Sustaining the Rural Energy Demand through Biogas Technology

Abstract

Energy supply and utilization is one of the economic indices of regional development and standard of living. Energy availability in the rural areas of Nigeria is fast becoming a great challenge with the high cost of cooking gas and kerosene and environmental problems associated with firewood. The paper demonstrated the use of a pilot model study (floating drum plant) of bio-decomposition of animal waste (cattle dung and fodder) in an anaerobic condition (single batch system) to generate methane for domestic cooking. This is a unique way of waste management with additional values of energy accessibility, reliability, quality, cost and benefits including environmental and social aspects. Method involved the pre-treatment of the substrate and its inoculation. Material compositions were batched by weight. Gas produced was monitored for 10 times at 3 days interval effective from the fifth day of retention. Efficiency increased to peak at the 11th day (32.8% of the total cumulative, TC) and reduced to 1.2% TC at the 22nd day.