Our Portfolio

Background

A destructive cycle exists around the shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. Fish stocks have decreased significantly over the past ten years thanks to over-fishing. The local population has responded with intensified and diversified farming activities. In turn, the nitrates and phosphates from fertilisers and sewage have led to a eutrophication of the lake, including the spread of invasive plants.

SEED is an initiative by RONGEAD, a French association that channels public and private funds to assist LDCs. The project aims to break the vicious cycle by using organic waste to produce biogas and organic fertiliser with the compact biogas systems (CBS) in targeted communities in the Lake Victoria region of Tanzania. These systems reduce environmental damage while facilitating local development.

During its pilot stage, SEED has established a clear supply chain for compact biogas systems and trained eight entrepreneurs in the use of the CBS floating drum technology, which received an Ashden Award in 2006. This up-scaling project aims to make the technology more affordable, and promote small agro-food processing in the area.

Photo (right): Entrepreneurs receive training on a compact biogas system.

Main Activities

• Create awareness campaigns at local district level to highlight advantages of biogas, share success stories
• Set up 50 CBS systems and a network of 15 CBS entrepreneurs
• Provide them technical trainings on biogas plant construction and production processes
• Set up a leasing system to ensure better affordability of CBS
• Scale up a subsidy model based on the existing Jumelage Carbone® carbon twinning system
• Provide technical assistance to milk processors, fish processors and small restaurants in using biogas to optimise operations
• Link up biogas producers with local farmers who can use the bio slurry as an organic fertiliser