Research Article Open Access

Potentiality of Biogas as Renewable Energy Technology and its role for the Conservation of Environment

Maheshwor Poudel1, Pabitra Adhikari1 and Ramesh Man Singh2
  • 1 Tribhuvan University, Nepal
  • 2 Centre for Energy and Environment - Nepal, Nepal

Abstract

The study shows the status of biogas as a Renewable Energy Technology (RET) and its role in the conservation of environment by reducing the consumption of fuelwood and Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emission. 95 household survey, 10 key informant interviews, 3 focus group discussion and direct observatory technique were used for primary data collection. Fuelwood was found to be dominant energy resource which comprises 93.73% of total energy and rest 6.27% of energy was supplied by other sources of energy. The fuelwood consumption was 71.29 GJ per year per household which emits 646.1 tCO2e. The study shows that the annual GHGs reduction was found 7.62 tCO2e per biogas plant. On the basis of population of the agriculture based livestock of the study area, there was the possibility of 84 biogas plants of size 6 m3 which can reduce the total 638.82 tCO2e of GHGs emission per year. The study showed that the use of biogas technology can save 46.67% of fuelwood which can conserve 217.32 tons of fuelwood per year per household. The simple payback period in term of fuelwood saved for the construction of 6 m3 biogas plant was found to be only 4.08 years. Thus, the reduction or substitution of fuelwood as a primary energy resource, reduction of the GHGs emission and high potentiality of biogas in the area with adequate number of agriculture based livestock clearly indicates that biogas is as a suitable RET in reducing GHGs emission and helps in mitigating climate change.

American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Volume 9 No. 4, 2016, 1158-1163

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ajeassp.2016.1158.1163

Submitted On: 2 June 2016 Published On: 16 December 2016

How to Cite: Poudel, M., Adhikari, P. & Singh, R. M. (2016). Potentiality of Biogas as Renewable Energy Technology and its role for the Conservation of Environment. American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 9(4), 1158-1163. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajeassp.2016.1158.1163

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Keywords

  • Fuelwood
  • Greenhouse Gases
  • Biogas
  • Renewable Energy Technology