Implementation Of Biogas Technology At Nust H-12 Campus
Article By: Naila Azhar
Biogas is a type of renewable energy resource, being used extensively all over the world. Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas originates from biogenic material and is a type of biofuel. It is produced by anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials such as biomass, manure, sewage, municipal waste, green waste, plant material and energy crops. This type of biogas comprises primarily methane and carbon dioxide.
Looking at the world’s energy demand and living standard of the people, biogas technology is one of the reliable clean renewable energy sources used for cooking and lighting purpose. It has many local and global environmental benefits. It has helped in reducing the use of fuelwood and hence conserves the forests. The slurry from the digester is also used as nutrient rich fertilizer, which has replaced the use of chemical fertiliser. This technology has health benefits from reduced indoor pollutions and improvement of livelihood. Each biogas installation avoids about 4.6 tonnes of CO
2 emissions a year, which helps to reduce the greenhouse effect. This technology has also indicated potentials for carbon trading under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It has promoted the idea of waste to energy technology, which plays an important role in municipal solid waste management.
In Pakistan, the estimated countrywide biogas potential is 12–16 million m
3/day. The significance of biogas all over the world shows that we can implement this technology in NUST, Sector H-12 Campus. IESE is currently installing a biogas plant within NUST Campus, which would utilize the organic waste from hostels, cafeterias, residential area and institutes, and will convert it into a source of renewable energy. It will just include the food waste and the garden waste. For this segregation biodegradable bags will be used.
This technology will help to reduce and reuse the amount of waste generated in the campus. Thus it will lead to minimization of solid waste produced within the NUST campus. There will be production of useful gas for heating purpose such as cooking. It will provide an alternative source of energy, as our country is facing severe energy shortage problem. We can save money of campus which is used for waste transportation and sanitary staff. Moreover, compost will be made to be used as fertilizer in the botanical garden of campus.
Success with the activity would ultimately lead us to implement a programme where all such waste, within the NUST campus at H-12, shall be processed in an environmental friendly, sustainable manner. And will be used for making biogas. This would certainly contribute to the projection of NUST as a truly Green Campus and a Zero Waste University.
