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In many cases, the successful commissioning of a few biogas plants generates a keen demand for more plants among local farmers and other interested parties. Consequently, the responsible extension officer often sees himself confronted with the prospect of planning and building more plants. However, before any decision is made in favor of launching a biogas extension program, the extension officer should make an additional detailed analysis of all positive and negative information concerning experience to date with the plants that have already been built. Only if the results so indicate, should he decide to engage in further building and dissemination activities.
On the whole, the question of acceptance covers all aspects of biogas technology discussed in this book (agriculture, engineering/ construction, operation and maintenance, economic viability). In order to avoid redundancy, this chapter is therefore limited to a discussion of general aspects that have not yet been accounted for.
Biogas extension efforts should include special consideration of the role played by women, since it is they and their children who perform much of the important work needed to keep a biogas plant running. This includes tending cattle, collecting substrate, fetching water, operating gas appliances, cooking, spreading digested slurry, etc. In many cultures, however, they are by tradition hardly directly involved in the process of decision making, e.g. the decision "biogas plant: yes/no and how". Nor are they often allowed for in connection with external project planning. In other regions, though, e.g. many parts of West Africa, women are economically independent of their husbands, i.e. they have their own fields, animals and farm-produce marketing channels.
Extension officers charged with planning and building biogas plants often have little or no awareness of the specific local and regional social conventions. Thus, the promotion of participation, the articulation of user interests, and the involvement of local extension workers are all very important for doing them at least some degree of justice.
In general, a general willingness to accept the construction and operation of biogas plants can be expected and/or can be increased by:
Planning/project organization
- involving the users,
especially the women, in all decisions concerning "their" biogas plant
-
coordinating all essential program measures with target group
representatives
- keeping the user/target group informed
- establishing
trustworthy, reliable implementing agency;
Sociocultural
- existing willingness to handle feces and
gas
- identicality of users (beneficiaries) and operators of the respective
biogas plants
- positive image of biogas technology, or image polishing
through biogas plants;
Engineering/construction
- well-functioning, durable and
good-looking plants from the very start
- availability of well-functioning,
inexpensive, modern gas appliances (burners, lamps, refrigerators, etc.)
-
user friendliness of plants and appliances
- guaranteed supply of materials
and spare parts and assured repair and maintenance;
Agriculture
- stabling practice or tendency toward such
practice
- effective time savings, e.g. by direct connection of the biogas
plant to the barn
- willingness to use digested slurry as fertilizer,
knowledge of storage and spreading techniques, and appreciation of the positive
effects of fertilizing
- availability of suitable, inexpensive slurry
spreading implements;
Economy
- reasonable expense in terms of money and work
involved (as viewed from the user's standpoint)
- real and, for the user,
obviously positive cost-bereft ratio (not necessarily just in terms of
money)
- favorable financing(loans,subsidies),
Household advantages
- improved working conditions in the
kitchen (less smoke and flies, better appearance, modernization)
-
introduction or improvement of artificial lighting
- effective workload
reduction
- complete, reliable supply of energy through biogas.
It is very important that the biogas extension officer seek intensive contact with the potential plant users and local decision makers in order to maximize the chance of early detection of any deficits regarding the acceptance of biogas technology in order to promptly modify and improve the project strategy as necessary.
Ideally, there are two basic strategies for disseminating family-size biogas plants (cf. table 9.1). The original "classic" approach to biogas dissemination - the self-helporiented approach - has in many regions now taken a backseat to the newer professional-artisan approach. While the "do-it your self 7' approach has the advantage of reaching target groups with relatively little capital and of being applicable in regions with a few or more scattered biogas plants, recent project experience has shown that the professional-artisan strategy leads to a faster and numerically more substantial process of dissemination (once the artisans have been adequately familiarized with the work involved) and that it does more to promote self-supporting local structures.
Since biogas technology is still regarded as "something new" in most developing regions - even though some pilot plants may already be in operation - the extension officer must very carefully study the regional preconditions for a successful approach to biogas dissemination. This involves getting answers to the following questions:
- What kind of infrastructure does the region have in the way of roads, highways, means of transportation, etc.? The biogas dissemination concept and its timetable must be designed to conform to the given situation.
- How much of the required material is locally available? How
much locally unavailable material can be imported without difficulty? Naturally,
as much locally available material as possible should be used for building,
maintaining and repairing the plants.
