Biogas For Rural Communities
Biogas For Rural Communities
Vaibhav Nasery
Roll No. 08D11007
Under the guidance of
Prof. A. B. Rao
Center for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas Indian Institute of Technology Bombay May 2011
Abstract
This report presents a preliminary study of two highly successful rural biogas models wherein biogas is produced and utilized as a cooking fuel by the villagers. The two models studied are the Community Biogas plant established by SUMUL Dairy at Bhintbudrak, Gujrat and the Individual Biogas plants established by Bhagirath Pratisthan (an NGO) in south Konkan region of Maharashtra. Various aspects including design, operation, economics and benefits to the stakeholders have been described. The report ends with a comparison of the two models studied on the basis of their design, vision, performance, economics and benefits.
Contents
1. Introduction..... 5 1.1 India`s Energy Scenario...5 1.2 Why Biogas?......................................................................................6 1.3 Factors hindering the spread of biogas plants..7 1.4 Objectives of the study.8 2. Community Biogas Plant.........9 2.1 Introduction...................9 2.2 Background..10 2.3 Birth of the idea....12 2.4 The promoter: SUMUL Dairy..12 2.5 Methodology & Construction...12 2.6 Overview of the plant...15 2.7 Design...16 2.8 Operation & Maintenance19 2.9 Preliminary economic analysis.22 2.10 Benefits to the stakeholders25 2.11 Reasons for success27 2.12 Shortcomings..27 2.13 Expansion & Replication28 3. Individual Biogas Plants.......29 3.1 Introduction ..29 3.2 Background ...........................29 3.3 Birth of the idea ................29 3.4 The promoter: SUMUL Dairy..30 3.5 Vision....31 3.6 Methodology & Construction....32 3.7 Overview of the plant....35
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3.8 Design35 3.9 Operation & Maintenance..37 3.10 Preliminary economic analysis....38 3.11 Benefits to the stakeholders.39 3.12 Reasons for success.40 4. Comparison of the two models41 5. Future work...44 Appendix 1..45 Appendix 2 .50 Acknowledgements.51
The dream of India as a strong nation will not be realized without self reliant, self-sufficient villages, this can be achieved only through social commitment & involvement of the common man."
- Anna Hazare
1. Introduction
1.1. Indias energy scenario
Mahatma Gandhi, in his vision for India, envisaged a system of devolved, self-sufficient communities, sustaining their needs from the local environment, and organizing income generating ventures around co-operative structures. Sixty years on, and Gandhiji's vision of Swadeshi (self-sufficiency) for India is perhaps more urgent than ever. Diminishing forests and a burgeoning, mainly rural biomass-dependent population of around 70% of the total population necessitates a co-ordinated effort of rural India to supply itself with a dependable and sustained source of energy. Biomass alone currently meets almost half of the national energy demand, yet is rarely featured in any 'official' statistics of energy use, given perhaps its scattered nature, and its low status as fuel. Fuel wood is the primary source of biomass, derived from natural forests, plantations, woodlots and trees around the homestead. Alarm regarding the state of India's forests has kick started an intense afforestation and forest regeneration scheme that attempts to share management of forest resources between the forest department and local user communities. India's overall energy production is considerably less than its overall energy consumption. India's energy demand is increasing, and its inability to step up production to meet demand, has increased India's reliance on costly imports, the gap between consumption and production projected to widen into the next century, as demand for energy is projected to grow at an annual rate of around 5% - one of the highest in the world. Energy for developing industries, transport, and a drive towards the electrification of India over the last three decades have contributed to the energy production deficit.
TABLE 1.1 Estimated Potential of Rural Energy Sources in India (Source: MNRE, 2008) Source Biomass energy Solar energy Wind energy Small hydropower Ocean energy Approx. Potential (MWs) 19,500 20,000 47,000 15,000 50,000
In an attempt to stem the projected deficit between production and consumption, particularly for the expanding rural sector, the government is pursuing alternative measures of energy provision. Renewable energy potential is high on the subcontinent. Table 1.1, above, lists the estimated potential of various renewable energy sources. Energy from solar, wind, hydro and ocean all have a significant future potential to play in a mixed energy production scenario. However, of particular interest here, in the context of providing a devolved, sustainable energy supply for the burgeoning rural sector in India, is the potential of biogas; the gas created as a product of anaerobic digestion of organic materials.
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The government views biogas technology as a vehicle to reduce rural poverty, and as a tool in part of a wider drive for rural development. To promote and disseminate information about biogas technology specifically, the government has organized the National Project on Biogas Development nation-wide, and several NGO's have been active in implementing the program on the ground. Currently, there are thought to be about 2.5 million (Dutta et al., 2007) household and community biogas plants installed around India.
