Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technology (PCRET) on Wednesday started an awareness campaign to install biogas plants in rural areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Considering the growing need for fuel gas, PCRET kicked off an awareness campaign in rural areas, where farmers had three to four cows or buffalos, to install biogas plants in their houses to fulfill the domestic demand for energy
Official sources said the department would provide subsidy and technical support for the plants.
Pakistan Science Club (PSC) is also promoting biogas plant installation in the country. PSC has published many articles and uploaded video tutorials pertaining to biogas plant construction, said PSC President Abdul Rauf
He said a home biogas plant saves 32 liters of kerosene oil or 2.5 tonnes of wood annually, thus lessening environmental pollution. The use of biogas at home could help prevent lung and kidney problems, he added. More than 2,800 domestic biogas plants had already been installed in different cities during the last four years, an official said. Around 553 plants had been installed in Jhang, Faisalabad 481, Toba Tek Singh 343, Khushab 186, Chiniot 153, Sahiwal 151, Sheikhupura 79, Nankana Sahib 66, Pakpattan 40, Gujranwala 38 and Okara 19, he claimed.
The official said plants were being installed in various sizes including 4, 6, 8, 10 and 15 cubic feet which were sufficient for cooking three meals a day for a 4 to 14- membered family
The cost of the plants varied from Rs 48,000 and Rs 87,000, the official said, adding that quality control centers had been set up in each district to ensure efficient operation of the installed plants.