BioDigesters

An experiment in saving time & effort

While visiting Kenya, many problems present themselves, but a challenge is to select something that we could have an impact and not only for one person but possibly for many.  

Problem:  Collecting firewood for fuel

Many rural Kenyans are required to collect firewood for cooking and producing hot water.  This is a simple task but is extremely time consuming.  

Analysis of the Problem

Most rural Kenyans have livestock of some kind.  Goats, chickens and cows cover the landscape.  Harnessing a resource that is readily available and easy to obtain to produce fuel was a logical combination.  

Solution:  Installation of BioDigestor

Installing a BioDigester on a farm allowed that farm to collect animal waste, feed it into the digestor, not only produce methane which can be used as fuel for lights, cooking stoves, water heaters, and generators, but also have liquid fertilizer that then in turn be used to water the crops for an increased yield.

Future outlook

The installation of the BioDigestor was a great success, however the cost of such devices is prohibitive to most Kenyans.  With this model proving the concept, next steps would be to find locations where digestors could be installed for maximum impact such as at a school or town center where many can benefit.  Additionally, methods to bottle/store the produced gas and fertilizer now open up further revenue streams for the farm to sell gas or fertilizer.

Mike Bodamer - Director of IT, BEE in Kenya