Therefore more is returned to the land. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, the slurry that is returned after methanogenesis is superior in terms of its nutrient content as the process of methane production serves to narrow the carbon:nitrogen ratio (C:N), while a fraction of the organic nitrogen is mineralised to ammonium (NH4+), and nitrate (NO3-), the form which is immediately available to plants. Thus, it can be seen that biogas is the appropriate rural energy sources which matches with Mahatma Gandhis vision of a system of devolved, self-sufficient communities.
necessarily the decision makers in a household, and the men of the household may not consider benefits, which mainly accrue to women, to be of significant urgency. Some of the problems discussed above may be overcome, through effective selection processes for the technology, and proper extension and support services. By all accounts, the government does not seem to be effectively organized to achieve such a goal, and a high number of non-operative biogas plants are likely to continue. Criticisms of National Program on Biogas Development have been widely articulated, from the lax selection process, to the arbitrary fixing of regional targets, which are then pursued. Further, when complications have arisen in the functioning of plants, a common complaint articulated is that there is a lack of available technical support. In this way, plants are allowed to fall into disrepair, when their functioning depends upon adequate maintenance skills, which should be available in every village. There is a danger that biogas may come to be thought of as a useless and inappropriate initiative, a folly imposed from policy makers and NGO's. To overcome such organizational errors, micro-planning is essential so that genuinely appropriate biogas technology is made available to rural communities. Also it is very important to promote the participation of local people in the whole process of education, planning and monitoring, so that the renewable technology is viable and sustainable in the communities it is designed to serve.
4. Institutional: a. Complex procedures to obtain loan, subsidy and repair charges. b. Inadequacy of funding. c. Lack of masons and skilled labour.
As we see, establishment and proper functioning of community biogas plants is difficult. One of the very few successful community biogas plants in India is the plant in Bhintbudrak village (Taapi district, Gujrat). This plant was constructed by Surat District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd, abbreviated as SUMUL with the support and co-operation of local villagers. The plant produces biogas which is distributed to the villagers through underground pipes. The gas supplied is used as a fuel for cooking by the villagers. The production of vermicompost from the output slurry makes this project economically viable. The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy took a note of this project and formulated a scheme which is known as BFFP (Biogas & fertilizer plant). The following section of this report describes the Bhintbudrak Community biogas plant in detail. Various aspects such as vision of establishment, design, performance, economics, externalities etc have been discussed.
2.2 Background
Bhintbudrak is a village in Uchhal taluka of the Taapi district in Gujrat. Bhintbudrak is located almost on the Gujrat-Maharashtra border, very close to the town of Navapur in Maharashtra. The village consists around 500 families (Population- around 2200), all of which are milk suppliers to the nearby Surat District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd (SUMUL). Majority of these 500-odd households are closely spaced in the heart of the village; the rest being considerably far and scattered. Figure 2.1 shows the satellite map of the village.
Fig. 2.1 Satellite map of Bhintbudrak showing closely spaced households (Source: Wikimapia)
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Almost 90% of the total number of households possess cattle or other bovine animals, the number of cattle at each household ranges from 2-6. With this cattle population, the village is able to provide around 2400 liters of milk daily to the SUMUL dairy. The animal stalls are in the front yard/backyard/porch of the household in most of the cases. The animals are allowed to graze in the free pastures of the village or in some cases fed in the stall itself. One cow produces around 10-12 kg cow dung per day. Before the establishment of the biogas plant, this cow dung used to be dried and processed into dung cakes which were then used to fuel gobar chullas or sold annually to external contractors at Rs. 800-1200 per tractor load. Apart from the milk business, majority of the villagers are farmers. Maize, sugarcane are the major crops produced. Villagers here have always been open to newer, more beneficial technological advances. Many farmers have adopted mechanized methods for farming operations along with hybrid seeds and chemical fertilizers. Farmers have started cultivating crops like ginger, ladyfinger to achieve more economic returns. The groundwater levels are high due to nearby Ukai dam. Therefore, the village has adequate water supply by the means of wells and bore wells. Bhintbudrak, being in Gujrat, is connected to the grid for electricity which ensures an electricity supply at par with urban areas of the country. This has made the induction and fruitful use of modern technical advances easy. For instance, electric pumpsets are used for irrigation. Many of the households are equipped with air coolers, television sets, satellite