Renewable and rural development. Application of science for the development of communities.

1. Biogas Renewable Energy Pilot Project Villages
Prepared by: Dr. David Tinarwo

2. 2021/09/21
Motivation: Important provincial statistics
Quick Facts from Stats SA (2021):
- Wood usage as energy source -
LP (31,6%) and MP (16,2%)
- Unemployment nationally - 2021 - Q2
= 34,4%
- HHs involved in some agric.
activities, LP (38,2%), EC(30,4%),
MP(28,1%)
Combat poverty:
• Improve household income,
• Improve food security,
• Improve cooking / heating energy
• Improve access enough clean water
• Mitigate and adapt to climate change
effects
Needed is:
Knowledge co-creation among
stakeholders and communities, sharing
and creation .
Forests
depletion
Women burdened
Forests depletion
Smoky cooking place
Biogas is the
solution
Typical Challenges in Rural Communities
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3. Relevance of UniVen
Limpopo province, where
More than 10% of the country population reside
Biggest negative statistics are seen, e.g., over 38,2% of households in
Limpopo used solid fuels for cooking, compared to less than 10 % nationally
(Statistics SA 2021)
High youth unemployment
• One of the only two universities in Limpopo province
• Rural based university
• Great opportunities to play a crucial role in positively contributing to
many national strategic plans:
Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Strategic Plan 2020–2025,
through development of renewable energy technologies and sustainable
green jobs creation among many
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4. Enabling Institutional Policies and Values
UniVen’s 2021-2025 strategic plan
Student Centeredness and Engaged Scholarship,
Entrepreneurial University;
Linkages, Partnerships and Internationalization.
Positioning the University of Venda for impact and relevance;
Institutional values
• Environmental Stewardship, must lead in decreasing carbon
footprint and instilling in both students and staff a sense of pride in
caring for the environment
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5. Univen in the energy space
Engaged Scholarship:
• Addressing community poverty-related challenges and development
needs of the communities in the Limpopo Province and in SADC rural
communities.
• Departments from Faculty of Engineering, Science and Agriculture
(Physics, Agriculture, Environment) and Management Sciences are
working on renewable energy research and promotion projects in the
province in the areas of:
Bioenergy (biogas typically for rural households heating and cooking needs)
integrated with farming
Why biogas?
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7. Key Requirements for Digester Operation
• An airtight environment with no oxygen
• Moderate temperatures
• No light
• Small feedstock particles with broken down fibre and minimal lignin
(wood) content
• For some feedstocks a starter bacteria is also necessary
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8. Promoted type of biogas plant in rural Limpopo Deenbandhu
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9. Main parameters for biogas production
• Plant capacity
• Total feedstock volume
• Feedstock properties
• Feedstock retention time
• Temperature
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10. Structure under construction by youth trainees
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District Municipality name
Local municipality
name
Village name Total Volume Digester size(m3)
6 8 12 18
Collins Chabane
Tiyani (Sec School) 12 1
Tiyani (HH) 2 1
Bungeni (P. Sch) 1
Bungeni (HH) 1 2
Mhinga 2
Makhado
Elim
Vhembe
Maila 4
Nthabalala 1
Vleifontein 1
Thulamela
Dzwerani 1
Gogogo (Vele) 3
Capricorn
Polokwane Makgoba 6 3
Blouberg Avon/Ines 6 1
Indermark 6
Sekhukhune
Ephraim Mogale
Marble Hall (Tombi
Seleka Agric College) 12 2
Makhuduthamaka
Dlamini 1 4 2
Leolo 1 2
Mopane
Giyani Gawula 55
Maruleng Willows 2
Totals 112 9 11 3

