BIOGAS DIGESTERS IN YUNNAN, CHINA - CARBON OFFSET
To equip 1450 rural families with biogas digesters so they can meet their energy needs through the methanization of their organic waste.
CONTEXT
The area of Yunnan, located in the South-West of China, is economically low advanced even if tourism is developing. Yunnan counts about 40 million inhabitants with a high ethnical diversity (22 minorities are in this area). The project zone, in the Zhaotong district, north-east of Yunnan is characterized 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. The main source of energy used is coal.
PROJECT
The project involves the provision of 1450 biogas digesters in the Yunnan, in order to offer the possibility to produce organic fertilizer and renewable energy. Biogas is a combustible gas produced by fermenting animal and human waste in the absence of oxygen in an air-tight reservoir. It is use for cooking and lighting.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
- Treatment of animal waste in the villages
- Less in-home air pollution.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS
- Reduction of poverty (400 yuans / 50€ saved per year per family)
- Improvement to energy access
- Production of quality organic fertilizer
- Improvement of hygienic conditions
- Provision of local technical skills
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.
ID WORKS IN CHINA SINCE 2002
The province of Guizhou has been selected according to it socio-economical characteristics and the lack of NGO working on the field. At the beginning, a water access project in the Weining district was launched, before being extended on a biogas project in 2005. During this project extension, ID contacted GoodPlanet to help calculate the carbon emission generated by the project.
The partnership between the two entities on the Guizhou project, since 2007, has been extended on new projects in the same area and the next-door area of Yunnan. Between them, the biogas project, north of the Yunnan province (Zhaotong district) also consists in distributing biogas digesters.
NEWS
In the Yunnan, 680 digesters have been built between 2009 and 2010, and 520 in 2011. It is planned to build 250 new units in 2012.
After being registered Gold Standard in August 2010, the first carbon credits (595 VER) have been issued in 2011 on this project.
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 August 2010. In 2011, the project generated its first carbon credits (595 VER) for the period October 2009 - September 2010. The PDD and monitoring reports are available in the media library.
Project currently being registered in the Gold Standard:GS689