dishes for television which shows their economic stability. The proximity to a town (Navapur) makes this village connected to the changes, developments in the outside world. Villagers can make use of facilities like higher secondary education/English medium schools in Navapur easily. Many developmental or other activities and changes are catalyzed by the proximity to a semi-urban town. The village does not have toilets. People still tend to use open spaces instead of closed toilets. Before the biogas supply, the main fuel for cooking was dried dung cakes. Wood, cut down from nearby forests was also used in some households. Use of LPG cylinders increased due to the government scheme of free cylinders to below-poverty-line families. The main administrative structure of the village consists of the village co-operative (known as Doodh Mandali). This entity controls the milk accounts of each household with SUMUL which is the major revenue source of the villagers. The village co-operative here is by far a highly efficient, productive administration as compared to similar structures in India. The cooperative has completed developmental works such as RO purified drinking water, piped water supply to the households and of course the successful biogas plant. This work of the co-operative has been recognized and awarded time-to-time by various government and nongovernment agencies. Bhintbudrak villagers are generally co-operative; no major quarrels amongst themselves. Moreover, they are willing to adopt new technology, new ideas. The mental resistance towards change is somewhat low compared to other Indian rural setups. Also, almost entire
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village practices Christianity. Single religion of all villagers further reduces the conflicts amongst individuals. All villagers are contributing a fixed sum of money depending on their economic status for the renovation of the village church. This shows the co-operation and sense of unity in the village community. Only this has made the biogas plant a huge success, which was, for that matter, constructed partly through funds raised by public contribution. The village co-operative and villagers here understand the importance of public participation in the development process. This attitude makes the village highly amenable to rapid and sustainable development.
The main external agency the village interacts with apart from the government is SUMUL dairy. The basic point of contact is the supply of milk from the village to SUMUL. But, the interaction between the village and SUMUL is not limited to just the transaction of milk. SUMUL has provided and still provides many technical, social, institutional and economic inputs for the overall development of the village. The establishment of RO purification system is one such example among many others where SUMUL provided all necessary support and mentorship.
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1. Feasibility survey for selection of villages of Surat and Tapi District with the below mentioned criteria: Village Animal Population Geographical condition of village Optimum space for the project Co-operative culture of village Acceptance of new technology Easy availability of Water, Electricity facility Tribal population of the village Proximity to forest lands Distribution of households: should be clubbed together, not scattered Good past experience of Village Milk Cooperative Society
2. Based on the above criteria, Bhintbudrak was selected. 3. After selection of the village, a Project team was formed at SUMUL to study the following aspects: Project details ( Physical) Project Cost (Financial) Material required Fund management Collection and Analysis of village level Data Formation of Village level implementation Committee
4. After collection of all the information related to the concept of cow dung based Bio Gas production and Distribution in Bhintbudrak village, several programs mentioned below were conducted: Awareness Program for the active Leaders of village Awareness Program for all Animal rearing Family Key Objectives of the project Role and Responsibility of the Villagers and Structure formation for successful implementation of the project. Merits and Demerits of the project
5. Also, the following parameters related to the plant were finalized: - Time frame of the implementation of the project - Finance management of the project - Operation and Maintenance of the project - Accounting procedure of the project - Fixing Prices of Dung and Gas distribution to beneficiaries - Site selection for the plant - Use of output (Slurry) to produce Vermicompost 6. Parallely the following programs were conducted: - Training of employees and Committee for Operation of the Project - Regular review of the Project and further improvement of the Project.
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7. After all required paper work and discussions with the beneficiaries completed, the actual construction work started. The construction involved the following steps: - Excavation of two Digester (85 cumt. X 2 nos.) Diameter 7.90 meter and 3.7 meter depth. - Construction of two digesters, Input and Output tanks by brick and steel work. - Lowering and Laying of Bio Gas Pipelines. - Installation of Pressure Regulation system for equal pressure of Bio Gas for all beneficiaries of village. - Work for electricity supply and Water availability. - Construction of Slurry Drying bed. - Construction of vermicompost shed. - Provide all beneficiaries specially designed single Biogas burner with pressure valve. The main construction stages are shown in figure 2.2.
