Providing rural Indian households with a cleaner, more sustainable fuel source for cooking
Rural Indian families traditionally cook on inefficient, wood-fired mud stoves which emit large amounts of health-harming smoke. Collecting firewood is also arduous – women often travel long distances on foot each day, spending further time cooking.
as clean-burning biogas will reduce the incidence of smoke-related illness
installed in Indian households, providing an affordable and clean fuel source for cooking
mitigated on average each year with this fuel sustainable fuel switch
as families cook with clean biogas instead of burning woody locally-sourced biomass
This project involves installing biogas systems in rural Indian households to generate a sustainable energy source that can be used for cooking instead of firewood. These domestic biogas systems feature a fixed underground digester chamber made from locally available brick with an additional layer of cement mortar forming the roof. They are fed with manure, which is easily available for rural families who usually keep animals like goats. As the manure ferments, it releases methane, which is captured for cooking and heating water. The by-product, slurry, is used as an organic fertiliser for the families crops, making an efficient circular system.
This project creates a range of community benefits that are transforming daily life, particularly for women who are no longer burdened with collecting firewood. As well as easing pressure on nearby forests, the project also cuts GHG emissions. Household and community health is improved too, the clean-burning biogas does not create indoor smoke, it reduces the risk of burns and provides a means to dispose of livestock waste, aiding rural sanitation.