Table 9.1: Biogas
dissemination strategies (ideal case) (Source: OEKOTOP)
|
A. Professional-artisan approach |
B. Self-help-oriented approach |
|
Dissemination of "turnkey" biogas plants, primarily through professional artisans |
Motivated, interested users do part of the construction work |
|
Preconditions: |
Preconditions: |
|
Adequate capital on the part of the owners/users |
Willingness to contribute own efforts (building, main tenance, etc.) |
|
Motivated, qualifiable artisans |
User training is highly relevant |
|
High plant density with good income prospects for the artisans |
Government or development aid assumes part of the cost for low-income users |
|
Good supply of materials to the artisans, possibly through cooperation between the statal and private sectors; statal sector functions as source of know-how |
Well-organized biogas project with adequate presence (despite low plant density) for giving advice, helping to build the plants, and offering technical solutions for a wide diversity of task situations |
|
Measures: |
Measures: |
|
Offering a complete biogas plant, i.e. a standardized, tested type of plant of a size adequate to the needs of the user, including gas appliances |
Offering both standard-type systems and solutions for special problems; reaching out to remote areas |
|
Repair and supply of spare parts by and through local artisans |
The project provides the plant elements that can't be built by the users themselves |
|
Qualification of local artisans for planning, building and repairing standardized biogas plants |
In addition to local artisans, the users themselves are given training in building, repair and maintenance |
|
Cost reduction through standardization |
The project secures locally unavailable materials |
| |
Provision of assistance to the user in the form of subsidies/loans |
Table 9.2:
Innovation cycle of biogas dissemination (Source: OEKOTOP)
Regional studies/target groups (ethnological, socioeconomic)
Market analysis (biomass potential, energy demand, purchasing power, market potential, prior state of development, biogas technique, suppliers)
Analysis of implementation (general make-up and organizational structure, finances, personnel qualifications, relation to target group(s)/regional anchorage, political weight)
Formulation of concept
R & D phase, development and adaptation of suitable type of plants to accommodate different areas of service
Installation and operation of pilot plants
Establishment of local partners (artisans, self-help organizations)
Familiarization and training of users, artisans, engineers/planners, advisors, financing institutions, political decision-makers, Media/means: workshops, on-the-job training, handbills, manuals, demonstration models, pictorial material, radio, television
Continuous improvement and sophistication of solutions found (technology, dissemination strategy, organization)
- Are enough adequately qualified and motivated extension workers and craftsmen readily availabe?
- Is there an implementing agency with adequate performance potential and access to the future plant users, thus providing a basis for mutual-thrust cooperation?
Ascertainment of the extent to which the above preconditions are either being met already or could be satisfied through appropriate measures is part of the "biogas innovation cycle" outlined in table 9.2.
As a rule, biogas programs are implemented by national, state or parastatal institutions. As detailed in chapter 9.4, construction is done by artisans.
In selecting a implementing agency, it is advisable to consider
the criteria listed in table 9.3 as a basis for evaluating the qualifications of
the implementing agency.
This catalogue can be used to examine existing
project partners for real or potential shortcomings with regard to
biogas-related task accomplishments with a view to helping them reorganize in
order to better handle the job at hand.
Table 9.3: Catalogue of
attributes for partners in biogas dissemination projects (Source: OEKOTOP)
Legal form/institutional category (ministry, bank, research institute, rural development institution, etc.)
Work scopes/specialties
- experience with biogas and other
renewable energy systems
- experience in rural development
Institutional action principle (break-even operation, maximization of profits, heavy dependence on subsidies)
Managerial organization
- organizational structure
(entrenched hierarchy? teamwork? codetermination?)
- classification
and-institutional significance of the biogas program within the executing
organization
- institutional flexibility
Staff endowment for the biogas project - number and qualifications (special emphasis on agricultural engineers, farmers, technicians, social economists, masons and plumbers, office workers/administrators) - training offered or possible - wage and salary structure - fluctuation, migration
Sundry institutional appointments
- office space, vehicles,
telephone, teletex, workshops
- financial endowment of the biogas project
(for personnel, transportation, materials and spare parts, public relation
activities, etc.)
- potential for providing complementary services in
connection with biogas (financing, technical and socioeconomic
consultancy,
maintenance & repair services, etc.)
