RENEWABLE ENERGY

1. Promoting organic waste-to-energy and other low-carbon technologies in small and medium and
micro-scale enterprises (SMMEs): Accelerating biogas market development in South Africa
End of Project Event (UNIDO -GEF END OF PROJECT Ref No.: 130310)
Prepared by: PROF DR ING David Tinarwo
1

2. Motivation: Important provincial statistics
Quick Facts from Stats SA (2021):
- Wood usage as energy source -
LP (31,6%) and MP (16,2%)
- Unemployment nationally - 2021 -
Q2 = 34,4%
- HHs involved in some agric.
activities, LP (38,2%), EC(30,4%),
MP(28,1%)
Combat poverty:
• Improve household income,
• Improve food security,
• Improve cooking / heating energy
• Improve access enough clean
water
• Mitigate and adapt to climate
change effects
Needed is:
Knowledge co-creation among
stakeholders and communities, sharing
and creation .
Forests
depletion
Women burdened
Forests depletion
Smoky cooking place
Biogas is
the
solution
Typical Challenges in Rural Communities
2

3. Outline of Project Objective Output Deliverable
1. To determine biogas technology needs in the province
of Limpopo.
- Output Deliverable 1 (D1): Report on status of
household biogas technology and livelihood statistics
in the province
- Output Deliverable 2 (D2): Report on Household biogas
feasibility study report for selected beneficiary
households from the five districts
- Output Deliverable 3 (D3): Report on training needs in
the province
1. To enhance technological capacity in the province for
wider diffusion of Methane bio-digesters
- Output Deliverable 4 (D4): Training report
1. To increase the level of biogas technology awareness
to all stakeholders to enhance diffusion of the
technology in the province supported by an
aggressive publicity strategy
- Output Deliverable 5 (D5): Biogas technology public
awareness enhancement strategy development and
implementation report
- Output Deliverable 6 (D6): Report on household biogas
market establishment in the province
- Output Deliverable 7 (D7): Proposal report for feasible
household bio-digesters government assisted
financing model
- Output Deliverable 8 (D8): Final project evaluation
report
3
Summary of project objectives and output

4. ORGANIZATION PARTNER PERCENTAGE
CONTRIBUTION
AMOUNT (USD) Amount (R)
UNIDO 36.33% 183,453.22 2,139,064.51
UNIVEN in Cash (part of student
support) 5.94%
30,001.96
349,822.80
UNIVEN in kind in staff time
35.10%
177,233.31
2,066,540.34
SANEDI 13.59% 68,610.63 800,000.00+1,180,000.00
LEDET (in cash or kind)
4.25%
21,440.82
250,000.00
Communities in cash or kind 4.79% 24,173.66 281,864.86
Capricorn District Municipality 1,400,000.00
Total 100.00% 504,913.59
Funding and CO-FUNDING of the project

5. Launch of youth training in Vhembe District in 2019
5

6. The overall training programme outline
Phase 1:
Phase 2: Phase 3:
6

7. Training modules
Module No. Module Title
Module 1 Training introduction, objectives and expected outputs
Module 2 Climate change and impact
Module 3 Introduction of Biogas Project
Module 4 Introduction to Biogas Technology
Module 5 Overview on Bio digester types and Design/ Drawings – Deenbandhu design
Module 6 Selection of Bio digester Size, (beneficiary visit to assess the gas potential and
demand) Construction Site and Construction Materials
Module 7 Recap on bricklaying principles
Module 8 Recap on the plumbing and safety requirements
Module 9 Practical – setting, digging, foundation construction, digester construction,
plastering, testing and commissioning
Module 10 Overview on Operation and Maintenance
Module 11 Introduction to Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM)
Module 12 Permaculture, composting and organic cash crop farming
Module 13 Project management in entrepreneurial ventures
OUTCOME Application was submitted to Quality Council for Trades and
Occupations (QCTO) to develop the Biogas Process Assistant
skills programme (through EW SETA)
7

8. Group Photo of training team and trainees
8

9. Captions of training sessions
9

10. Practical training
10

11. 11

12. Field visit to project sites with the local government
His Worship Cllr. Maseka Pheedi MAYOR of Blouberg Local Municipality (in yellow jacket) appreciating
the art of Biogas digester and Dr Tinarwo explaining,
(1757) Physics in our Everyday Life Part 3: Energy, Water, Climate and Food Security – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t836XYUWLz0&t=1s
12

