Fajar, Maros – Household expenditures of the residents of Balocci Hamlet, Benteng Gaja Village, Tompobulu Subdistrict can be further reduced. People will no longer have to worry about the fuel costs for cooking purposes with the introduction of biogas.

The launch of 100th Domestic Biogas (BIRU) programme and biogas-based organic fertiliser processing was launched in Balocci Hamlet, Benteng Gaja Village, Monday, November 11. Cattle manures and urine are converted into biogas and liquid organic fertiliser.

The utilisation of alternative energi is pioneered by Hivos and Yayasan Rumah Energi which was then funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands. The Government of Netherlands provide assistance to the community to convert cow manures into biogas for cooking purposes.

Programme Coordinator for Domestic Biogas (BIRU), Sitti Fharidha Razak, said the whole manures can be utilised in preparation of biogas production. “There has even an experiment on utilising human excrement in Lombok area,” she said.

For Balocci Hamlet, she uttered, around 16 households have used biogas to cook the way they did with LPG. Fharidha said, she purposely selected Balocci area as there is a cooperative which is ready to implement the programme.

The consideration behind BIRU selection include among others supply of manures, location which is relatively inacessible for LPG supply, while the price of kerosene is expenseive. Fharida expects, following the development, Tompobulu will be the center of best biogas producer in South Sulawesi. (rin/rif)