12. Nature of the biogas projects in the villages in Limpopo
• UNIVEN works closely with government departments in the implementation of SDG-related programmes,
• UNIDO funded: Capacity Building for Domestic Biogas Digesters from the main project “Promoting
organic waste-to-energy and other low-carbon technologies in small and medium and micro-scale
enterprises (SMMEs): Accelerating biogas market development (36 Months duration)
• SANEDI funded: Clean Renewable Energy Mix and Energy Efficiency projects,
• NRF funded: Biogas Research Laboratory for South Africa (BIRLSA): South Africa/Austria Joint Scientific
and Technological Cooperation Call for Applications for 2017-2018 Joint Projects (24 months duration)
• LEDET supported: Establishing Green Economy Centre of Excellence on campus (Limpopo Provincial
Green Economy Plan since 2014)
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13. Available opportunities and problems
Conversion of waste to energy is an exceptionally potential multi-solver to
the mentioned challenges, but on the ground the situation is different.
Adoption rate and utilization is unpleasantly low.
Household biogas technology is not presently at the expected levels of
adoption and utilization.
So what could be the reasons for this?
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14. Possible reasons:
- Low level of awareness on the part of communities and policy makers in relative departments
- Lack of technical capacity in communities
- Still exorbitant prices charged for the systems
- Stigma surrounding the technology
- Poor performance of installed units
- Lack of support systems (like research laboratories to develop the necessary local database for
better system performance predictions
So the presently running projects aim to fill up this gap
Possible reasons for the slow uptake of the technology
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15. Project Strength is derived from the collaboration of main implementing partners
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Partners to UniVen Renewable energy projects

17. Projects aim and importance
Aim
• To build capacity on Domestic Biogas Digesters and integrate with farming
• Accelerate adoption and utilization of biogas (from domestic, animal and plant waste)
• Replace wood or kerosene fuels by biogas in rural households
In this way:
The project supports the desperately needed localization of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), leading to the Saemaul Undong aspired "New Rural Development Paradigm and the
Inclusive and Sustainable New Communities Model” which is seen as a key dimension and a
strategic approach in achieving all the sustainable development goals.
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18. The overall training programme outline
Capacity
Building for
Domestic Biogas
Digesters
Community and leadership Awareness
workshops: duration of 3 days
On-the-job practical exercises:
270 hours of practical training
Theoretical lecture &
practical demonstration:
duration of 24 hours of
contact
Phase 1:
Phase 2:
Phase 3:
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19. Training modules
Module No. Module Title
Module 1 Training introduction, objectives and expected outputs
Module 2 Climate change and impact
Module 3 Introduction of Biogas Project
Module 4 Introduction to Biogas Technology
Module 5 Overview on Bio digester types and Design/ Drawings – Deenbandhu design
Module 6 Selection of Bio digester Size, (beneficiary visit to assess the gas potential and
demand) Construction Site and Construction Materials
Module 7 Recap on bricklaying principles
Module 8 Recap on the plumbing and safety requirements
Module 9 Practical – setting, digging, foundation construction, digester construction,
plastering, testing and commissioning
Module 10 Overview on Operation and Maintenance
Module 11 Introduction to Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM)
Module 12 Permaculture, composting and organic cash crop farming
Module 13 Project management in entrepreneurial ventures
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20. Map showing the local municipalities from the five districts of the Limpopo province that
participated in the biogas technicians training.
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21. - Clean rural households energy and
better indoor air quality.
- More disposable time for
productive or recreational
activities due to reduced time in
collecting firewood.
- New jobs will be created (masons,
supervisors, quality controllers,
project managers)
- Income from sell of compost
- Improved food security
IMPACTS AND BENEFITS:
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22. Impacts of these projects on students training
Capacity building through student support and research outputs:
• Postgraduate students
 Four PhD students (one graduated and one just submitted and two at difference stages of their studies)
 Master Students (one graduated, four at difference stages of their studies)
 Honours students (six graduated)
• Research outputs:
 7 peer reviewed journal articles,
 3 book chapters
 5 international and national conferences presentations
• Biogas technology related skills development (training of youth) and awareness in the province
 Over 80 youths got training in biogas technology (building, plumbing and components installation) over the year the
years from 2012 to date
 Over 500 people have received awareness workshops on biogas from allover the province
 Over 1000 households have been surveyed over the project period
• Benefits to households
 Over 100 households/institutions have benefited with a potential of 400 hrs heating on one burner per day
 Each biogas plant avoids about 9 tonnes CO2 equivalent and 5,5 t of wood per year.
Expectations: Massive roll out is foreseen with the expected full supportive intervention of all relevant government
departments.
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23. Postgraduate student research topics
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1. Development and Validation of a Heat Transfer Model to Predict the Prevailing Operating Temperature for
Underground Biogas Digester System (PhD)
2. Development of Adoption and Utilization Model of Biogas as an Alternative Source of Energy and Emissions
Reduction in Rural Villages of Limpopo Province (PhD)
3. Design and Develop a Cheap and Robust Wireless Multiple-Sensor Device for Monitoring Anaerobic
Digestion Process Parameters (Masters)
4. An optimized design of a solar heated biogas digester system suitable for rural household. (Masters)
5. Study of the potential of using Anaerobic digestion in the removal of contaminants in dairy effluent. A case of
Limpopo dairy farm, South Africa (Masters)
6. Isolation of methanogenic bacteria and evaluation of the physicochemical properties of cow dung slurry from
operational digesters (Honors).
7. Modeling Biogas Technology Financing Strategy for Sustainable Rural Household Livelihoods: A case study
in Limpopo province, South Africa (PhD)
8. Development of a Sustainable Entrepreneurial Model for Implementation and Operation of Waste-to-energy
Conversions in Rural Areas (Phd)
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Entrepreneur in Biogas Integrated farming mentored from UNIVEN: Vatsakeme in Gawula Village of Giyani

