RENEWED ENERGY IN THE BIOGAS SECTOR

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1 RENEWED ENERGY IN THE BIOGAS SECTOR Abstract: The use of domestic biogas was promoted in Tanzania during the eighties and nineties but lost its initial dynamics. Bearing in mind the present energy needs for the local population and enhance environmental protection, SNV tries to revive the interest of various stakeholders in domestic biogas and prepare the ground to have a national domestic biogas programme in Tanzania. Background Timing is important to realize results therefore the start to promote domestic biogas could not come on a better moment. In the first place, renewable energy is rapidly climbing the ladder of development priorities, not only in the international context due to soaring oilprices, cry for alternative and more sustainable energy sources but also in the Tanzanian context where mostly women and the youth comply with the daily struggle to collect the needed quantity of firewood in and around their villages. Trucks full of charcoal are driven to the semi-urban and urban areas as an energy source for more than 90% of the Tanzanian population with devastating effect on the environment. In the second place, the start of the Biogas for Better Life an African Initiative. This Initiative was launched in 2007 based on the good results achieved in various Asian countries with domestic biogas promotion. At present, various African countries took up the challenge and started to develop their own national domestic biogas programmes. Tanzania is among them. The context: Tanzania has a reputable history in biogas promotion with the highest number of biogas digesters constructed in Africa. In the eighties and early nineties the biogas technology was promoted by Centre for Agricultural Mechanization and Rural Technology, CAMARTEC, with technical assistance from GTZ. In those years, a lot of research and training was done based on the fixed China Dome design adapting it to the local context resulting in the authentic CAMARTEC biodigester design. Training was carried out for Tanzanian artisans as well as others from neighbouring countries. To date we can still find CAMARTEC biodigesters in various African countries.

2 Fixed-dome plant As a result, the Tanzanian population and more precisely the older generation is aware of the advantages related to the biogas technology, specially in the Northern Regions of Tanzania. Lacking hard figures but an estimated 6,000 biogas digesters have been constructed during the years though a good number are not any more operational. The artisans have quited the biodigester construction and repair sector with the absence of promoters providing investment subsidies for farmers. As a consequence, the biogas sector has lost most of its dynamics, with only a few NGO s and a few micro entreprises still involved. What makes biogas promotion important? In the first place it provides a relatively low-cost energy both for cooking and lighting. Besides this, other advantages include; Reduced indoor air pollution that predisposes to eye and respiratory diseases. Time saving for mostly women and youth. Increased job employment opportunities through construction, after sales services and repair of biodigesters. Improved fertilization of the agricultural field using the bio-slurry. Forest conservation from reduced use of firewood and charcoal. Reduced Green House Gas emissions. Its main disadvantages are the relatively high investment cost and the need to have sufficient manure and water to sustain daily biogas production. The process: Early 2007, on request of the SNV Northern Portfolio, a feasibility study was carried out by students from the University of Utrecht for the potential of biogas in the Northern Regions of Tanzania. During their research, a good number of biogas actors and biogas users were visited. The findings of the study were shared with biogas stakeholders. The workshop provided an entry point to enhance biogas stakeholder collaboration.

3 Around the same time, GTZ started a similar exercise for a national feasibility study for Tanzania as part of the Biogas for Better Life an African Initiative. GTZ and SNV joined forces and shared data and findings then proceeded as a joint GTZ/SNV mission to visit related Ministries in Dar es Salaam. The feasibility report was presented to biogas stakeholders and a Biogas Taskforce was created to guarantee continuity of the process. The Biogas Taskforce. As from August 2007, the Biogas Taskforce undertook a number of activities to develop the national domestc biogas programme. The first activity was the development of a Concept Paper, Biogas for Better Life Tanzanian Initiative presenting our shared ideas on how best to promote domestic biogas in Tanzania. A number of activities were deployed to inform and sensitise relevant actors of the Biogas Initiative. Various Ministries were visited to obtain their political support for the Initiative, thereafter a Biogas Stakeholders meeting was organised at the end of 2007 in Arusha. As a result, the Biogas Taskforce was invited to present its Initiative during an annual meeting organised by the Ministry of Livestock Development and Fisheries. From early 2008, the focus shifted to the writing of the Programme Implementation Document (PID), preparation of the TOR and seeking financial support. CAMARTEC and SNV were both willing to invest financially and provided technical assistance to write the PID. From June 2008, a biogas constructors workshop was organised and facilitated by Mr. Prakash from SNV Asia and there after Mr. Felix ter Heegde headed the PID writing mission in collaboration with Mr. Ng wandu from CAMARTEC and Mr. Shila from the Biogas Taskforce. Their findings were presented at the Biogas Stakeholder Workshop held recently in Tanga with participation from public, private and civil society (in)directly linked with the biogas sector. Results The narration was the preparatory phase for the future, the real results from promotion of domestic biogas and its contribution to poverty alleviation for improved livelihoods of rural farmers and its environmental gains still needs to be materialised. But the process has definitely contributed to prepare the ground to set up a national domestic biogas programme and motivated biogas actors to be part of it. SNV role The SNV advisor steered the process to bring the biogas actors together and facilitated the monthly meetings of the Biogas Task Force at the SNV Office. Financial support was given to realise the PID mission, organizing stakeholder meetings and to organise the Biogas Constructors Workshop as the National Biogas Stakeholder Workshop in Tanga. Knowledge Development was stimulated by the technical contribution of SNV Biogas Advisors to the feasibility study and the PID.

4 Knowledge sharing was promoted when the Biogas Task Force Chairman participated during the African Biogas meeting in Kigali, April Some lessons learned Timing and good planning of activities is crucial to facilitate the process, the flow of the different preparation activities was logic and well understood by the involved stakeholders; Look for Quick wins with clear reachable targets to gain confidence of the involved stakeholders and kept them motivated. SNV kept the momentum going after the feasibility-study by GTZ with the set up of the Biogas Taskforce and some financial and technical support to organise stakeholder meetings and the PID. Ownership of the process by the actors; From the beginning, the Biogas Taskforce had no budget. Although a number of activities could not been carried out, we still managed to make progress due to the commitment of its members. This ownership together with the timely planning and going for quick wins kept the multistakeholder process going. To sustain domestic biogas promotion, in the future Tanzania Domestic Biogas Programme will coordinate all needed activities to develop a commercial viable domestic biogas market and assure quality control of biodigesters constructed. Writing of the Concept paper contributed to mutual understanding of expected outcomes and results. It is important to link with other actors to make them aware of biogas activities and the expected results linked with the use of domestic biogas. SNV Tanzania increased its in-house expertise on domestic biogas and better understanding of the issues hampering this sector. SNV-TZ Primary Process Days up to the 15th of August 2008: CAMARTEC 32 Advisory days Taskforce of Biogas Stakeholders 41 Advisory days Additional advisory days provided by SNV Advisors from Asia and the Head Office to develop the PID 60 days Future activities After the National Biogas Stakeholder Workshop in Tanga, the Biogas Taskforce responsibility has been taken over by the newly established interim executive committee (IEC) which has 2 main tasks; Follow up the fund mobilisation efforts based on the PID for start up of the Tanzania Domestic Biogas Programme (TDBP) in collaboration with CAMARTEC. Setting up of the National Biogas Steering Committee.

5 For further information, please contact: Peter Bos, Biogas Advisor SNV Northern Portfolio Arusha - Tanzania pbos@snvworld.org