A user in front of her collector for cow dung which is connected to the biogas digester.
The embedded collector creates space for the biogas production. It is designed in a round form to ensure that the tension on the material is distributed equally when the plant is filled.
Installation of two biogas digesters in the garden.
This cooking-area, where the traditional cooking method is still used, gives an idea of the possible CO2 saving potential as well as of the improved quality of life when using the biogas technology.
The produced biogas flows through a pipeline directly to the stove, where it can be used for cooking.
The usage of biogas reduces deforestation and has a positive impact on Kenya’s tree population.
Thanks to their livestock, the users of the biogas technology are self-sufficient regarding their energy demand for cooking.
The cow manure is stored mainly underground. Hence, the landscape remains largely unchanged, and the risk of gas leakage can be prevented.
The manure of two cows is enough to provide a household with sufficient fuel for daily needs. The picture shows an open collection container where the bacterial process of anaerobic fermentation takes place.

Summary

Total savings :4,000 tonnes CO₂ per year
Technology transfer :Biogas units for the energy supply of households
Local environment :Replaces wood, gas and kerosene, prevents deforestation, and produces the useful by-product slurry (fertile liquid manure)
Further advantages :Creates jobs in the construction and maintenance of the biogas units
Project partners :Sustainable Energy Strategies (SES)

Project design tailored to the region

Together with the Kenyan company SES, atmosfair builds small biogas plants of 2-3 m3 in the Nairobi River Basin in Kenya. By using the biogas plants, the participating smallholders can go without wood and other fossil fuels. Each biogas plant saves about 4 tons of CO2 per year and at the same time preserves the forest and its biodiversity. For households, the switch to biogas is particularly attractive because they save on firewood costs and no longer have to collect up to 10 kg of firewood a day. In the project region, it is common practice for smallholders to rear 2-3 zero-grasing cows in close proximity to their houses. The families can therefore easily collect the cow dung and use it together with agricultural waste and water to run their biogas plant. The biogas produced is fed directly to the new gas cooker via a pipe connection.

During the process of biogas production, a nutrient-rich agricultural fertilizer, slurry, is produced as an additional produc. Many farming families use the fertilizer to grow organic vegetables in their own farms. Through the training of craftspeople on site, the knowledge for the construction of plants for decentralized energy supply remains in the country and contributes to the energy transformation in Kenya in the long term.

Facilitation of financing of biogas plants

Even if the biogas plants recover their costs over time due to the savings in the procurement of fuels, the initial investment represents a major hurdle for many households. In Kenya, there are no public funds to promote household biogas plants without international support. atmosfair subsidizes so that households can afford the plants. The households themselves pay the difference to the purchase price.

Project success through long-term technical support

The last project appraisal again certified that all the project’s facilities examined are still in use 11 years after construction. This is due to the robust method of building and high quality of the plants. On the other hand, SES offers quick help in case of technical problems and takes care of the repair of the plants.

Partners involved in the project

For the construction of the biogas plants, atmosfair works closely with the Kenyan company Sustainable Energy Strategies Ltd. (SES) founded in 2008 in Nairobi, which is one of the central private actors in the field of biogas. At the beginning of the project, SES also supported the Indian NGO Action for Food Production (AFPRO) by training local craftspeople who now build the biogas plants independently and train other craftspeople themselves.

Your contact at atmosfair

Dr. Lisa Bretschneider
Project Developer
Geoscientist
+49 (0) 30 120 84 80 - 73