Energy plays a crucial role in modern society, providing numerous social, economic, and environmental benefits. It powers machinery and tools, fuels transportation, enables heating and cooling, supports medical equipment, and enhances agricultural productivity, as highlighted in the World Energy Outlook Report (2021).
In many rural areas, traditional biomass fuels such as coal and kerosene remain prevalent for cooking. However, their use is associated with several adverse effects, including health risks and environmental degradation due to emissions. These emissions include particulate matter, black carbon, organic carbon, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, and benzene. The consequences of exposure range from air pollution to serious health conditions such as pulmonary, cardiovascular, retinal, and dermatological diseases.
Recognizing these challenges, both local and international efforts have been made to assess and address the negative impacts of traditional biomass energy. According to researcher Olubiyi Obada, Uganda’s 1995 Constitution mandates the government to promote and implement energy policies that ensure the basic needs of both people and the environment. However, energy poverty remains a challenge, with low consumption levels of modern energy sources such as electricity, biogas, and petroleum products.
Globally, the adoption of natural gas, biogas, and electricity for cooking has been encouraged as a cleaner alternative to traditional biomass. However, several challenges have hindered their widespread use.
• Natural Gas: High purchase costs, primarily due to excessive taxation and misaligned tariff codes, have limited its adoption.
• Electricity: In Uganda, the cost of electricity remains a barrier, with a unit priced at UGX 1,000. Installation costs are also high, and distribution remains limited, especially in rural areas, according to a 2023 Uganda Business News report.
Biogas as a Sustainable Solution
Biogas technology provides an environmentally friendly and renewable energy alternative while also serving as a comprehensive waste management solution. It is produced through anaerobic digestion, where organic materials such as animal waste, food waste, energy crops, and industrial by-products decompose in a sealed tank. The resulting biogas typically consists of 50–75% methane, 20–50% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, water vapor, and ammonia (Decker, 2017).
In Uganda, biogas technology is primarily utilized in rural areas, where animal dung is the main feedstock. Small biogas plants are commonly owned by individual farming households and are used for cooking and lighting. However, advancements in biogas purification technology, such as water and polyethylene glycol scrubbing, chemical absorption, pressure swing adsorption, biofilters, cryogenic separation, and membrane separation, remain costly (Helmut Muche, 1985). Despite these efforts, current biogas stoves in Uganda have low efficiency—around 20%—as their design does not fully adhere to burner theory (SNV Test Report, 2018).
Barriers to Biogas Adoption
Several factors continue to limit the widespread adoption of biogas in Uganda:
1. High Initial Costs: The high cost of biogas burners and cookers discourages many potential users.
2. Low-Quality Equipment: Many biogas appliances available in Ugandan markets are of low quality and durability.
3. Limited Manufacturing Capacity: Despite government efforts to promote improved cooking energy systems through industries such as Burhani Engineering and Cylinder Manufacturing Industry (U) Ltd, access to high-efficiency biogas stoves remains a challenge.
Improving Biogas Technology for Greater Adoption
To enhance the adoption of biogas as a viable cooking energy source, there is a need for research and development in burner technology. This includes:
• Optimization of burner types (including orientation, shape, and size of orifices)
• Proper spacing between the burner and cooking vessel
• Improved air control mechanisms for combustion efficiency
• Adjustments in gas composition, pressure, and flame velocity
• Standardization of pot-to-burner distance to increase efficiency
Enhancing these factors would result in higher durability, lower maintenance costs, and improved efficiency of biogas burners, ultimately making biogas a more attractive alternative to traditional biomass fuels (Tumwesigye, 2014).
The transition from traditional biomass to cleaner energy sources is essential for improving health, reducing environmental impact, and enhancing energy efficiency. While challenges remain in the adoption of biogas technology, continued investment in research, policy support, and innovation will be key to making biogas a sustainable and accessible energy solution for Ugandans.