THE rising demand for electricity in Zimbabwe and Africa in general has resulted in incessant power cuts as authorities grapple to meet demand.
While, Zimbabwe has embarked on major power-generating projects through the expansion of the Kariba South Power station and Hwange Units Seven and Eight which when complete will generate a combined 1 200 megawatts by 2017, more needs to be done to generate enough electricity for the rising demand by industry and households.
Government is now engaging in alternative methods such as the solar and biogas energy to complement hydro and thermal generated electricity which supplies most of Zimbabwe’s energy.
It is against this background that the Ministry of Energy and Power Development has unrolled Biogas pilot projects in various institutions across the country.
One such institution is the Harare Central Prison and the Chikurubi Female Prison where the biogas pilot project was launched in 2013.
In an interview, Deputy Commissioner General Rhodes Moyo said the biogas energy project at the Harare Central and Chikurubi Female Prisons was providing mostly energy for cooking.
He said the Harare Central Prison which has approximately 2 000 inmates was performing much better as compared to the Chikurubi Female Prison which has around 400 inmates.
“The biogas energy that is at Harare Central Prison and the Chikurubi Female Prison is being used mainly for cooking and since it is a pilot project we have not yet taken it to other prisons around the country,” he said.
Biogas is produced from organic waste and is clean, reliable and renewable energy.
It has many different production pathways and various excellent opportunities to use.
Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the anaerobic digestion or fermentation of organic matter including manure, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste, biodegradable waste, energy crops or any other biodegradable feedstock.
Biogas is comprised primarily of methane and carbon dioxide.
One main advantage of biogas is the waste reduction potential.
Biogas production by anaerobic digestion is popular for treating biodegradable waste because valuable fuel can be produced while destroying disease-causing pathogens and reducing the volume of disposed waste products.
Biogas burns more cleanly than coal, and emits less carbon dioxide per unit of energy.
The residues from the digestion process can be used as high quality fertiliser.
Biogas containing methane is a valuable product of anaerobic digestion which can be utilised in the production of renewable energy.
It is important to note that biogas can be used for generating electricity and heat.
In addition, biogas can be cleaned and upgraded to natural gas quality.
The final product is bio methane, which has methane content between 95 and 100 percent.
This bio methane is suitable for all natural gas applications: for instance, it can be fed into the natural gas grid or used for transport in vehicles.