SANUMARC Newsletter 2nd Edition - University of Namibia

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14Main Photo: Bio digester constructed by SANUMARCat the Omdel Community in Henties Bay.BIOGAS AS A SUSTAINABLE ENERGFor NamibiaIn recent years, Namibia has reached an important crossingpoint of growing energy demand therefore a sustainableenergy resource need to be utilized. Namibia is adeveloping country with majority of population living in ruralarea, many of these, has no access to electricity or reliablesource of energy. So, how can Namibia solve the vast energydemand, while still paying attention to environmental-friendly,less health hazardous, renewable and green alternativesource of energy?Biogas has arisen as environmental friendly source of energywhich apart from providing clean fuel it also reduce wastedisposal problem on domestic scale or commercial scale.Biomethane known as biogas is a product of anaerobicdigestion, which is a sequence of processes in whichmicroorganisms break down the biomass in absence ofoxygen. Biomass can be in the form of livestock, vegetablewaste, and poultry dropping, municipal solid waste, sewagewater, industrial solid effl uent, and land fi ll etc. Currently biogasis used for cooking and lighting purposes in rural areas in somedeveloping countries like India and for power and heating inEurope. Further purifi cation of biogas can make alternativefuel for automobiles and it can be compressed into cylindersand used as liquefi ed gas.Biogas TechnologyThe gasifi cation of biomass, commonly known as biomethanationhappens in air tight chamber where organicmaterial are subjected to anaerobic digestion in the presenceof methanogenic bacteria. This process is superior to biomasscombustion as the digested slurry from the biogas digesteris available as enriched organic fertilizer for utilization inagriculture, horticulture etc. The slurry can be dried, packedand transported to be used somewhere else, as supplementor substitute to chemical fertilizers. In comparison, whenbiomass is used as energy source through combustion, theprocesses destroy much of the biomass, ash which remainsafter energy extraction, has less nutritional value in contrastto biogas digester slurry. Converting biomass into gaseous fuelthrough bio-methanation has more advantages and moresustainable than combustion.Biogas contains about 60% methane, 39% carbon dioxideand traces of gases like hydrogen sulphide, and ammonia.It is hydrogen sulphide which is responsible for odor usuallyassociated with biogas in many cases. Without any purifi cationit can be used for cooking, lighting and as supplement todiesel for electricity generation.Four biogas digester build in Omdel informal settlementAs in many towns country wide, Henties Bay is also faced withinformal settlement problem, whereby most of inhabitants ofthese informal settlements are low income earning citizens. Tohelp with energy supply, SANUMARC supervised constructionof four digesters and skill transfer was carried out to educatethe local community on the importance of biogas digestersand their maintenance.The types of bio-digesters build is underground dome-shapedigesters, with the volume of 16 m3. The digesters are fed with
kitchen waste and sewer from municipal septic tank. Daily feed intake is 5 to 10kg kitchen waste and 10 to 15 liters of water. All that can results in gas supplyenough for 4 to 5 hours of nonstop cooking per day.The community understands the importance for having a domestic bio-digester,mainly for saving money on cooking, as the gas produced is piped directly tothe kitchen stove and is ready for use.SANUMARC Bio-digesterFor research purposes a biogas model was built at SANUMARC. This is a 100-literwater tank which was modifi ed and converted to airtight chamber, with inlet forfeeding and two outlets for gas and slurry respectively. It is fed with garden wasteand plants materials found around the Centre. With it, it will help researchers tofi nd out which types of biomass can yield more biogas and help in fi nding asimple and sustainable biogas purifi cation method.Y SOURCEFurtherpurificationAdvantages of Biogas• With the availability of biomass, biogas is a renewable source of energy witha constant supply to consumers• Slurry and grey water from digester are high quality organic fertiliser• The use of biogas, contribute signifi cantly to the protection of environment• Once build, bio-digester is maintenance free system• Biogas is less air pollutant compared to burning wood or using paraffi n forcooking• Effectiveness of livestock, municipal and industrial waste management• The digester can be built with local sourced materials• Improved sanitation within farming areas, townships and industries• Excess gas produced can be bottled and sold for income generation, thuscontribute to employment creation for locals• Using methane as fuel before it escape in atmosphere, will signifi cantlyreduce global warming and slow down the pace of climate changeof biogascan makeFlow-Chart of BiogassDigesteralternative fuelfor automobilesand it can becompressedinto cylindersand used asliquefied gas.MRS. ANNA ANDJENGO REPLACESMRS. ELIZABETH HILL AS OFFICEADMINISTRATORMs. Anna Shiimi Andjengo joined SANUMARC team as anOffi ce Administrator after Mrs. Elizabeth Hill was transferredto the Main Campus at the beginning of 2012. Mrs. Shiimi-Andjengo hold a Diploma in Information Studies and Certifi catein Mid-level Management from the University of Namibia and aSecretarial Certifi cate from Rossing Foundation. She had previously worked for the Ministryof Education as a Library Assistant before joining the academic library setting in 2005at Polytechnic of Namibia. In 2008, she was appointed at the University of Namibia asa Library Assistant and later appointed to a Senior Library Assistant, Oshakati Campus.She possesses good secretarial and administrative skills with extensive knowledge ofdisseminating information. She is currently enrolled for a Diploma in Public Relations withthe University of Namibia. We are very pleased to have her joined our team as she has astrong academic background and wealthy of experience.
Page 1: NewsOffi cial Newsletter of the Hen
Page 4 and 5: 4NAMSOV COMMUNITY TRUSTCapacity Bui
Page 6 and 7: 6EIGHT FORMER UNAM STUDENTS BENEFSP
Page 8 and 9: 8Group photographs during the Inter
Page 10 and 11: 10Members of the National Youth Ser
Page 12 and 13: 12FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCEFina
Page 16: Contact Details:Editor: Dr Diina Sh

SANUMARC Newsletter 2nd Edition - University of Namibia

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