Sustainability Assessment and Implementation of a Biogas Digester System in Western Kenya

In developing countries, more than 1.5 million deaths are caused per year by air pollution resulting from the use of wood, dung, coal, and other traditional fuels used for household energy that is used by approximately 3 billion of the world´s population. The unsustainable use of wood for fuel has negative impacts on both the local and global environment. Biogas technology, which produces methane gas through anaerobic fermentation, is an attractive alternative to traditional biomass as it utilizes a cleaner burning fuel with less environmental impacts. First, this paper discusses a method for planning and assessing the sustainability of a biogas digester in a community in western Kenya. The results of this method revealed that the use of biogas technology in the community was limited by technical and human resource capacity. This information was used to inform the technical design and implementation plan, with low areas of capacity addressed through training, education, and the establishment of local supply chains. Second, this paper discusses the modified fixed dome biogas digester that was installed, having a 1000-liter capacity and a projected production of 1160 kilocalories per day.