Educational Biogas System
An Appropriate Renewable Source of Fuel
An Appropriate Renewable Source of Fuel
The main source of cooking energy in Baucau is wood, wood collected in the surroundings of the city, desertification and erosion happens in consequence of this harvest. Money is also spent to buy this wood in the local market. The other alternative is butane, but the cost of it is not affordable for the normal household, and every time it has to be refueled people need to go to Dili. Our purpose for building this Educational Biogas System (EBS) was to create a shared understanding of the basic concepts of biogas technology and to assess the viability of the use of this technology for the households in Timor Leste. The EBS is easy to be used to exemplify the processes happening for the production of biogas. Records are also easy to obtain, and this data can then be used for future programs. Biogas is a flammable gas produced by microorganisms when organic materials are fermented in a certain range of temperatures, moisture contents, and acidities, under airtight conditions. The main component of biogas is methane. Biogas is a form of biological energy that can be synthesised. In nature there are many raw materials from which biogas can be extracted: human and animal manure, leaves, twigs, grasses, stalks from crops, garbage, and also some agriculture and industrial waste whose organic content is greater than 2%. These materials can produce biogas when placed out of contact with air and disintegrated by micro-organisms. Biogas can then be used for cooking and lighting and in internal combustion engines. The success of the biogas programmes springs from the direct benefits it brings to the daily lives of poor households, most importantly cleaner kitchens and the reduction of indoor air pollution. Other benefits also include: money saving, time reduction in searching for fuel and hence more hours available for schooling, productive activities or to socialise. The residue, “bioslurry”, increases agricultural yields and reduces the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, therefore increasing income. Apart from the advantages for the household, the use of biogas also improves the quality of the local environment, such as the groundwater, soil and air. On a far broader scale, biogas use reduces greenhouse gas emissions, protects forests and stimulates private sector development. The interest from different people that visit our site has been a real reaffirmation of the potential that this kind of appropriate technology can have in the livelihoods of urban or rural household in Timor Leste. We always serve tea or local coffee made in our EBS, and with this kind of experiential learning people can see the outcomes of the entire process. The next steps will be, together with Permatil- Permacultura Timor Leste to implement a few of this EBS in their projects, and assess the viability of this model in the daily life of people in Timor Leste.
Hugo Oliveira
