Alternative energy: Work on 10 biogas plants begins

Plants will provide cheaper energy to ease shortages.

FAISALABAD:

Construction work on biogas plants has begun under the supervision of Pakistan Domestic Biogas Programme (PDBP).

These plants will have the capacity to hold 50 to 100 cubic meter of biogas and will be used to generate electricity.

PDBP sources said that initially construction work on 10 biogas plants has begun with a capacity of 50 to 100 cubic meters and these will assist in running 5 to 10 kilowatt (kw) generators.

Biogas plants are being installed for research purposes to evolve future strategies for the construction of such plants as smaller plants will pave the way for putting in place bigger ones.

Under the PDBP, more than 300 domestic biogas plants are functional in rural areas of 12 districts in central Punjab. More than 150 tube wells that had been previously operating on diesel engine have been switched over to biogas since last year which has provided cheaper sources of water for irrigation purposes.



PDBP has claimed that more than 400 skilled workers are engaged with the biogas plant construction and the sector provides employment to more than 1,200 people.

PDBP is a non-governmental organisation and is part of the Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN) working for the welfare of people at the national level.

It is an organisation that took the initiative for biogas development in 2009 for the purpose of improving living standards of rural population with financial assistance from the Netherlands Embassy. The programme is being assisted by the Netherlands Development Organisation and Winrock International.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2013.

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