Interest in the biogas project
- own commercial interest in
biogas
- connection with and proximity to the target group and/or to
artisans, probability of target group participation
- chances of implementing
a national or regional biogas extension program
- domestic
importance/prevailing power
Table 9.4: Institutional
breakdown of biogas-dissemination tasks and activities (applies in particular to
the professional-artisan approach discussed in chapter 9.2) (Source:
OEKOTOP)
|
Task/Activity |
Local artisans |
Users |
Proj.-executing organization |
|
Biogas-program planning; R&D (appropriate gas applicances and equipment); dissemination strategy concept |
participation |
participation |
respponsibility |
|
Individual-plant planning, possibly including the development of standardized plant components |
responsibility |
participation |
respponsibility |
|
Provision to users of info and advice |
responsibility |
- |
suppport |
|
Financing |
- |
own capital |
loans/subsidies |
|
Plant construction: |
| | |
|
- digester excavation |
implementation |
assistance |
plannning |
|
- masonry and metalwork |
implementation |
assistance |
plannning |
|
- installation of gas pipes and appliances |
implementation |
assistance |
plannning |
|
- adaptation of animal housing |
implementation |
assistance |
plannning |
|
Procurement of materials and appliances |
local materials |
- |
imported/rationed goods |
|
Commissioning/operational advice |
responsibility; plant-specific |
recipients |
suppport; agricultural extension services |
|
Maintenance |
support |
implementation |
- |
|
Repair |
implementation |
assistance |
assistance |
|
Artisan training |
recipients |
- |
implementation |
|
Establishment and development of purchasing and marketing channels for biogas artisans |
need promotion |
- |
responsibility |
|
Establishment of a legal framework, e.g. war | |
| |
|
ranties, liabilities, etc. |
- |
- |
respponsibility |
From past experience with inefficient public sponsors and their distance to small-farm target groups, many biogas projects strive to coordinate the activities of private businesses and govermental project organisations through:
- local-scale biogas dissemination work by involving local artisans through personal~ initiative and customer orientation
- securing the political and organizational framework through regional/supraregional state/parastate sponsors.
The main objective of providing assistance to artisans in connection with biogas projects is to build up self-supporting local structures and promote the formation of regional business cycles with the appropriate effects on technological innovation, employment and income. An efficient form of biogas dissemination, i.e. one based on a good cost/ benefit ratio, is envisaged.
Nonetheless, the following points should be heeded when trying to get local artisans involved in the process of biogas dissemination:
- How many qualified craftsmen (masons, welders, plumbers, etc.) are available for work on the project and/or in the villages? To the extent possible, the biogas extension officer should rely on artisans who live and work within the project area.
- How much interest do the artisans have in the project, and how well-motivated are they? What are their expectations regarding income? What is the least number of plants that have to be built in order to guarantee a craftsman a full income or at least a satisfactory sideline income?
- How many and what kind of tools and implements do the artisans have and need? How can the lacking equipment be financed?
Important workscopes for artisans
Depending on the local situation, the artisans' workscopes and competences can vary substantially from place to place. Still, a general breakdown of task scopes can be drawn up for the local craftsmen, the biogas project, the official implementing agency and the user when it comes to planning and operating a biogas plant (cf. table 9.4). The biogas artisans are generally responsible for the following tasks:
- detailed planning of plants for individual sites (presupposing the availability of standardized or modular plant components that are adequate for the situation and can be installed with no substantial degree of modification at any suitable site)
- providing advisory services and information to the users
- all work in connection with building and starting the plant, from the digester excavation to the masonry and plumbing - for which the requisite tools and materials must be procured
- any necessary maintenance and repair work.
Both the quality standards for the work to be done and the success of the biogas dissemination efforts are heavily dependent on the presence of qualified craftsmen, particularly masons, in the project region.
The training measures address different target groups, each with their own specific training contents and methods (cf. table 9.5):
- the engineers and extension officers, who are to do the planning and assume advisory duties
- the artisans, who are to build the plants and keep them in repair
- the owners, who require qualification for operating the plants efficiently and,possibly, know-how for performing at least some of the building, maintenance and repair work on their own.
The following items require consideration in connection with biogas training measures:
- Training courses and training material must be held/written in the national or regional language.
- The training material must correspond to the specific targetgroup situation, e.g. experience has been good with loose-leaf material that can be compiled and revised as necessary to fit the needs of each particular target group.
- The demonstration models must agree with the types of plant actually proposed, i.e. do not dry to explain the abstract principle of an oil-drum model or put a fixed-dome on display, when floating-drum plants are supposed to be installed.
- A great deal of practical training must be provided. Positive experience has been made with integrated workshops in which theoretical training is combined with hands-on experience in the construction of a real plant.
- Women must be included in the training measures.
Supraregional workshops, even going beyond the country's borders
(allowing the exchange of experience from country to country) are a worthwhile
training device for engineers, extension officers and, to some extent, artisans.
Training/attendance certificates are recommended as a means of developing
training standards and motivating trainees to participate in the courses
offered.
