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Cows to Kilowatts Featured
SEED Winner
Year of participation:2005
Region:Africa
Subject:Climate change adaptation/mitigation|Energy / Renewables|Waste management
Effluents and waste products from abattoirs are a problem for human health and the environment across the developing world. A project being piloted in Ibadan, Nigeria, is turning these wastes into energy to generate income for poor urban communities and reduce the gases linked with climate change.
Original project description
Greenhouse gas emission and pollution are two serious environmental side-effects of abattoirs across the developing world. Abattoir effluent critically impacts human health, agriculture, potable water and the ecology of aquatic species and has become a significant problem for many urban communities in Nigeria. There are currently no waste treatment plants for abattoirs in Nigeria, legislation for the protection of water sources is inadequate, and there is no clearly established, coordinated policy framework to tackle water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Therefore a local NGO and a community-based organization together with technology innovators from Thailand and the Sustainable Ibadan Project are turning these wastes into energy to generate income for poor urban communities and reduce the gases linked with climate change. The ‘Cows to Kilowatts’ project, located in Ibadan (Nigeria), centres on the construction of a biogas plant and waste-water treatment facility to run on abattoir waste so creating a cheap source of domestic energy, abating pollution and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
The plant treats wastewater and produces biogas (mainly methane and carbon dioxide) using the anaerobic fixed film (AFF) biogas technology. Biogas, which is first upgraded and compressed, is much cleaner than kerosene and wood that are used currently for cooking and heating.
The plant also produces electricity and organic fertiliser from the reactor’s sludge. The biogas from the plant is sold to urban poor women at about 25% of the prevailing market price of natural gas; the fertiliser is sold to urban low-income farmers at 10% of the usual market price of chemical fertiliser. These two products are expected to benefit about 5000 households and about 15,000 low-income farmers monthly for 15 years (the productive lifetime of the biogas plant).
The pilot plant in Ibadan is the first in the world to simultaneously treat abattoir effluent and provide domestic energy and organic fertiliser.
Current project updates
Last updated: 18 August 2009
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Project partners
• Global Network for Environment and Economic Development Research, Nigeria (NGO)
• Biogas Technology ResearchCentre, KMUTT, Thonburi, Thailand (Research Institute)
• Centre for Youth, Family and the Law, Nigeria (Community-based Organization)
• Sustainable Ibadan Project, Nigeria (UN-HABITAT Programme)
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SEED support for this project
• facilitated the relationship with UNDP Nigeria which became a partner
• supported a number of grant applications
• Assisted in making connections with a number of interested parties
• facilitated press coverage of the project
• leveraged support for the project to be represented at the International Forum on Partnerships
• Assisted with finalising the business plan
• provided a consultant that assisted with the brokering, incorporation and stakeholder engagement
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