As South Africa marks Energy Month, Head of Unisa’s Institute for the Development of Energy for African Sustainability (IDEAS) Prof Tonderayi Matambo says it is important to come up with eco-friendly ways of producing energy to counter global warming.
Unisa together with Exxaro and the South African National Energy Development Institute have started a biogas project aimed at turning horse manure into power at Earth Centre in Ruimsig, Johannesburg.
A biogas project launched at the Earth Centre. (Earth Centre)
A biodigester was installed at the centre. A biodigester can be compared to a mechanical stomach. Once it is installed, it can be “fed” with organic waste from various farm animals. It is then decomposed by micro-organisms to produce biogas such as methane and carbon, which can be supplied to buildings as a renewable energy.
Matambo says at the moment the current energy used in terms of fossil fuel is depleting.
He says, “We need to look at alternatives, there is wind, there is solar but they are relatively expensive but biogas is regarded as the cheapest source of renewable energy, which anybody can have.”
Matambo says people should change the perception that biogas is a dirty source of fuel.
“We are educating schools and communities in terms of looking at alternative ways of producing energy, if we can do this, we can actually help the less privileged rather than waiting for government to supply them with electricity whereby you can go ahead and produce your own electricity. Biogas is environmentally friendly.”
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