates substantial income opportunities that support socio-economic development in rural areas as well as environmental protection. At the invitation of the Asian Development Bank, SNV is now leading a working group on domestic biogas in the framework of the ‘Energy for All Partnership’. Through this initiative, an additional one million biogas plants are planned across the Asian region by 2015.
In Nepal, SNV has supported the dissemination of improved water mills since 2003 through a sector development approach. Using hydro-power to grind grain makes sense in a region where there are plenty of streams and access to basic energy supplies is limited. Dissemination of improved water mill technology potentially contributes to a reduction of indoor air pollution. For example, generated electricity for lighting purposes can replace kerosene lamps and their polluting emissions. The traditional process of cereal grinding involves movement of small particles that potentially harm people’s respiratory system, especially if they are waiting inside a mill factory for their products to be processed. Improved water mill technology can halve the time needed for agro-processing, contributing to less respiratory illnesses. By the end of 2010, over 6,300 water mills had been successfully upgraded, benefiting around 315,000 families.
SNV supported energy programmes in Nepal (biogas and improved water mills) and Vietnam (biogas) have won prestigious Ashden Awards and Energy Globe Award.
Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas
During the first stage of SNV’s initiatives, various potential barriers are identified that could harm sustainable dissemination of biogas plants. These barriers relate for example to the change in cooking habits, when fuel wood is substituted for biogas, or the role of women in household decision-making. Women benefit the most from reduction of indoor air pollution, but usually the men decide to invest in biogas technology, including biogas stoves. SNV supports a promotion component in its biogas initiatives to tackle these barriers.
SNV’s ‘multi-stakeholder sector development approach’ aims to build on organisational and institutional capacities already available in the country. SNV helps to strengthen these capacities. In addition, it is vital to establish and optimise cooperation between all actors involved. This should finally result in a commercial viable biogas sector, with companies acting as suppliers to address an active demand from households who are willing to invest.
National programmes on domestic biogas aim to a range of functions that need to be executed in a coordinated manner. Whereas, for instance, the function of ‘operation & maintenance’ of a biogas plant will be carried out by the households, other functions should be undertaken by multiple stakeholders. This allows competition at the supply side, ultimately benefiting the biogas users.
SNV supports the partners in the biogas programmes to select the best biogas plant design and to optimise this design to suit the local context. A strict quality control mechanism consisting of clearly defined quality standards are formulated which the programme should adhere to. Special efforts are provided to increase the efficiencies of biogas appliances, especially biogas stoves for cooking and biogas lamps for lighting, and make them user as well as environment friendly. SNV supports various research and development activities aiming at standardisation of cooking and lighting appliances.
SNV has set a mandatory provision of monitoring of the effects/impacts of biogas and bio-slurry on the users. Annually, each biogas programme conducts a comprehensive biogas users' survey on a randomly sampled number of households to monitor the impacts of biogas plants and appliances on health and other aspects of the users.
Relevant Publications or Studies
SNV and its partners have published numerous reports, articles, information leaflets and other information related to biogas technology. Please refer to the following websites for further details:
SNV website: http://www.snvworld.org/en/sectors/renewable-energy/about-us/snv-energy Bangladesh: www.idcol.org (click on ‘Projects’) Cambodia: www.nbp.org.kh Lao PDR: www.biogaslao.org Nepal: www.bspnepal.org.np Vietnam: www.biogas.org.vn Tanzania: www.biogas-tanzania.org Africa: http://africabiogas.org/
Our Contribution to the Partnership
SNV would like to share highlights of its activities and achievements with others in the Partnership and beyond. SNV considers brokerage of knowledge as one of its core activities, contributing to the further development of capacities of its clients in the countries concerned. SNV wants to intensify the brokerage of applicable knowledge on the dissemination of domestic biogas between relevant organisations and individuals. Specific knowledge to be brokered will be based on the needs felt by the national biogas programmes, and may include cost reduction of biogas plants, improved use of bio-slurry, improved biogas appliances like stove and lamp, and trading of Certified or Verified Emission Reductions.