13. Biogas Systems implementation for research and demonstration
(Community awareness and capacity development): Plants Operational
Efficiency Determination and Optimization
13

14. Impacts of these projects on students training
Capacity building through student support and research outputs:
• Postgraduate students
 Four PhD students (one graduated and one just submitted and two at difference stages of their studies)
 Master Students (one graduated, four at difference stages of their studies)
 Honours students (six graduated)
• Research outputs:
 7 peer reviewed journal articles,
 3 book chapters
 5 international and national conferences presentations
• Biogas technology related skills development (training of youth) and awareness in the province
 Over 80 youths got training in biogas technology (building, plumbing and components installation) over
the year the years from 2012 to date
 Over 500 people have received awareness workshops on biogas from allover the province
 Over 1000 households have been surveyed over the project period
• Benefits to households
 Over 100 households/institutions have benefited with a potential of 400 hrs heating on one burner per
day
 Each biogas plant avoids about 9 tonnes CO2 equivalent and 5,5 t of wood per year.
Expectations: Massive roll out is foreseen with the expected full supportive intervention of all relevant
government departments.
14

15. Research on Biomass Characterization for energy generation
through anaerobic digestion and process optimisation
15
Postgraduate research:
Biomethane and Biofertilizer Potential Determination for organic matter found in communities and around the
University
• Evaluation of solid food waste for biogas and biofertilizer generation
• Substrate (digestible / degradable organic crop farm waste, grass, animal waste) characterization in the laboratory
• Convectional biomethane potential (BMP) determination laboratory experimental setup (eudiometers) supervision
Biogas Systems implementation for research and demonstration (Community awareness and capacity development)
Biogas Plants Operational Efficiency Determination and Optimization

16. 16
District Municipality
Number of
trainees
Number of
digesters built
during the
project
Gender ratio Number of trainees that
completed
%
Male
% female Theoretical
training
Practical
training
Capricorn
Polokwane 27 9 34 66 27 27
Blouberg 17 13 47 53 17 17
Vhembe Collins Chabane
and Makhado
17 11 60 40 17 17
Mopani Maruleng 12 0 50 50 12
Waterberg Ephraim
Mogale/Marble Hall
(Tombi Seleka
Agric College) 0
2
0 0 0
0
Mogalakwena 12 0 58 42 12
Sekhukhune Greater Tubatse /
Fetakgomo
12 0 58 42 12
Totals 97 35 97 61
Snapshot of the outcomes of the project

17. District Municipality
name
Local municipality name Village name
Total Volume Digester
size(m3)
6 8 12 18
Vhembe
Chabane
Tiyani (Sec School) 1
Tiyani (HH) 2 1
Bungeni (P. Sch) 1
Bungeni (HH) 1 2
Mhinga 2
Makhado
Elim 1
Maila 4
Nthabalala 1
Vleifontein 1
Thulamela
Dzwerani 1
Gogogo (Vele) 3
Capricorn
Polokwane Makgoba 6 3
Blouberg Avon/Ines 6 1
Indermark 6
Sekhukhune
Ephraim Mogale
Marble Hall (Tombi
Seleka Agric College) 2
Makhuduthamaka
Dlamini 1 4 2
Leolo 1 2
Mopane
Giyani Gawula 55
Giyani Xibulani 10
Giyani Shawela 30
Maruleng Willows 2
Totals 128 9 10 5
17
Snapshot of the Limpopo province micro-digester statistics

18. 18

19. Available opportunities and problems
Yes, the conversion of waste to energy is an exceptionally potential multi-solver
to the mentioned challenges, but on the ground the situation is different.
Adoption rate and utilization is unpleasantly low.
Household biogas technology is not presently at the expected levels of adoption
and utilization.
So what could be the reasons for this?
19

20. Possible reasons:
- Still there is low level of awareness on the part of communities and policymakers in relative
departments
- Insufficient convincingly performing systems / (poor performance of installed units)
- Lack of technical capacity in communities
- Still exorbitant prices charged for the systems
- Stigma surrounding the technology
- Insufficient support systems (like research laboratories to develop the necessary local database
for better system performance predictions
So more needs to be done to fill up this gap, for example, sustainable government support is
needed to jumpstart income generation linked to the digester.
Possible reasons for the slow uptake of the technology
20