Post-construction role of the promoter: Once the construction and commissioning of the plant was completed as per the steps outlined above, the plant was handed over to the locals i.e. the village co-operative for dayto-day operations. SUMUL continues to act as the mentor to the villagers providing crucial technical, social or economic inputs as and when required. In case of any technical problem, a technician from SUMUL is called for the solution, who promptly comes and handles the problem efficiently. Apart from such occasional help, SUMUL has no active role in the operation of the plant. Entire operation is controlled by the village co-operative which also bears the recurring costs and gets all the revenue generated by the plant. Thus, SUMUL does not expect any revenue out of its initial investment for the plant. A few examples highlighting SUMULs post construction role are listed below: a. The plant had failed soon after its construction owing to corruption and other malpractices of the then supervisor of the plant. SUMUL provided a loan of Rs. 1,50,000 for the revival of the plant. b. The plant faced a technical problem related to the electricity supply to the plant machinery. SUMUL sent in a technical expert to get this issue solved. c. The vermicompost produced at the plant is marketed under SUMULs brand name and marketing license. Although, all the revenue from the vermicompost goes to the village co-operative.
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2.7 Design
Flawless design is the key to smooth and efficient operation of the plant. A small design error can lead to high loss of efficiency or even complete failure of the plant. This plant being a large-scale community biogas plant further emphasizes the need for accurate design. Considerably large design errors can be tolerated in the case of small, individual plants but not in the case of a community plant which is many-fold in size, operational cost, revenue etc as compared to the former. The CBP at Bhintbudrak has two major systems viz. the biogas plant itself and the gas distribution system. Both of these systems are described below. 2.7.1 Design of the plant: The design of the plant is based upon many factors. Some of the major factors imposing specific design constraints have been discussed below. 1. Location of the plant: The site of the plant had to be chosen in the close vicinity of the main settlement of the village. This constraint is imposed as the plant cannot be far off from the beneficiary owing to the daily transport of dung to the plant and piped pressurized gas supply to the beneficiary. 2. Sizing: The size of the plant was primarily decided by the number of beneficiaries that signed up for the project. We see that, 121 beneficiaries = 121*30 kg cow dung per day = 3630 kg per day Plant has a design capacity of 4500 kg per day.
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As the plant operates on a very large scale (comparable to 100 individual plants!), there are many auxiliary systems associated with it. The following subsection describes the major components of the plant and the auxiliary systems. Important Components of the CBP: 1. Mixing tank Water and cow dung is mixed mechanically using pressurized air in the mixing tank. This process of mixing requires electricity supply. 2. Digester There are 2 diesters each of size 85 m3 and floating dome type. The digestion time is 40 days. 3. Pressure regulation tank Gas generated in the floating domes gets transferred to the pressure regulation tank which pressurizes the gas using water column. Gas pressurization is essential for its distribution through underground pipes. 4. Vermicompost sheds Vermicompost sheds are constructed near the plant to process the output slurry into vermicompost. Figures 2.4 and 2.5 show the engineering drawings of the digester and the pressure regulation system respectively.
2.7.2 Design of the gas distribution network The second crucial design aspect is the design of the gas distribution system. Special care has to be taken so that gas is supplied at each household with sufficient and equal pressure, irrespective of the distance of the household from the plant. This is achieved with the help of the pressure regulation system and the robust distribution network. A detailed map of this network along with the location of plant and beneficiary households is shown in figure 2.6.
The number of laborers available for vermicompost production depends on the alternative sources of employment available. For instance, the number of laborers in vermicompost facility goes down during the harvesting season as these local daily wagers work in the fields for harvesting crops. The availability of local laborers has a significant impact on the vermicompost production of the plant. The CBP has a well defined administrative structure. The plant is owned and operated by the village co-operative. The plant supervisor reports to the Chairman of the village co-operative and rest of the staff which includes workers and daily laborers is guided by the supervisor. 2.8.2 Maintenance Timely maintenance drills are essential for smooth functioning of a large utility throughout its entire stipulated life time. The CBP ensures least failure possibility by implementing the following maintenance scheme: Daily checks are performed related to the crucial components. Accordingly the skilled supervisor directs the workers for the required action. In some cases where local solution of the problem is not possible, experts from SUMUL are called upon to deal with the issue. 2.8.3 Failure & Retrieval The plant did not function as planned in the first 8 months after establishment. This failure was suspected to be due to the malpractices/corruption of the then supervisor. A loan of Rs. 1.5 lakh was taken from SUMUL by the co-operative to restart the plant. Surprisingly, the CBP had no major failures in the last 3 years. A minor fault occurred due to electricity supply failure. This hampered the mechanized mixing of dung and water. Villagers were intimated about the failure (and associated non-availability of gas) in advance. A technician was called from SUMUL to address the fault. Also other non-technical methods involving the manual mixing of dung and water were thought of to resume the plant operation at the earliest. Figure 2.7 shows the flow sheet of the daily operations of the CBP.
