PETROMINER – More than 70,000 Indonesians have enjoyed the benefits of 14,173 BIRU (Domestic Biogas) reactors constructed until February 3, 2015.
Domestic-based technology by processing cattle manures, such as cows, hogs, and poultries are Hivos programme manage with the framework of partnership with Yayasan Rumah Energi (YRE) and SNV, and one of the Directorate General of New, Renewable, and Conservation of Energy (DJEBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia’s programme. The ministry coordinates and encourages local administratives with biogas development potentials to actively participate in BIRU programme development in each of the respective region. This programme was initiated back in 2009 by the Embassy of the Royal Netherlands, embracing local organisations as partners to build and promote the new form of renewable energy. This is a modern and sustainable form of renewable energy for the people of Indonesia.
Through the support of the Embassy of Norway and EnDev (Energising Development) programme, today BIRU progamme has been in operations in 9 provinces throughout Indonesia namely: Lampung, West Java, Central Java, D.I. Yogyakarta, East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara (Sumba) while targeting the expansion of a minimum four more provinces in 2015.
Families of Indonesian cattle farmers using BIRU reactors are no longer worried with the fluctuated prices of conventional fuels as their needs of gas have been fulfilled, straight from their own cattle sheds. A BIRU user form Lembu Village, Bancak, Semarang, for example, said that he no longer needs to buy LPG for his daily cooking needs.
“Now we have our own source of fire for cooking and lighting purposes,” uttered Sriyatun (35 years old). There are 96 biogas reactors in her village which have brought her village to fetch the tile of Energy Independent Village at Central Java level in 2014.
In addition to the benefits, survey results 2013 revealed that BIRU users said their home surrounding become healthier: less smoke in the kitchen (79%), cleaner kitchen (72%), cleaner cattle sheds (69%).
“The odours have been eliminated down to 75-80%. No more protests from the neighbours. We are content with Domestic Biogas,” uttered Abas (54 years old), a broiler poultry farmer from Sodo Hamlet, Sodo, Pakel, Tulungagung, East Java. He started his poultry farming business in 1999 with a chicken population of 1,000-2,000. Prior to using BIRU biogas, his business had to endure protests due to the odour emitted by his poultry farming which was considered offensive by the surrounding community.
Biogas has additional benefits. Inception report prepared by Soil and More International in feasibility studies of bio slurry (biogas sludge) roles in supporting Climate Smart Agriculture in Indonesia indicated the potential of carbon reduction between 2-7 tons of CO2e/ha/year provided that the farmers using bio slurry. Bio-slurry, either in liquid or solid form, is an organic fertiliser which is very good to fertilise the soil and improve the production of cultivated crops. Some of the BIRU users have even used bio-slurry as a mixture for vermicompost, bokashi, and media for mushroom culture, pond fertiliser as well as fish and eel feed, yielding a satisfactory results.
BIRU Programme has been officially listed in the Gold Standard carbon credit scheme since 2013 and has been acknowledged that each reactor built is estimated to have capability for reducing approximately 3 tons of CO2e annually.
Together with more than 50 partner organisations as well as more than 1,200 construction workers and trained supervisors, BIRU programme has increased biogas sector potentials for development and generate plenty of benefits for cattle farmers, farmers, and Indonesian people. Hivos, YRE, SNV, along with the Directorate General of New, Renewable, and Conservation of Energy (DJEBTKE) are committed to constantly pormote renewable energy to bring quality clean energy into reality and easily used by the Indonesian people.