21. Recommendations
21
Need to reinforce youth training in sustainable technologies such as Biogas
integrated with farming with all support possible.
Demonstrate the value of biogas in the value chain
Develop a national domestic biogas programme guided by experiences learnt
from other countries that have established domestic biogas.
Encourage stronger collaboration between academic institution and industry
and communities
Check for possibilities for integrate the technology of biogas in the
developmental plans for productive and sustainable job creation (e.g., CWP,
EPWP)
Micro-finance Sustainable Futures of Micro-Digester Sector
Interdepartmental collaboration breaking silos in some government department
operations and pulling resources to the intersection of their work areas:
E.G.: Energy, Environment, Water, Agriculture and social development.

22. Do we really want to help the ‘POOR’?
If I Had A Water
Buffalo: How To
Microfinance
Sustainable Futures
22

23. 23

24. Entrepreneur mentored from UNIVEN: Vatsakeme in
Gawula Village of Giyani
24

25. Outline of recently started Domestic Biogas Technician Internship
25
 The project is aimed at enhancing the experiential exposure of the intern to operations, monitoring and maintenance of
domestic-scale biogas systems and integrating the technology with agribusiness at their sites of placements
 DOLAB Green Technologies Consulting, a small to medium enterprise (SME) incubated by the University of Venda will
partner with the site owners and the interns in poultry, piggery and crop gardens
 Learners from school sites are organized in young farmers clubs and participate in the projects as extramural
 The Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EW SETA) funds the project.
 Project value: R5 626 005.00
 Project Duration: 2 years
 Project Start: September 2023
 Project End: August 2025
 Intended beneficiaries are:
 Unemployed youth interns from the communities,
 school learners and university students.
 Nine centres, five of which are from Vhembe District (where UNIVEN is), two from Capricorn and the other two from
Sekhukhune District municipalities.
UNIVEN-DOLAB-EWSETA Domestic biogas internship with entrepreneurship

26. Crop Production:
Cabbage, Spinach, Tomatoes,
Beetroot, Maize, Sunflower
Farm working partners’
household energy
Biogas energy
Bio-slurry for fertilizer
Organic
matter
Compost/fertiliser
Waste to Energy Biogas Digester
Technology
Manure
Animals Production:
Ruminants: Cattle, Goats, sheep
Non-ruminants: Pigs, Chicken (egg
layers and broilers)
Crop residues
By-products
Pumping water:
• irrigation,
• animal drinking,
• domestic use
Produce to the Market
(Revenue Money!)

27. 27

28. 28
Relationship between components of a biogas digester integrated mixed farmin

29. Publicity
29
• (915) Advancing biogas in South Africa – YouTube
• https://www.univen.ac.za/news/biomass-waste-can-generate-cheaper-electricity-and-create-jobs/
• https://www.univen.ac.za/news/univen-distinguishes-itself-nationally-and-globally-in-waste-to-
energy-conversion-research/
• https://www.univen.ac.za/news/univen-partners-with-unido-gef-cdm-and-department-of-
environment-forestry-and-fisheries-to-empower-limpopo-youth/
• https://www.esi-africa.com/industry-sectors/future-energy/sanedi-and-univen-partnership-leads-to-
waste-to-energy-solutions/
• https://www.sanedi.org.za/img/News/SANEDI%20and%20UNIVEN%20partnership%20leads%20w
aste%20to%20energy%20drive.pdf
• http://www.ibert.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Project-summary-UNIVEN-UNIDO-waste-to-
energy.pdf
• https://www.news.uct.ac.za/images/archive/releases/2012/biogas_projects.pdf
• https://reviewonline.co.za/362712/cow-dung-used-to-energise-villages/
• https://www.thegef.org/news/south-africa-biogas-project-continues-under-new-covid-19-guidelines
• https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/good-life/2014-10-25-perfect-solution-to-cooking-problems-cow-
dung-to-change-rural-life/
• https://www.unido.org/stories/forging-ahead-spite-covid-19-unido-biogas-project-south-africa
• https://issuu.com/observernews/docs/polokwane_observer_13_november_2014/30

30. Thank you
david.tinarwo@univen.ac.za
30