Arusha — Tanzania will be one of the beneficiaries of two million biogas plants to be constructed in Africa in the coming ten years according to the Director for the Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation and Rural Technology (CAMARTEC) Dr. Patrick Makungu.

He was addressing a Biogas Contractors' meeting held at the Olasiti Garden in Arusha last week.

He said CAMARTEC's mission was to develop and disseminate improved technologies suitable for agricultural and rural development. The activities are aimed at boosting agricultural production and improving the quality of life and alleviation of rural poverty.

Dr. Makungu said if biogas is improved in the country especially in towns like Arusha and Dodoma where residents are farmers many families would be able to have the plants at their homes and the cost of building the plants would be reduced.

"It is difficult not to mention the fact this meeting is being held at a time when the issue of energy is high on the agenda not only within the boundaries of the nation but the world over," said Dr. Makungu

He said not only that the prices of conventional fuels have sky rocketed to unprecedented levels, but also traditional biomass energy sources in particular fire wood have been over exploited to levels where continued exploitation is being associated with a looming environmental catastrophe.

The first energy crisis took place in the 70's was triggered by a hike of the oil (fossil fuel) prices and the threat however subsided during the 80's with the lowering of the oil prices and to some extend lessened the motivation for the search of alternative energy sources.

A project, known as the "Biogas for Better Life Africa Initiative' - and which is under the supervision of the Netherlands organization SNV - was formally launched in Nairobi recently, with the support in cash and in kind of about 12 international organizations.

The meeting was facilitated by Prakash Ghimire who is a Senior Regional Advisor with Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) Asia-Africa on Renewable Energy/Biogas Programme.

Prakash said SNV would collaborate with the Government of Nepal and the German organization GTZ to implement the project, whose ambition is to construct biogas plants right up to the ward level.

The Nepal experience, he said, proves that the project was tremendously going to be successful.

'The cost of constructing a biogas plant is a bit high, because one needs to have burnt bricks, about 11 bags of cement, sand and gravel - among other things.

'The costs are high, yet with the cooperation of local financial institutions, they (the Nepalese) were able to get loans specifically for constructing biogas plants even at the ward level,' he contended.