Current Status and Future Prospects of Small-Scale Household Biodigesters in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Despite the age of the technology, sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have numerous challenges that hinder biogas from being widely adopted. This review investigates the current gap between holistic use and the need for small-scale household biodigester adoption and effectiveness in rural and semiurban households of SSA. It reviews the present situation and potential of small-scale household digesters for sustainable future energy and biofertilizer use, with a focus on SSA. A literature survey was performed on small-scale household biogas digesters, and issues relating to the distribution, use, and implementation status with their implications on the future of small-scale household digesters in SSA were briefly reviewed. In recent years, the overall number of domestic biogas digesters installed across SSA countries has shown a significant increase due to the efforts of the National Domestic Biogas Programs such as the African Biogas Partnership Program with the Netherlands Development Organization and the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation. However, based on an extensive literature review on small-scale household biodigesters in SSA, the study highlights that the success of biogas technology as a clean domestic cooking fuel has been relatively low. The findings of this review show that SSA countries still face a number of hurdles, the most significant of which can be boiled down to the need for technological advancement according to local context, social acceptance, and large initial investment costs. In order to overcome these obstacles and advance technological capability, social acceptance, financial benefits, and environmental impacts in order to improve its use and widespread dissemination as a renewable energy source, a highly effective organic fertilizer, and economic benefits for the betterment of SSA communities, more well-organized work and adequate research activities should be initiated and supported. The findings may be useful to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who support/promote sustainable energy and waste management strategies in low-resource settings.