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Plant staff
Cow dung Mixed to form slurry Water: nearby tank Electricity: grid connection
Individual beneficiary
Digestion
Gas generation
Slurry output
Pressure Regulation
Drying
Distribution
Vermicompost beds
Local labor
Sieving
Bags of 50 kg each
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TABLE 2.3 Source of funds Sr. No. 1 2 3 Source Government subsidy SUMUL contribution Public contribution Total Amount Rs. 10,00,000 Rs. 8,00,000 Rest of the amount Rs. 21,50,000
Figure 2.8 shows the monthly cash and material flow to and from the CBP. Red arrows show the cash flow while black ones show the material flows. As we see in this diagram, the individual beneficiary has a net monetary gain of Rs. 165 per month and the CBP gains around Rs. 75,000 per month. Carbon credits are shown as a dotted line since the plant does not obtain these credits at present. The lion share of vermicompost in the revenue of the plant
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is clear from this diagram. As stated previously, sale of vermicompost is what makes this model economically feasible.
Total dung input = 109 tpm
Individual Beneficiary
Fig. 2.8 Cash and material flows (Numbers based on operations data) TABLE 2.4 Operational Costs of the Plant Yearly (Source: SUMUL) Sr No 1 2 3 Particulars Daily 4.5 MT Dung x 365 Days = 1643 MT 1643 MT X Rs. 250/MT Labor Cost 5 Employees Maintenance ( Painting Gas Tank , oil, diesel etc) Total Operational Cost Amount Rs. 4,10,750 Rs. 1,37,450 Rs. 8,000 Rs. 5,56,200
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TABLE 2.5 Revenue of the CBP Yearly (Source: SUMUL) Sr No 1 2 Particulars Bio Gas Distribution 121 Connection X Rs.150 X 12 Month Vermicompost from Slurry Input dung- 1643 MT yearly from which 60 % obtained as Dry Slurry i.e. 986 MT which produces 592 MT vermicompost which is sold @ rate of Rs. 3000 /MT yearly. Total Revenue Yearly Amount
Rs. 2,17,800
TABLE 2.6 Net Profit (Source: SUMUL) Sr No 1 2 Particulars Operational Cost Yearly Total Revenue Generation Yearly Net Profit from CBP Yearly Amount Rs. 5,56,200 Rs. 19,93,800 Rs. 14,37,600
TABLE 2.7 Other benefits in the terms of rupees (Source: SUMUL) Sr No 1 Particulars Fuel saving 121 Family X 5 Person = 605 X 5 Kg of Woods for Cooking @ 2 Rs. Of Kg X 365 Days After using vermicompost 25 % more income from Crops due to improved Quality and Production i.e. 121 Families get Rs. 20000.00 more per Annum. Revenue Generation from Carbon Credit Yearly Rs. (Expected) Total Other benefits in the terms of rupees. Amount
Rs. 22,08,250
All the economic calculations done by SUMUL are based on the design data. But as the plant is not running at its full capacity, the actual operations numbers vary. The difference between these two calculations is summarized in table 2.8. TABLE 2.8 Difference in design and operations numbers Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 Particulars Design (yearly) 1643 MT 592 MT Rs. 556200 Rs. 1993800 Rs. 1437600
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Operations (yearly) 1278 MT 420 MT Rs. 428450 Rs. 1477800 Rs. 1049350
Cost difference (yearly) Rs. 127750 Rs. 516000 Rs. 127750 Rs. 516000 Rs. 388250
TABLE 2.9 Various Financial indicators Sr. No. 1 2 3 Indicator Simple payback period Net present value IRR Without subsidy 28 months Rs. 23,02,828 (d=20%, n=25 years) 41% (n=25 years) With subsidy 15 months Rs. 33,02,828 (d=20%, n=25 years) 78% (n=25 years)
TABLE 2.10 Economic analysis for the individual beneficiary Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 Particulars Initial investment Cost of gas connection = 150*12 Revenue from cow dung = 30*365*0.35 Net monetary gain Revenue from previous dung disposal system Rs. /year Minimum 1000 (One time) 1800 3832 approx 2032 approx 800-1200
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contributed in increasing the cleanliness in the village. Also spread of diseases due to accumulation of cow dung is now not an issue. Employment generation: The CBP requires 1 supervisor, 4 workers and 10-15 daily wage laborers for its entire operation. All the staff at the plant is local. Thus, the CBP provides employment for the villagers.
4. SUMUL:
CSR: Establishment of this plant can be seen as a corporate social responsibility initiative of SUMUL. Visibility: Huge success of this plant has helped SUMUL gain visibility in various spheres. The vermicompost produced here is marketed under the SUMUL brand name.
