Piloting Biogas toward National Scaling

The project called Piloting Biogas toward National Scaling aims to promote compost produced from the effluent of the biodigester.

This  project is funded by the Swedish Postcode Foundation to the amount of 114,760 euros which s allocated to SNV Benin . The total budget for the project is 318,854 euros. This project is implemented by SNV and the NGO International Energy For Impact (E4Impact). Its implementation period is 24 months, from November 2020 to October 2022.

The objective is to help the Government of Benin to lead the implementation on a larger scale of the national biodigester programme through more efficient and sustainable market mechanisms. The key stakeholders working to achieve the objectives of this project are agro-pastoralists using biodigesters, microfinance institutions, non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

This project aims to achieve several results:

• 120 small-scale farmers are supported in the use of biodigesters, biogas and/or bioslurry and compost

• 40 small-scale farmers receive a biodigester

• 80 women and children spend less time collecting firewood

• Farmers' incomes increase by around 15-20%

• Cooking with biogas instead of firewood increases by around 40-50%

• Strategy proposal of market-based programme for national implementation of biodigesters is presented to the Government of Benin

Objectives

Three specific objectives underpin this project:

1. The development of an economic market for compost from the effluent from the use of bio-digesters;

2. Improving agricultural yields through the use of compost;

3. Reducing the effects of deforestation.