How A 32-Year-Old Deltan Built Biogas Plant
BY SUNDAY EGEDE
TO the uninformed mind, the concept of generating wealth from waste is an absolute impossibility; a myth that cannot be achieved or realized. The uninformed people in the society who do not understand the mechanics of science and technology hold on tenaciously to their belief that nothing good could come out from anything called waste. However, in recent time, there has been a dramatic shift in thought about what was usually considered waste.
Through scientific engineering process, wastes are now seen as means of solving myriads of socio-economic problems confronting man in his daily life. For instance, waste from farms, kitchen and animals (including human-beings) could be used for generating energy for cooking, heating, pumping water, driving machinery and generating electricity among others.
Only recently a 32-year-old Delta State born Engr. Ifeanyi Aghaulor singlehandedly built a biogas plant at his residence in Boji-Boji Owa, Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state using kitchen waste. In an interview with The POINTER on his outstanding technological breakthrough, Engr. Aghaulor who defined biogas technology as the use of biological process in the absence of oxygen for the breakdown of organic matter into biogas and high quality fertilizer, said biogas is a combustible mixture of methane and carbon dioxide.
He disclosed that the process, also, eliminates organisms that cause disease in human beings and animals, adding that biogas technology is a ‘carbon neutral process. Potentially, he said, this technology is a significant and profitable way of reducing global climate change. “The gas is odourless and it burns with a clear blue flame without smoke and it is non-toxic” the Bio-Technologist stated, noting that the biogas plant produces more heat than kerosene, wood, charcoal, cow-dung chips and saw dust.
Explaining the mechanics of the technology, Engr. Aghaulor disclosed that biogas technology is carried out using a biological engine known as biogas plants which help to maintain conditions for natural biological process to take place optimally to yield the desired results. According to him, a biogas plant consists of the bioreactor, gas storage vessel and the utility points, adding that once the process begins, it would continue indefinitely as long as wastes are added daily or weekly depending on the optimum conditions into the biogas plant and temperature maintained.
On the sustainability of the technology, the Bio-Technologist who is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, said “it is quite simple” even as he disclosed that the material components and technical requirements for the implementation of the engineering project are readily available. “The utilities for the operation of biogas technology are wastes which are free, cheap and in abundance. There is no requirement for the addition of chemicals”, he further stated, pointing out that maintenance of the technology is very cheap.
While saying that the life span of biogas plants ranges from 10-30 years, Engr. Aghaulor observed that the investment is worthwhile and highly profitable. Continuing, he said N480,000 was spent in the research and development of the biogas plant, adding that it would cost N60,000 to build a family size biogas. “Waste which is usually a burden to the people and the government are now free for utilization as cooking gas thereby replacing firewood, kerosene and saw dust”, the Engineer added.
The kind of wastes used, according to him, determines the size of the plant and the amount of biogas produced, saying that biogas plants are customized and installed based on local and site conditions/requirements just as he disclosed that both skilled engineers and unskilled personnel like Mechanical Engineers, Electrical/Electronics Engineers, Civil Engineers, Plumbers, Painters, Welders and Bricklayers were needed in the installation of a gas plant.
According to him, the uses of biogas technology are quite enormous, adding that if well installed, it reduces the demand for firewood, thereby mitigating deforestation. He equally added that biogas contributes to the global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the fact that the process involved is carbon neutral.
Engr. Aghaulor stated further that the government can use biogas technology to contribute to their own development objectives of solving problems in public waste disposal and water treatment. He maintained that biogas technology has the potentials of increasing agricultural production and enhancing employment generation as well as substituting imports of fossil fuel and fertilizer.
He listed the needed materials for the construction of an average family size biogas plant to include plastic containers for biodigester and hydrolysis of the organic waste; galvanized steel for storage; max-min thermometer; plank; fiber materials; paint; manometers for pressure gauge; plumbing accessories and fittings; grease; spring scale; hydrometer; sludge storage and water condensation trap, adding the materials could be sourced locally.
The Bio-Technologist who noted that biogas technology is a low cost substitute for firewood, said that biogas plant is simple to build and operate, adding that it does not require major maintenance for 25 years of the digester life span. “Servicing may not, also, be required as long as guidelines for operations are followed”, he stated, pointing out that biogas technology was a clever way of exploiting nature without destroying it.
