CANDELARIA, Cuba, December 20 (IPS) – Mayra Rojas is one of the few but growing numbers of people in Cuba to benefit from the production of biogas, a renewable energy source that is still underutilized. in a country heavily dependent on fossil fuels.
The biodegradation tank at the back of her house in the rural community of Carambola, municipality of Candelaria in the province of Artemisa, 80 kilometers west of Havana, gives Rojas the benefits of not using firewood and electricity for cooking, thereby reducing electricity bills and cooking hours.
It was built in 2011 with the help of her husband Edegni Puche, who did the installation of gas pipelines and other components.
Rojas and Puche, who raise pigs and grow fruit and vegetables on their small family farm, were advised by experts from the Association for the Promotion of Renewable Energy and Respect for the Environment (Cubasolar) ) and Cuba’s Movement for the Use of Biogas (MUB).
Rojas also received materials from the city government and the local pig company to build a small-scale Chinese-style fixed dome biodegradation tank measuring about 6 cubic meters.
She estimated that the total cost of the project ranged from $500 to $600 at the exchange rate at the time.
The cost of construction depends on the size, type and thickness of the material, as well as the characteristics of the site.
However, experts estimate that the minimum average cost to build a small-scale biodigester – more than a household’s cooking needs – is currently around $1,000 in the United States. a country with an average monthly salary equivalent to $160 at the official exchange rate.
“In the past, when we cleaned the barn, manure, urine, and pig feed waste piled up outside, in a corner of the yard,” says Rojas. It stinks and has a lot of flies.”
Organic matter is currently broken down anaerobically by bacteria, but in a closed, non-polluting environment, providing methane as an energy source, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.
Thanks to an alternative source of energy, Rojas can also keep nails shiny and hair clean for longer.
It also helps her husband and two young children become more involved in household chores, cleaning the yard and taking care of the family’s farm animals, “while raising awareness about protecting the environment.” “.
In addition, biogas technology provides biol and biosol — liquid wastewater and sludge respectively — that are ideal for fertilizing and restoring soil, “as well as watering and keeping plants green,” says Rojas, who has a lush garden where she grows crops, said. strange orchids.
Her biodegradable machine has also proven to be useful to the community, because when power outages from tropical cyclones frequently affect the island, “neighbors come to boil water and cook food.” eat their food,” she added.
There are an estimated 5,000 biodigesters in Cuba, with the potential to expand the network to 20,000 units, at least small-scale ones, according to conservative estimates by experts.
More than 90% of Cuba’s electricity comes from burning fossil fuels in aging thermal power plants and diesel and fuel oil engines, in a country with a significant proportion of 3.9 million households. Families use electricity as the main source of energy for cooking and heating water for bathing. .
© Inter Press Service (2022) — All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service