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Launch of youth training in Vhembe District in 2019

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Capture of class session in Vhembe

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Group Photo of training team and trainees

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Practical training
Plant siting and setting in Vhembe

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Biogas construction stages (Makgoba in Polokwane Local Municipality

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Field visit to project sites with the local government
His Worship Cllr. Maseka Pheedi MAYOR of Blouberg Local Municipality (in yellow jacket) appreciating
the art of Biogas digester and Dr Tinarwo explaining,

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MSc Student Mr. Prosper Mhlanga in the laboratory carrying out waste characterization for biomethane potential at
UniVen

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Biogas stove test after installation (change from firewood use to clean biogas in beneficiary household in Avon
Blouberg Local Municipality

33. Recommendations
- Need to reinforce youth training in sustainable technologies such as Biogas
integrated with farming through all support possible.
- At any slightest opportunity for a project in sustainable development STUDENTS
involvement is crucial
• Encourage stronger collaboration between academic institutions, industry and
communities
• Check for possibilities to integrate the technology of biogas in the developmental
plans for productive and sustainable job creation (e.g., CWP, EPWP)
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34. Publicity
• https://www.univen.ac.za/news/biomass-waste-can-generate-cheaper-electricity-and-create-jobs/
• https://www.univen.ac.za/news/univen-distinguishes-itself-nationally-and-globally-in-waste-to-energy-conversion-research/
• https://www.univen.ac.za/news/univen-partners-with-unido-gef-cdm-and-department-of-environment-forestry-and-fisheries-to-
empower-limpopo-youth/
• https://www.esi-africa.com/industry-sectors/future-energy/sanedi-and-univen-partnership-leads-to-waste-to-energy-solutions/
• https://www.sanedi.org.za/img/News/SANEDI%20and%20UNIVEN%20partnership%20leads%20waste%20to%20energy%20drive.
pdf
• http://www.ibert.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Project-summary-UNIVEN-UNIDO-waste-to-energy.pdf
• https://www.news.uct.ac.za/images/archive/releases/2012/biogas_projects.pdf
• https://reviewonline.co.za/362712/cow-dung-used-to-energise-villages/
• https://www.thegef.org/news/south-africa-biogas-project-continues-under-new-covid-19-guidelines
• https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/good-life/2014-10-25-perfect-solution-to-cooking-problems-cow-dung-to-change-rural-life/
• https://www.unido.org/stories/forging-ahead-spite-covid-19-unido-biogas-project-south-africa
• https://issuu.com/observernews/docs/polokwane_observer_13_november_2014/30
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35. MMSEZ SMART CITY MODEL SYMPOSIUM
Thank you
University of Venda
Department of Physics
Dr. David Tinarwo (UniVen)
david.tinarwo@univen.ac.za
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