BIOGAS DIGESTERS IN GUIZHOU PROVINCE, CHINA - CARBON OFFSET
The aim of the project is to equip 1300 rural families with biogas reservoirs so they can meet their energy needs through the methanization of their organic waste.
CONTEXT
The area of Guizhou, located in the South-West of China, is the poorest Chinese province in terms of GDP per capita. With around 40 million inhabitants, it is mainly rural. The project zones, in the Weining and Danzhai districts, are characterised by a fragile environment, victim of deforestation and important erosion. They are also under-developed, with families living generally in houses of clay with dirt floors, often with their animals, and cooking on the floor. Main energy sources are biomass in Danzhai and coal in Weining.
The exploitation of natural resources (ores, wood, etc) is important in this province to provide fuel for major Chinese cities.
Given this environment and the local population’s energy needs, biogas tanks constitute a real solution.
PROJECT
The project involves the provision of 1300 biogas digesters in the above districts. Biogas is a combustible gas produced by fermenting animal and human waste in the absence of oxygen in an air-tight reservoir. It is used for cooking and lighting. Using this methanization process, families equipped with digesters can substitute their wood or coal supplies by animal waste and benefit from a regular supply of energy for cooking or lighting.
Technical support and some of the materials are provided by ID, while labour is provided by village residents, with the help of specialized technicians. A brick and cement digester takes an average of 4 or 5 days to build, plus an additional 5 to 6 days beforehand to dig the hole.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
- Fight against climate change thanks to the use of a renewable energy.
- Less pressure on wood resources, fight against erosion.
- Less in-home air pollution.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS
- Improvement to energy access, time saving for beneficiaries
- Reduction in interior air pollution in houses (respiratory and ocular infections)
- Job creation and poverty reduction.
INITIATIVE DEVELOPPEMENT
The project is implemented locally by the French NGO Initiative Développement (ID).
ID has contributed to satisfying basic needs (health, education, access to water and sanitation…) for more than 15 years, in 7 countries in the Southern hemisphere. Through its actions, ID inspires the emergence and consolidation of local development players. The association has carried out 21 programs reaching almost 250 000 people living in extreme poverty. In 2007, ID received the International Solidarity award for its work.
START OF THE PROJECT IN 2007
ID has worked in China since 2002. Guizhou province was selected for its socio-economic characteristics and the fact that few NGOs are present on the ground. A project for improving access to water in Weining district was launched first, before extending the project to biogas in 2005. ID requested the collaboration of GoodPlanet following this extension, in order to benefit from carbon financing.
Since 2007, the partnership between the two organisations for the Guizhou project has led to the completion of paperwork required for project certification (PDD, see media library) and the implementation of carbon monitoring.
GOLD STANDARD IN 2009
The project was registered as a Gold Standard “micro-scale” project in December 2009. In 2010, the project generated its first carbon credits (738 VER), showing a reduction in emissions between April 2008 and March 2009.
The collaboration between GoodPlanet and ID was then extended to a new project in the neighbouring province of Yunnan and to a project for improved stoves in Guizhou province.
NEWS
The construction of 1300 biogas digesters in Guizhou (project GS614) was completed in 2009. In 2010 and 2011, the major project activities were the maintenance and monitoring of the installations and fuel consumption.
Studies have enabled the identification of difficulties for the sustainability of the project (technical problems, relocation of beneficiary family, etc). An improvement workshop was held in one village, and its success (exchange of good practice between beneficiaries) is a key factor for new experiences to ensure the long term operation of the biodigestors.
GOLD STANDARD METHODOLOGY
The project uses a methodology developed by the Gold Standard: Indicative Programme, baseline, and monitoring methodology for Small Scale Biodigester.
In addition to the project eligibility criteria to be demonstrated in the PDD, the methodology stipulates the method for forecasting emission reductions, which is based on comparing baseline and project scenarios, while adopting statistical correction factors to ensure conservative results.
Two greenhouse gas emission sources are studied: the fuels used by the beneficiary family and the waste produced by the family’s animals.
The methodology also indicates the monitoring plan to be established to ensure a rigorous follow-up of the effective greenhouse gas reduction calculation parameters throughout the project.
The project was registered as a Gold Standard “micro-scale” project in December 2009. In 2010, the project generated its first carbon credits (738 VER), showing a reduction in emissions between April 2008 and March 2009. The PDD and monitoring reports are available in the media library.
Project currently being registered in the Gold Standard: GS614
