Promoting Production and Utilisation of Biogas from Agro-Waste in South-Eastern Botswana

Background

The Biogas Project is about promoting the production and utilization of biogas as an environmentally friendly fuel (or source of energy) for any farm, institution etc that produces agro-waste. The agro-waste, for example, cow dung or chicken litter, can be processed into biogas that can then be used directly, for cooking, heating or lighting, or processed further and used to produce electricity.

The Biogas Project exists as a support to the NDP11 of Botswana which speaks of improving security of supply, equitable access to affordable modern energy, increasing the share of renewables and offsetting the country’s carbon footprint through renewables.

Over and above that, Botswana is party to the Paris Agreement which aims to strengthen the global response to climate change, in the context of sustainable environment. The Biogas Project is in line with both.

Through Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) the project is implemented based on 3 components:

Component 1: Capacity building and institutional strengthening

Component 2: Establishment of biogas plants

Component 3: Establishment of biogas utilization platforms

The Biogas Project wants to facilitate low-carbon investments and public-private partnerships in the production and utilization of biogas from agro-waste in the districts of South-eastern Botswana.

This is being done through capacity building exercises of farmers, govt personnel, banking institutions, establishment of demonstration sites, advocating for regulations and policies that support the use of biogas and development of biogas standards among other things.