38
Biogas production requires substantial upfront investment in infrastructure, including digesters and pipelines, resulting in relatively high costs for households. The market is more ad- vanced in Asia, where a number of countries, including In- dia, have established codes and standards for biogas plants and are developing national biogas and waste-to-energy pro- grams. 78 Across Africa, the technology is currently most ad- vanced in East Africa, but the potential across throughout the continent is considered high, given the high share of house- holds involved in agriculture. 79 Several African countries have implemented market-oriented biodigester programs and ef- forts are underway to create an enabling ecosystem for the scale up of household and institutional biodigester solutions. 80 Some countries are creating incentives for livestock farmers to include biodigesters as part of their waste management procedures, particularly in Africa’s growing dairy industry. 81
seasonal variations in the availability of feedstock, projects have struggled to reach the necessary scale. In Indonesia, for instance, the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle resulted in a decrease in overall feedstock availability. 82 Bioethanol is a substance produced through the fermenta- tion of sugar-rich or starch-based crops such as sugarcane, corn, wheat and straw. In sub-Saharan Africa the main source of feedstock is molasses, which is a by-product of sugar manufacturing, but there are other options such as cassa- va. Bioethanol cookstoves are clean-burning and efficient al- ternatives to traditional biomass stoves. They produce fewer emissions and can be relatively affordable in contexts with appropriate supply ecosystems. However, there are also limitations on the large-scale use of bioethanol fuel, which can be environmentally and socially damaging. Feedstock production can take up large amounts of land which would otherwise be available for food produc-
However, there are several challenges to scaling up biogas. So far, the pipeline of projects is relatively weak. Faced with
Clean cooking provided through bioethanol by 2028: 22 %
78 IRENA (2022), Off-grid renewable energy statistics 2022, https://www.irena. org/Publications/2022/Dec/Off-grid-renewable-energy-statistics-2022 79 SNV (2019), Technical potential for household biodigesters in Africa, https://a.storyblok.com/f/191310/61a849e3e2/technical_brief_-_technical_ potential_for_household_biodigesters_in_africa.pdf 80 IRENA (2023) Advancing renewables-based clean cooking solutions: key messages and outcomes, https://www.irena.org/Publications/2024/Mar/ Advancing-renewables-based-clean-cooking-solutions-Key-messages-and- outcomes
81 IRENA (2023) Advancing renewables-based clean cooking solutions: key messages and outcomes, https://www.irena.org/Publications/2024/Mar/ Advancing-renewables-based-clean-cooking-solutions-Key-messages-and- outcomes 82 IRENA (2023) Advancing renewables-based clean cooking solutions: key messages and outcomes, https://www.irena.org/Publications/2024/Mar/ Advancing-renewables-based-clean-cooking-solutions-Key-messages-and- outcomes
AN OPEC FUND KNOWLEDGE SERIES REPORT 2024
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