Abstract
In spite of the abundance and diversity of renewable energy resources in Africa, a dire energy crisis currently prevails. The adoption of biogas technology in Africa is promising due to its multitude of benefits including energy generation in the form of biogas, waste management and soil ameliorant production. Furthermore, biogas technology is particularly attractive in Africa due to the economic, environmental and social benefits that are associated with the technology as well as the favourable environmental conditions on the African continent that is conducive to the anaerobic digestion process. Anaerobic digestion of the array of organic waste streams that are available in Africa, which range from agricultural, municipal and industrial waste, could aid in the provision of a renewable energy source (biogas), thereby helping to mitigate energy poverty. The socio-economic benefits of adoption of biogas technology are vast. Technology adoption could result in improved health and agriculture, economic prosperity and social benefits. However, even though the technology is widely exploited in selected developing countries, adoption remains in its infancy on the African continent. This has been attributed to numerous factors that range from elevated initial capital costs, absence of support structures, lack of awareness as well as negative perceptions of the technology cast by past failures. Such hurdles need to be overcome to improve technology adoption and reap the multitude of benefits associated with the technology. This chapter provides a brief overview of the current status of biogas technology adoption in Africa with reference to both household and commercial anaerobic digesters. In addition, the feedstock that may be utilised and its availability for the anaerobic digestion process are highlighted. The societal perception of biogas technology and socio-economic impact associated with technology adoption are also outlined. Lastly, barriers impeding biogas technology adoption in Africa and strategies to promote its adoption are discussed.
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Roopnarain, A. et al. (2020). Biogas Technology in Africa: An Assessment of Feedstock, Barriers, Socio-Economic Impact and the Way Forward. In: Balagurusamy, N., Chandel, A.K. (eds) Biogas Production. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58827-4_18
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