With the increasing population and energy demand in the country, Engr. Aghaulor said, the dream of attaining food security, poverty eradication and environmental management in line with the Millennium Development Goals, can be easily achieved by harnessing the power of the biogas technology. He, therefore, appealed for assistance from the Delta State Government and well meaning Nigerians to enable him spread the technology in the state and beyond.
source:http://thepointernewsonline.com/?p=3541
TO the uninformed mind, the concept of generating wealth from waste is an absolute impossibility; a myth that cannot be achieved or realized. The uninformed people in the society who do not understand the mechanics of science and technology hold on tenaciously to their belief that nothing good could come out from anything called waste. However, in recent time, there has been a dramatic shift in thought about what was usually considered waste.
Through scientific engineering process, wastes are now seen as means of solving myriads of socio-economic problems confronting man in his daily life. For instance, waste from farms, kitchen and animals (including human-beings) could be used for generating energy for cooking, heating, pumping water, driving machinery and generating electricity among others.
Only recently a 32-year-old Delta State born Engr. Ifeanyi Aghaulor singlehandedly built a biogas plant at his residence in Boji-Boji Owa, Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state using kitchen waste. In an interview with The POINTER on his outstanding technological breakthrough, Engr. Aghaulor who defined biogas technology as the use of biological process in the absence of oxygen for the breakdown of organic matter into biogas and high quality fertilizer, said biogas is a combustible mixture of methane and carbon dioxide.
He disclosed that the process, also, eliminates organisms that cause disease in human beings and animals, adding that biogas technology is a ‘carbon neutral process. Potentially, he said, this technology is a significant and profitable way of reducing global climate change. “The gas is odourless and it burns with a clear blue flame without smoke and it is non-toxic” the Bio-Technologist stated, noting that the biogas plant produces more heat than kerosene, wood, charcoal, cow-dung chips and saw dust.
Explaining the mechanics of the technology, Engr. Aghaulor disclosed that biogas technology is carried out using a biological engine known as biogas plants which help to maintain conditions for natural biological process to take place optimally to yield the desired results. According to him, a biogas plant consists of the bioreactor, gas storage vessel and the utility points, adding that once the process begins, it would continue indefinitely as long as wastes are added daily or weekly depending on the optimum conditions into the biogas plant and temperature maintained.
On the sustainability of the technology, the Bio-Technologist who is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, said “it is quite simple” even as he disclosed that the material components and technical requirements for the implementation of the engineering project are readily available. “The utilities for the operation of biogas technology are wastes which are free, cheap and in abundance. There is no requirement for the addition of chemicals”, he further stated, pointing out that maintenance of the technology is very cheap.
While saying that the life span of biogas plants ranges from 10-30 years, Engr. Aghaulor observed that the investment is worthwhile and highly profitable. Continuing, he said N480,000 was spent in the research and development of the biogas plant, adding that it would cost N60,000 to build a family size biogas. “Waste which is usually a burden to the people and the government are now free for utilization as cooking gas thereby replacing firewood, kerosene and saw dust”, the Engineer added.
The kind of wastes used, according to him, determines the size of the plant and the amount of biogas produced, saying that biogas plants are customized and installed based on local and site conditions/requirements just as he disclosed that both skilled engineers and unskilled personnel like Mechanical Engineers, Electrical/Electronics Engineers, Civil Engineers, Plumbers, Painters, Welders and Bricklayers were needed in the installation of a gas plant.
According to him, the uses of biogas technology are quite enormous, adding that if well installed, it reduces the demand for firewood, thereby mitigating deforestation. He equally added that biogas contributes to the global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the fact that the process involved is carbon neutral.
Engr. Aghaulor stated further that the government can use biogas technology to contribute to their own development objectives of solving problems in public waste disposal and water treatment. He maintained that biogas technology has the potentials of increasing agricultural production and enhancing employment generation as well as substituting imports of fossil fuel and fertilizer.
He listed the needed materials for the construction of an average family size biogas plant to include plastic containers for biodigester and hydrolysis of the organic waste; galvanized steel for storage; max-min thermometer; plank; fiber materials; paint; manometers for pressure gauge; plumbing accessories and fittings; grease; spring scale; hydrometer; sludge storage and water condensation trap, adding the materials could be sourced locally.
The Bio-Technologist who noted that biogas technology is a low cost substitute for firewood, said that biogas plant is simple to build and operate, adding that it does not require major maintenance for 25 years of the digester life span. “Servicing may not, also, be required as long as guidelines for operations are followed”, he stated, pointing out that biogas technology was a clever way of exploiting nature without destroying it.
With the increasing population and energy demand in the country, Engr. Aghaulor said, the dream of attaining food security, poverty eradication and environmental management in line with the Millennium Development Goals, can be easily achieved by harnessing the power of the biogas technology. He, therefore, appealed for assistance from the Delta State Government and well meaning Nigerians to enable him spread the technology in the state and beyond.
source:http://thepointernewsonline.com/?p=3541
