India - Ashden Awards 2007

BIOTECH has succeeded in tackling the problem of the dumping of food waste in the streets of Kerala through the installation of biogas plants that use the food waste to produce gas for cooking and, in some cases, electricity for lighting; the residue serves as a fertiliser. To date BIOTECH has built and installed an impressive 12,000 domestic plants (160 of which also use human waste from latrines to avoid contamination of ground water), 220 institutional plants and 17 municipal plants that use waste from markets to power generators. The disposal of food waste and the production of clean energy are not the only benefits of BIOTECH's scheme. The plants also replace the equivalent of about 3.7 tonnes/day of LPG and diesel which in turn results in the saving of about 3,700 tonnes/year of CO2, with further savings from the reduction in methane production as a result of the uncontrolled decomposition of waste, and from the transport of LPG.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• food
• waste
• biogas
• green
• ashden

[margot980]

So why not the toilets too? It works so well in rural China. Google Paul Henderson biogas in rural china. Amazing amazing.

[Odziz]

Thanks for the link Margot, any videos on YouTube yet ?

[Odziz]

You can contact Biotech via Ashdenawards dot org

[Nahomraj]

I would just like to ask....

is the biogas produced (i believe it is a mixture of methane,CH4;carbon dioxide,CO2 and hydrogen sulphide,H2S) from the decomposition of organic matter directly burned? or do you displace the carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide first? plz reply to my question, i'm doing a study on domestic production of biogas and your reply will really help me...

[m2754]

is 1 m3 tank will give enaugh fuel for cooking for 5 member of families ?

I affraid no,far from enaugh

[sizemorej]

the reasons for not using human waste is that these plants produce no smell and there is no problem with pathogens. Also according to the information from ARTI this process only takes a day or so where dung takes weeks.

[danianjan]

Makes more sense to create a biogas unit for the entire village or town, rather than for individual homes. How many people have the patience to collect food waste from shops and restaurants? The alternative is to pool the food waste with human waste and gray water.

[m2754]

Will you give detail structure of the portable plant.

I am not clear about the material and outlet pipe .Where it start from inside the barrel ?

what size inner and outer barrel ? thank you

[suchandradasi]

I want one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hydrolase]

This is pretty cool! I hope more people adopt the technology.