The ManicaPost
EmmahChinyamutangira Post Correspondent
THE Rural Electrification Fund (REF) has completed the construction of two biogas digesters in Chimanimani, to complement other energy technologies aimed at providing power to all rural public institutions.
The organization is also training community builders on biogas digesters in every district in Manicaland, to enable villagers to access clean, affordable and environmentally friendly energy source.
In an interview with The Manica Post, Rural Electrification Agency engineer Joseph Magadze said so far they have completed the construction of biogas digesters at Rusitu and St Patrick’s mission schools in Chimanimani last week, and three other biogas projects were ongoing.
“We have completed the construction of biogas digesters at Rusitu and St Patrick’s mission last week. We are also building three other biogas digesters in Bureha at Nyashanu and Makumbe mission as well as one in Nyanga at Marist Brothers, which are on different stages of implementation and expected to finish this year.
“These projects are aimed at providing energy in the rural communities and to complement grid and solar power to meet basic energy needs and improve economic development in rural areas,” said Eng Magadze.
Biogas is a low cost clean energy option produced from livestock manure and household organic waste.
He revealed that they were also working on training community builders on biogas technologies and the use of energy,to reduce the cutting down of trees for fuel.
“We are training community builders to build biogas digesters and the programme is set to start next week. We are taking two builders per each district.
“Capacitating builders on biogas digesters will give knowledge to the communities on advantages of biogas as electricity generated from it can be used for cooking, lighting and powering small power generators as well as preventing deforestation in rural areas,” he said.
