Demand for biogas: state of the art and future prospective

Abstract

Sudan is an agricultural country with fertile land, plenty of water resources, livestock, forestry resources, and agricultural residues. Energy sources are divided into two main types; conventional energy (woody biomass, petroleum products, and electricity); and non-conventional energy (solar, wind, hydro, etc.). Sudan possesses a relatively high abundance of sunshine, solar radiation, moderate wind speeds, hydro, and biomass energy resources. Like many tropical countries, Sudan has ample biomass resources that can be efficiently exploited in a manner that is both profitable and sustainable. Fuel-wood farming offers cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy solutions for Sudan, with the added benefit of providing sustainable livelihoods in rural areas. Biogas from biomass appears to have potential as an alternative energy in Sudan, which is potentially rich in biomass resources. This is an overview of some salient points and perspectives of biomass technology in Sudan. This current literature is reviewed regarding the ecological, social, cultural and economic impacts of biomass technology. This chapter provides an overview of biomass energy activities and highlights future plans concerning optimum technical and economical utilisation of biomass energy available in Sudan. It is concluded that renewable environmentally friendly energy must be encouraged, promoted, implemented, and demonstrated by full-scale plan especially for use in remote rural areas.