A review on biogas technology and its contributions to sustainable rural livelihood in Ethiopia

Abstract

Biogas technology has uneven dissemination over the globe. The technology is at its infant stage of development and dissemination in many developing countries while China has the largest implementation record. The principal factors controlling its dissemination include: policies and institutions, financial constraint, subsidies, availability of inputs, awareness about the technology, consumers’ considerations, and success stories about the technology. However, biogas technology is a multipurpose technology which assists in addressing economic, health, social and environmental problems simultaneously. Thus, development and dissemination of the technology certainly minimize energy poverty and improve peoples’ status in the energy ladder. In line with this, Ethiopia has completed implementing the first phase (2009–2013) of its National Biogas Programme and has started implementing its second phase. During the first phase, it was able to disseminate 57.6% the total 14,000 domestic biogas plants planned for the period. Though the technology was introduced about five decades ago into the country, biogas installations constructed prior to the establishment of the National Biogas Programme were having varied digester models, lacked standards and central coordination and their entire number was not more than 1000. This paper reviews the status of dissemination of household biogas technology, factors influencing the dissemination of the technology, benefits of the technology at global scales, energy resources, consumption patterns and brief account of the technology at national scale-Ethiopia.