In this paper, we revealed the fate of abandoned small-scale fixed-dome biogas plants in rural areas in central Vietnam.
Highlights:
Despite the large number of small-scale biogas plants being built in Vietnam, there is an increase in the reported cases of their dis-adoption by farmers with no official evidence.
With a typical lifespan of 20 years, small-scale biogas plants were found to be abandoned after 6 years (on average) in operation for anaerobic digestion.
Abandoned small-scale biogas plants were mainly not used for any other purposes within rural households. However, biogas plants initially connected to the household toilet were observed in use for human excreta storing after the dis-adoption.
Predominantly, failures in feedstock supply for biogas production led to the abandonment of biogas plants. Anaerobic digestion technology did not remain beneficial for farmers as practice for organic waste management when difficulties related to keeping pigs occurred. An important lesson of the biogas technology dis-adoption in Vietnam is the danger posed by African swine fever outbreaks in the area.
Using a logistic regression analysis of various cross-sectional data, key forces were uncovered to determine also factors that influence the dis-adoption. Results showed that households with more members working on the farm and more satisfied with the maintenance of their biogas plant are less likely to abandon it.
The dis-adoption of biogas technology leads to the return of rural households to conventional energy sources for cooking such as liquefied petroleum gas and firewood. So, there is a waste of investments in biogas technology and possible advantages including environmental.
Abandoned small-scale biogas plants can be found everywhere where biogas technology was adopted, so there is a need to show real state-of-the-art about abandonment in other parts of the world. To increase rural households' reliance on renewable sources of energy, it is necessary to support existing small-scale biogas plants and keep them functional as long as it is possible.
Congratulations to Kseniia Paramonova on her first paper and other authors!
You can read more about it HERE.
Paramonova, K., Mazancová, J., Roubík, H., 2022. Dis-adoption of small-scale biogas plants in Vietnam: what is their fate? Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24047-9