5. Environment: Use of clean fuel, proper waste disposal system for cow dung and the prevention of deforestation for firewood are the main benefits to the environment from the plant. It is estimated that the plant can generate carbon credits worth Rs. 2,66,000 annually. Figure 2.9 summarizes the benefits of the CBP.
CBP
Village: Cleanliness & hygiene, Employment generation
2.12 Shortcomings
1. Gas supplied at fixed times of the day. Therefore, villagers have to rely upon alternate fuels if food is to be cooked during those times of the day when gas is not supplied. 2. Inefficiency in operations: The plant is not working in its full capacity considering the amount of gas that can be produced and the amount of vermicompost that can be produced. Vermicompost produced= 400-700 bags/month<700*50=35000 kg/month Amount of vermicompost if entire slurry is utilized= 2.5 tpd*30*0.6= 45000 kg/month Production of vermicompost is limited by the availability of land and labor. There are problems (owner not willing to sell/rent the empty land near the plant which he uses as a pasture for his cattle) in acquiring land near the plant. Laborers are hired on daily wage basis. Therefore, there is no fixed manpower devoted to the vermicompost facility. During harvesting season, laborers (all local) are preoccupied with farming work and hence the vermicompost production goes down.
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Only 35% of the total amount of gas that can be produced from the input cow dung is produced. This may be due to a design error. 3. Non-professional outlook towards the plant operation. A proper business approach would increase the output drastically.
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3.2 Background
Bhagirath Gramvikas Pratisthan works mainly in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts of Maharashtra. Humras, Zarap, Pinguli, Devsu are some of the villages in this region where nearly 100 plants have been constructed by BGP. The background of Zarap village is presented here which is more or less the background of all the villages in this region. Zarap (Kudal taluka, Sindhudurg district) is a village with a population of about 1700. Majority of the villagers here are farmers who cultivate rice as the main crop. Around 80% households possess cattle, number of animal varying from 2-5 per household. The distinct geographical feature seen in these villages is the arrangement of households. The village has clusters of households (called wadi ) separated from each other.
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Fig. 3.1 Map of Sindhudurg showing major beneficiary villages: Devsu, Wajrat, Pinguli, Humras Each of these villages has more than 100 biogas plants constructed by BGP till date.
3.5 Vision
Bhagirath Gramvikas Pratisthan believes that construction of biogas plant in a household is not the end goal, but is a starting point or entry point in the household to achieve further development. Thus, the vision behind the construction of biogas plant is not limited to just the obvious benefits of this plant but incorporates the overall, sustainable development of that particular household. For instance, consider the developments BGP induces in a household once the biogas plant is constructed. After the construction, BGP provides pressure cookers so that the cooking time is further reduced. Now, the woman in the household finds more free time for herself. BGP trains that woman for poultry breeding and provides the initial
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requirements of the setup. Thus, the woman in our example can now generate extra income in the time available due to use of biogas and pressure cookers. Similarly, as the rapport with the household gets established, BGP initiates other secondary development activities such as computer education, primary school tuition classes classes for the children in that household. Figure 3.2 schematically shows the vision of BGP behind the establishment of biogas plants.
Construction of biogas plant: time saved Poultry breeding in free time: income generation Other secondary /tertiary development initiatives
All these other observations give a complete picture of the household which helps BGP plan its entire further development though these observations are not exactly relevant to the biogas construction 2. Survey of the village: Although BGP is involved in construction of individual biogas plants, survey of the entire village level is essential as implementation is easier on larger scale owing to reduced transport and labor costs. A survey form used for the survey at the village level is shown in figure 3.3. This survey includes the number of people in the family, number of animals, amount of firewood required for cooking etc.
3. Based upon the results of the feasibility survey, the village for implementation is determined. 4. Meetings with villagers: A series of meetings with villagers and the local authorities (Sarpanch, Gramsevak) is taken by BGP to convince/persuade the villagers for construction of such biogas plants. BGP also displays flex boards at appropriate locations in the village for creating awareness and capacity building in the village. 5. Construction: BGP trains mason for the construction of biogas plants. A team of such trained masons has been developed over a period of time. In any construction activity, 2 trained and 2 untrained, local masons are involved. The construction of a biogas plant is completed in a very short time span of four days. Material required for the biogas plant such as steel rods, cement etc is procured from a central supplier which helps maintaining quality standards.