Table 9.5:
Target-group-oriented biogas training measures (Source: OEKOTOP)
|
Target group |
Training elements |
Contents |
Duration |
Instructor |
|
Engineers, local extension officers |
Seminars and field trips, national workshops, supra- regional conferences serving to effect technology transfer |
Function of various types of biogas plants and peripheral equipment, use of digested slurry, maintenance and repair problems, macro- and microeconomic analysis/evaluation, project management |
several blocks of approx. 1 week each |
biogas experts, agricultural experts, social economists |
|
Artisans |
Integrated workshops with theoretical + practical training, incl. On- the-job training (OJT) |
Function of selected types of plants, design and construction per drawing, use of local materials, maintenance & repair |
workshops lasting several days, participation in plant construction |
engineers, experienced artisans |
|
Users |
Field trips to operable plants, participation in workshops On-the-spot training (own plant) |
Function of selected types of plants, operation and optimal use, fertilizing with digested slurry, maintenance & repair |
2-3 days, regular on- site back- stopping |
local biogas/ agricultural extension workers |
|
Women |
On-the-spot training (own plant), local evening courses |
Plant function, operation and optimal use, working with biogas cookers |
continuous familiarization (women!) |
local biogas extension workers |
Small farmers in particular rarely have the DM 1000 - 2500 or more it takes to cover the cost of a biogas plant. Consequently, "mixed-financing models" with the three elements own capital/contribution, subsidy and loan must be available.
Own capital/contribution
While a potential user may not be able to fully finance a biogas plant by himself, he must be expected to carry at least 30 - 40% of the initial outlay, possibly in the form of contributed work like digester excavation, procuring building materials, etc.
Subsidies
The economic benefits of a biogas plant can be quite modest, e.g. when it serves as a substitute for wood that can be gathered for free. The overall benefits, however, including such environmental factors as the protection of forests, can be very substantial. Consequently, the user of the plant should be eligible for subsidies to make up the difference. Such subsidies may consist of:
- contributions to the cost of construction in the form of needed materials (metal gasholder, cement, fittings, etc.), such frequently scarce goods and materials also including those needed for repairs and replacements, e.g. rustproofing for the gasholder,
- free planning and consulting
- assumption of interest debt on loans.
On the whole, however, subsidies have the following drawbacks:
- Market prices can become distorted, and needed capital can be falsely invested.
- Subsidies intended explicitly for the needy may end up in the hands of well-todo groups.
In addition, prior project experience has shown that user motivation is frequently lower in the case of heavily subsidized plants than in the case of plants that have been evaluated and built on a commercial basis.
Loans
The monetary returns from a biogas plant, particularly those from a small family-size one, are often meagre in comparison to the cost of investment. In other words, the plant hardly pays for itself in terms of real income. Additionally, since most small farmers have no access to commercial loans, but should not be expected to accept an excessive risk of indebtedness, it can be quite difficult to arrange biogas-plant credit financing for that group of users. The following conditional factors therefore should be investigated prior to setting up any particular credit program:
- first, check out all other funding alternatives, e.g. owned capital;
- then, conduct a detailed socioeconomic analysis of the target group and farms, e.g. which farm can afford how much debt burden?;
- next, clarify the institutional tie-in, i.e. involvement of rural development banks or credit unions;
- and, lastly, establish the program quality, e.g. isolated or integrated credit programs, the latter including technical and economic extension services, training, plant maintenance and repair.
If the appraisal shows that there is available within the region a credit program that is open to the financing of biogas plants and would offer favorable conditions, e.g. a soft-loan program, then the biogas program should rely on it. Establishing an independent credit program without the assistance of an experienced institution is usually so complicated as to overtax an individual project.
A pragmatic loan-tendering model could be designed along the following lines:
- Development-aid funds are put in a time-deposit account at a rural development bank. The bank agrees to provide loans amounting to several times the deposited amount for the purpose of financing biogas plants.
- The loans are not given directly to the beneficiary (plant owners), but channeled through a biogas extension office.
- The office does not issue the loans in cash, but in the form of materials (cement, metal gasholders, etc.).
- The material is issued on the basis of construction progress.
- Repayment of the loans is supervised by the biogas extension office with the assistance of the aforementioned rural development bank.
- A loan guarantee fund into which, say, 10% of each granted loan is fed helps out in case of loan arrears.
This model involves the following risks:
- The biogas extension office may be overburdened by the task of investigating creditability, granting loans and helping to monitor repayment of the loans.
- The guarantee fund could dry up due to default on the part of the beneficiaries, or because the loans were not properly calculated on a break-even basis (inflation, inadequate interest).
Such problems can be overcome in the medium-to-long term by
establishing credit unions. That process, though, demands lots of experience and
can normally be expected to by far surpass the project terms. Credit unions
backed by the plant owners could gradually replace the development-aid part of
the lending program. Also, the credit unions could assume responsibility for the
aforementioned loan guarantee fund, thus gaining a say in the control of
repayment. In most cases, that would improve the lending program's reflux quota
while helping to establish rural self-help organizations - a goal that should be
viewed as an implicit element of any biogas program.
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