New centre could be game-changer for farmers

After years of negotiations, the South African Biogas Industry Association (SABIA) and the Agriculture Research Commission (ARC) reached an agreement to develop a biogas centre of excellence.

The collaboration, assisted by the UN Industrial Development Organisation, will see the state-ofthe-art centre being established at a animal production facility in Irene.

Secretary-general of SABIA Gordon Ayres said the centre was envisioned to act as a research, training and demonstration biogas technologies facility. “The plan is to build four different scale biogas digesters at the facility with a view to testing different technologies as well as assisting the Irene centre to benefit from the organic waste generated during their research and farming efforts.”

SABIA said one of the main challenges in terms of biogas adoption was dependable information. The organisation is not able to able to give farmers this information so they can use biogas technology in practice and the centre is now a game-changer.

Ayres said SABIA will not only use this data to inform farmers of the benefits and methodology suggested for different feedstocks, but will also be able to advise on beneficiation of the biogas slurry, which is a known organic fertiliser. “With the facilities available, lab work in terms of testing and experimentation can take place in an environment with many sources of feedstock from agriculture and from organic waste from commercial plants in the area,” he said.

The centre will now be able to provide a reliable base for information, which SABIA is hoping will result in a better and more successful implementation of biogas for farmers in the future.

According to Ayres the centre will also have ample space for various research groups together with office space, meeting areas and lab space. He said high-speed internet would be available. “UNISA has already shown interest, with the potential to extend the work they have been doing in validation and testing of biogas slurry and for the development of research students,” he said.

“We are looking forward to the next steps and engaging potential sponsors and off-takers in the biogas field.” –

SUPPLIED Ready to roll out the new biogas centre: From left, Gcobane Quvile (mid-term evaluator of the biogas project), Gordon Ayres (secretary-general of SABIA), uNokwazi Moyo (national project manager), Refiloe Phahla (Ebewo Technology Localisation and Innovation Unit, CSIR), Diego Masera (UNIDO representative for Southern Africa), Mary Jane Thaela-Chimuka (ARC senior researcher) and Norman Maiwashe (general manager of ARC Irene Animal Production Institute).