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Biogas Program: Creating Clean Energy from Manure Management in Vietnam

  • 3. Good Health
  • 7. Affordable Clean Energy
  • 8. Work + Economic Growth
  • 13. Climate Action
  • 15. Life on Land

The Biogas Program is addressing health, energy, and environmental challenges while creating and supporting a sustainable commercial sector in Vietnam. The program provides technical assistance, training local workers to become technicians and biogas masons. It also raises awareness about how the technology is helping hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese, further increasing adoption of this renewable source of energy. In areas that lack adequate manure management, using biogas technology can help to address hygiene and odor issues. It also benefits the environment by reducing the pollution of waterways and greenhouse gas emissions. The clean energy produced by a digester can be used to power stoves for cooking, as well as appliances such as lamps and boilers. The generation of biogas also creates a valuable fertilizer by-product that increases farmers’ agricultural yields.

The Biogas Program began in 2003 and has now installed 171,935 digesters in 55 provinces, supporting more than 790,000 people. The project is implemented by the Vietnamese government’s Livestock Production Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in cooperation with SNV Netherlands Development Organisation.

The sale of Gold Standard carbon credits enables the program to train more people in digester construction and maintenance, thus reaching additional farm families.

Awards:
  • World Energy Award (2012)
  • Ashden Award (2010)
  • Energy Globe Award (2006)
Key achievements:
  • 500,000 tonnes of CO2e saved per year
  • 15,935 hectares of forest preserved (that’s 25,000 football pitches) since 2007
  • 2,757 local people trained as masons and technicians since 2007
  • 1-1.5 hours in time savings for women each day
  • 253,082 kg fuel saved
  • $22,136 household savings on fuel purchase and collection
  • 19 fewer cases of acute lower respiratory illness

 

Source: https://nexusfordevelopment.org/project/biogas-vietnam/#video - Video credits: SNV

“Since becoming program mason in 2003, I am keen on learning and enthusiastic to build qualified plants. The program provided me with a good job, higher income and improved life. I and my wife – Ms.Xo – have our mason team and we have over 800 plants in good operation that local villagers trust in.”
Mr. Man Van Hoan and Ms. Nguyen Thi Xo, mason in Yen Phong district, Bac Ninh province
“It was a very hard time when I had to spend many hours a day climbing hills and mountains to collect wood. Now I just go home and turn the biogas cooker on and cook. Now I don't need to clean pots as often as I did when cooking on traditional stoves. Biogas is very clean. I used to clean pots everyday but now I just need to clean once a week or even once a month. Now I have more time to teach my children and take care of my house. ”
Biogas end-user (Woman) 1
“We suffered a lot from mosquitoes and smell and complaints from our neighbors before we build the biogas plant. Our farm is clean now and the bad smell has gone. When I clean the swinery, the manure goes straight to the biogas digester and I use the slurry to fertilize the farm. It's very good! We have been using biogas for 12 years during which nothing went wrong. It's really good. ”
Biogas end-user (Woman) 2
“This bio-lurry is very good and pest resistant. The tea is tastier ad the leaves are thicker. Fertilized tea with chemicals is normally sold for 90 - 100,000 dongs per kg, while I can sell this tea for 130-150,000 dongs per kg. ”
Biogas end-user (Woman) 3