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Trained masons
Completion of construction
Grant of subsidy
Sr. No. 1
2 3
Parameter Ownership
Number of beneficiaries Operational since
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Feedstock Capacity Size of digester Digester type Auxiliary systems Input rate Water Slurry Gas supply Gas availability
3.8 Design
As this scheme involves construction of large number of small-size plants, the design is more or less fixed. It is not viable to design each plant separately. Minute changes can be done based on case to case differences in local conditions. BGP has adopted the Deenbandhu ferrocement biogas model for this scheme. The Deenbandhu biogas plant is a fixed dome (underground) plant. Various design parameters of the Deenbandhu model are described in this section. 1. Sizing Table 3.2 shows various details related to the sizing of the plant. TABLE 3.2 Sizing of individual biogas plants
Sr. No. 1 2
Size
1 m3 2 m3
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2. Location The following factors should be considered while deciding the location of the plant plan Distance from the kitchen: 20 20-30 feet Maximum exposure to sunlight preferred Slope towards the outlet preferred The location of the plant should not be close to wells The engineering drawings for this model are shown in figure 3.5.
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3.9.2 Maintenance:
Specific weekly and monthly maintenance schedules need to be followed to ensure proper functioning of the plant. BGP provides the required training regarding the maintenance schedules.
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Cow dung: from household stall Poultry waste, Kitchen waste Water: from nearby wells
Inlet tank
Output slurry
Drying
Use as manure
Sr. No. 1 2 3
Particulars
Labor costs Material and incidental costs Total
Amount
Rs. 3300 Rs. 10000-12,000 Rs. 13000-15000
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Sr. No. 1 2 3
Source
Govt. subsidy Individual contribution Total
Amount
Rs. 8000 Rs. 5000-7000 Rs. 13000-15000
Sr. No. 1 2
3
Indicator
Simple payback period Net present value IRR
Without subsidy
With subsidy
50 months 23 months Rs. 2,811 (d=20%, n=25 Rs. 10,811 years) 24% (n=25 years) 51% (n=25 years)
3. Bhagirath Gramvikas Pratisthan: Starting point for overall sustainable development: BGP considers the construction of biogas plant at a household to be an entry point in the household. Through this entry point it can initiate various other development activities.
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4. Environment: Use of clean fuel, proper waste disposal system for cow dung and the prevention of deforestation for firewood are the main benefits to the environment from the plant. It is estimated that each individual plant can generate carbon credits worth Rs. 2,000 annually. Figure 3.7 summarizes the benefits of the individual biogas plant.
VISION
Primarily established as a means of disposing dung properly; to increase village cleanliness and hygiene in the pretext of bird flu outbreak in nearby areas
Construction of biogas plant in a household is not the end goal, but is a means/starting point/entry point in the household to achieve further sustainable rural development 40 kg per family (per plant) per day 1, 1.5, 2 m3 Majority plants of size 2 m3 150 sq. feet No such additional infrastructure required
DESIGN
Capacity Size
4000-4500 kg per day ( 35 kg per family per day ) 85*2=170 m3 (1.4 m3 per family) ~17000 sq.feet Mixing tank + Mechanized mixing apparatus Electronic balance Pressure regulating tank Fire fighting system Network of pipes, water tank
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PARAMETER Feedstock DESIGN Input rate Output rate Gas distribution/supply to burner Gas burner Water requirement Digestion time Digester type Location
COMMUNITY Cow dung 3.5 tons cow dung per day 2.5 tons slurry per day Using PRT and underground gas distribution pipeline Modified LPG burner 1:1 40 days Floating dome Land of village co-operative; Member households in 700 m radius from the plant Electricity, dedicated staff M/S Excellent Renewable, Valsad
INDIVIDUAL Cow dung, poultry waste, human excreta 40 kg cow dung per day Direct connection to the burner Normal LPG burner 1:1 40 days Fixed dome In the front/back yard of the household; proximity to burner site preferred None Training of masons
OPERATION
Feedstock input
Water input
People involved
Members bring around 25-30 kg dung daily to the plant Dung is mixed with water using pressurized air before it goes into the digester Procured from nearby tank through pipes Tank filled by bore well attached to it Dedicated staff of the plant (5) Daily laborers (10-15) All members (121) bring dung to the plant Taken care of by the dedicated staff Skilled staff, technical help from SUMUL Vermicompost
Dung generated daily (1012 kg per cow per day) in the stall is put into the inlet tank Procured from nearby wells ( maximum 50 feet away in some cases) All operations done by the woman in the household
