The volatility of LPG prices lately have created restlessness among the people living at the base of Mount Burangrang, precisely at the rural community of Pasirhalang, Tugumukti Village, Cisarua Sub District, West Bandung Regency, West Java. Tini Suhartini, one of the community member at Pasirhalang, uttered, “It has been very difficult to obtain a 3 kg-capacity LPG lately in the market. The price now has reached Rp 25 thousands and often time the commodity is not even available in the marketplace.” Similar concerns have also been raised by people in the village where majority of its inhabitants work as dairy farmers and farmers.

Luckily, the restlessness of the village inhabitants do not need to go even further. Puspa Mekar Village Cooperative as the construction partner of BIRU Programme provides a solution in the form of BIRU biogas reactor construction credit loan facilities. It means that local inhabitants will have the opportunity to utilize the manures of dairy cows as the raw materials to produce the biogas, and hence no more reliance on LPG.

“I have had this desire to construct this biogas reactor. Almost all of my fellow cattle farmers in Lembang have installed the reactor. Therefore when there was a socialization on the biogas reactor construction by the cooperative, I immediately decided to enroll in the construction programme,” uttered Tini as one of the member of Puspa Mekar Village Cooperative.

In addition to minimize the economic burden, biogas will also help to improve the quality of dairy milk.

“The distance between my cattle pen is relatively far to access the source of warm water to wash the teats of my cows before I milk them. Now I have installed the biogas reactor for my household needs and for the needs in my cow’s pen hence it is now easier to obtain warm water, simply boil the water in the place. Therefore the quality of my dairy milk is now improved as they are free from contamination,” uttered Tini happily.

The source of new and renewable energy also provides positive impact on the community’s economy as other than the benefit of biogas for cooking and lighting, bio-slurry or the sludge of the biogas may also be used as a ready to use fertilizer rich in nutrients for agriculture without having to go through composting process. This has turned into new business opportunities for further development, considering that therea are many horticulture farmers in the surrounding areas who need this compost. There is also a center for ornamental plant in the vicinity which is the center for shopping for the needs of landscape gardening as well as for house gardening (Abi).