Energy crisis: 'government should promote use of biogas'

The government should promote use of biogas to deal with the serious energy crisis engulfing the country since 200-5-06, as current gas production of 4.2 Billion Cubic Feet per Day (BCFD) and total power production of 14,000 megawatts are insufficient to meet the souring energy needs of the country, officials said.
A senior official of the Planning Commission of Pakistan talking to Business Recorder here on Friday said that the government is taking a number of steps to cope with the energy crisis, but the on-going projects will take five to ten years so to resolve the energy crisis especially in rural areas, the government needs to encourage use of biogas.
Pakistan's domestic crude oil production stands at 100,000 barrels per day against total demand of 400,000 barrels per day, while natural gas production stands at 4.2 BCFD against total demand of 6.5 BCFD, the government is dealing with the demand/supply gap though gas load management plan.
Pakistan being an agriculture country with a significant livestock population as per estimates there were approximately 27.3 million buffaloes, 28.4 million cattle head, 60 million goats and about 40 million sheep in Pakistan sufficient to meet the energy needs of the rural population, he added. He also said that poultry population also stands at 300 million.
By using this source as a mean of energy within a couple of years the country especially rural areas will require no more natural gas connections for domestic as well as commercial purposes. Giving the salient features of the use of bio gas he said: (i) Excrement from animals and humans is turned from waste to benefit, (ii) the waste collected from one cow or buffalo provides enough gas for regular cooking needs, (iii) families with more animals and a larger plant could also use gas for electricity generation, ((iv)) the gas is a renewable, clean-burning source of fuel, ((i)) gas replaces wood or charcoal for cooking, eliminating the need to cut firewood and greatly reducing deforestation, ((vi) Families in un-forested areas no longer have to pay for firewood or charcoal, saving them money, (vii) the post-digestion slurry is (nearly) free of pathogens and creates excellent natural fertilizer and mulch for crops, eliminating the need for families to buy chemical fertilisers, saving them money and retaining more nutrients in the land. (viii) Using gas instead of wood or charcoal eliminates respiratory health issues caused by inhaling smoke from open fires in kitchens and open spaces which affects women especially (who do most of the cooking), (ix) gas provides fuel for boiling water, sterilising it and saving families and children from waterborne diseases (many people already know to boil water, but where fuel is scarce or expensive, free gas may lead to families feeling freer to boil water more consistently), and (x) If used for lighting, families can avoid using kerosene and its dangers-smoke inhalation and risk of fires and burns.
The official said that to promote the use of biogas in Pakistan, Netherlands is collaborating with Pakistan with installation of a biogas plant having investment of Rs 300,000 that could run a small-size factory without interruption round the clock. Introduced by the Netherlands Development Organisation, the 100-cubic- metric plants can run generators, dairy farms, poultry farms and other small-size factories on power from biogas with an estimated cost of Rs 300,000. The input of the plant is cow dung or farm waste that is produced by 30 to 40 animals.
When contacted Rehmat Tarar of Pakistan Domestic Biogas Program, he said that Rural Support Programmed Network (RSPN) was working to promote use of the biogas. He said that biogas as compared to other fuels like diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and electricity was much cheaper and had many other benefits. "It can be used to operate tube-wells plants, reduce labour work of women in rural areas, can be used for cooking purposes as a replacement of LPG and natural gas, help protect from different diseases, have environmental and economic benefits.
The official said installation of a biogas plant for operating tube-well cost Rs 170,000, of which Rs 40,000 subsidy was being provided by the PDBP and the rest was being arranged by the client whereas installation of biogas plant for domestic cooking purpose ranges between Rs 20,000 to Rs 170,000. The consumers are being encouraged to install biogas plants and for this purpose four years' free of cost services are also being provided by the registered companies.
In Pakistan, SNV Netherland's Development Organisation has worked together with RSPN in the implementation of the Pakistan Domestic Biogas Program since 2009. This is a five-year program being implemented in 12 districts of Central Punjab by the RSPN in partnership with local and national stakeholders. The first nine months of the program were funded by SNV, while the remaining four years after October 2009 till October 2013 were being funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Pakistan, with technical assistance from SNV and Winrock International. By the end of 2014, PDBP aims at setting up 14,000 biogas plants through the development of a fully functional and market-oriented biogas sector.