Fixed maintenance schedules No fixed scheme, case-tocase different approach Dried and used as manure
Potential to replace alternates fully Insufficient in case of emergencies Fixed time of gas supply calls upon use of alternate fuels during other times
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Anytime, subject to the pressure in the dome Low productivity in winters 25 years Potential to replace alternates fully Insufficient in case of emergencies
PARAMETER ECONOMICS
Recurring costs
Revenue
COMMUNITY Rs. 20 lakhs Rs. 12 lakh : Govt. Subsidy Rs. 6 lakh: SUMUL Rs. 2 lakh: Public contribution Cost of dung: .35*3500*30= Rs. 36,750 per month Staff+Electricity+others:1000 0 per month From vermicompost =700*150=Rs. 105,000 p. m. From gas supply= 150*121=Rs. 18,150 p. m. Rs. 23,02,828 (d=20%, n=25) 41% (n=25 years) 28 months
INDIVIDUAL Rs. 13,000 Rs. 8,000: Govt. subsidy Rest: individual contribution Nil apart from incidental expenses
Nil
Convenience
Piped gas
Cooking time reduced Income of Rs. 165 p.m. Improved at the village level Staff, laborers for vermicompost Rs. 2,66,000 p.a. (=Rs. 2,200 per family p.a.) Restricted by the distance from the plant AMUL plans to establish 30 such projects Sumul acts as the mentor providing necessary economic and technical inputs Govt. support, appreciation from various agencies Possible as large amount of gas is generated at the plant
Smoke free cooking Discomfort, health hazards in transport of wood reduced Though gas increases the comfort in cooking, entire O & M of plant can cause discomforts Cooking time reduced No such monetary gain --Masons for plant construction Rs. 2000 per plant p.a.
OTHERS
Not needed Very easy to replicate Bhagirath acts as the buffer between all stake holders fastening the process of sustainable development Govt. , Bank support Not feasible considering small scale of the plant
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5. Future Work
Future work on this topic is essential to fill in the loop holes of this study. Some of the key points which require more work and enquiry are listed below: 1. Design details of the community biogas plants: Major design details of the CBP are missing. A visit to Excellent Renewables in Valsad (the firm which constructed this plant) will throw more light on the design. 2. Critical economic analysis of the CBP: There are significant disagreements in the economic figures on paper and on field. A critical analysis will reveal the true numbers. 3. Interaction with SUMUL and its project team is necessary to figure out important issues in implementation/replication of the community biogas scheme. 4. Correct estimation of Carbon credits involved in both models. 5. Quantity and quality of gas produced in community as well as individual plants needs to be examined. 6. Analysis of land-use patterns, fodder availability, socio-economic condition of the village involved.
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Appendix 1
The community biogas plant and also the individual biogas plants studied here have gained much local as well as national and international media exposure. Some of the newspaper clippings about these plants are presented in this section.
Newspaper clipping (Gujrat Mitra, Date 24.4.2007) ststing the dual benefits of the CBP- gas and money to the tribal villagers
News bulletin in Divya Bhaskar dated 21.4.2007 highlighting the huge income from waste at the Bhintbudrak plant
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Newspaper article in Tarun Bharat about the use of ferrocement for the construction of the dome of the plant
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Appendix 2
The contact details for the two models studied are listed below:
Community Biogas Plant: Bhintbudrak Village, Ucchhal Taluka, Taapi District, GUJRAT Contact person: Mr. Rameshbhai (Chairman, Village co-operative society- doodh mandali) Mr. Kundan (Supervisor, Community biogas plant)
Individual Biogas plants: Bhagirath Gramvikas Pratisthan At post Zarap, Kudal Taluka, Sindhudurg District, MAHARASHTRA Website: www.bhagirathgram.org Email: [email protected] Contact person: Dr. Prasad Deodhar
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Acknowledgements:
First and foremost, I thank my guide Prof. A. B. Rao for his valuable guidance throughout the study. I would also like to thank Mr. Harit Shelat for his help during the initial stages of this project. Villagers of Bhintbudrak and also Zarap, Humras, Devsu have been very cooperative during my field visits to these villages. I am thankful to them for this positive gesture. I also thank Mr. Rameshbhai, Mr. Kundan for the stay arrangements in Bhintbudrak and the entire Deodhar family for my pleasant stay in Zarap. In particular, I am grateful to Dr. Prasad Deodhar who spared time from his busy schedule to take me thorough various aspects of the biogas plants in Sindhudurg. Lastly, I thank Prof. Sohoni and the entire CTARA team for providing this great opportunity to study and interact with various stakeholders involved in the project.
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