Shanti Subedi

Citation

Thesis Title
Domestic Biogas Production and Use in Nepal: A Simple, Reliable and Cost-Effective Solution to Provide Energy Security to the Rural Households

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Rural households in Nepal are facing an energy crisis, which has led to their dependence on fuelwood for cooking and heating. There is a growing interest in how to achieve a reliable, clean and low cost energy supply using biogas from organic wastes as an alternative. However, the replication of the technology is still slow and biogas production is often lower than its full capacity. Ms Subedi’s research evaluated options to increase biogas production efficiency to better meet cooking demands in both summer and winter, including the use of crop residues as feedstocks. A survey of 300 households that use biogas, and interviews with biogas digester manufacturing companies and relevant government officials identified the limitations of biogas production capacity and its future potential. Models were used to examine the impacts of biogas production and utilisation on gender issues, energy consumption, cost of energy, and the associated greenhouse gas emission reduction potential. Recommendations were made to the Nepal government on how to better support biogas deployment.

Supervisors
Professor Ralph Sims
Professor Stephen Haslett
Associate Professor Rochelle Stewart-Withers
Dr Phil Murray