article · Energy and Policy Research
An evaluation of the National Biogas Programme in the Tigray region of Ethiopia reveals both rapid adoption and severe operational challenges. Over seven years, more than 3,600 domestic biogas plants were installed, primarily used for household cooking and lighting. However, dissemination was unevenly distributed, with over 60 percent of plants located in just four districts. Successful adoption required households to possess at least four cattle, nearby water access, construction materials, and the physical capacity to operate digesters. Installations were co-funded by the government, donors, and householders, with peer recommendations serving as the most effective promotional mechanism. Despite delivering environmental advantages, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions and bio-slurry fertiliser production, 58.1 percent of installed biogas plants were found to be non-operational due to incomplete installation, technical failures, and inadequate supervision.
Rural energy transitions often falter after initial capital deployment. By showing that over half of installed domestic digesters stopped working, this study demonstrates that installing infrastructure is insufficient on its own. For funders, policymakers, and communities, sustainable rural energy relies fundamentally on ongoing technical support, quality control during construction, and follow-up maintenance to deliver promised emissions reductions and health benefits.
The findings inform energy service companies, equipment suppliers, and rural development organisations operating in decentralised renewable energy. Because the systems represent an applied, deployed technology, the primary commercial opportunity is not in new digester design, but in viable aftercare and maintenance models. Enterprise solutions that provide certified technical supervision, repair parts, and installation completion services could directly unlock value by restoring the 58.1 percent of non-operational rural installations.
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A sustainable rural energy supply is one of the ways of reacting to the increasing global, national, and local environmental problems. Dissemination of biogas plants as an alternative rural energy source has significant environmental benefits. The main objective of the study is to assess the dissemination process of biogas plants in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. It analyzes the current biogas development program of the region in line with its environmental aspects. The study has employed a descriptive research type with mixed research approaches. Questionnaires, key informant interviews, observation, and archival analysis were the instruments used to collect data. Nonprobability sampling (Judgmental) method was used to select sampling frames, and snowball sampling techniques were employed to select the final respondents. Collected data were analyzed in narrative and descriptive ways. Most biogas adopters were male households with an average age of 47 years old, and most of them were married with an average household size of 6. Regarding their educational level, most of the biogas adopters were illiterate. In this study, it is found that the first biogas plant in the Tigray region was planted in 2009 through the National Biogas Program of Ethiopia. During the last seven years more than 3,600 biogas plants were installed in the region with an increasing annual biogas installation rate. However, the distribution was uneven as more than 60% of the biogas plants were installed in only four districts (out of the total 34 districts) of the region. Most of the biogas plants are being used for both cooking and lighting. Owning at least four cows/oxen; near access to water supply; sufficient area for biogas digester installment; access to construction materials; and physical capability to operate the digester are the basic requirements of biogas plant adoption. "Satisfied customer telling friends" is found to be the best promotional tool of biogas use. Installation of biogas plants is found to be half funded; adopters have to supply construction materials, and the rest of the appliances are supplied by donors and the government. The most essential finding of the study is that 58.1% of the installed biogas plants were found to be nonoperational. This is due to incomplete installation, technical problems, and limited supervision. Abridged methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon emissions, improved manure management and environment, reduced indoor pollution, and use of bio-slurry as fertilizer are found to be the key environmental aspects related to biogas use.
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DOI: 10.1080/23815639.2017.1280432
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