Kenya can do without expensive oil from abroad. The country could be completely self-sufficient in energy using biogas from its large agricultural sector.

According to Dutch research, agricultural waste from cotton, corn and barley in Kenya produces enough biogas to meet three quarters of the current energy needs. Environment technologist Henri Spanjers of Wageningen Universiteit, studied the possibilities for alternative energy in the African country together with colleagues from Belgium and Kenya.
 
Existing biogas plants are currently run on manure, but in fact this is already organic waste being turned into methane by fermentation. The agricultural sector in Kenya makes up a quarter of the total economy. Waste is currently just thrown away or burnt. The research shows this is a waste of resources.
 
Nairobi
Local collection points for small biogas plants would be the most effective system. Depending on the distribution system, biogas would go straight to the user. Or it would be transported somewhere else where it could be used to produce electricity. In the future, even large cities such as Nairobi could be provided with energy from larger plants.
 
"If there is no gas grid and no electricity grid then you should produce it in a very decentralized way. You might also put the gas in bottles and distribute these bottles. So it depends on the situation. In a country like Kenya there is an electricity grid in the cities. If there is no natural gas grid, it would be difficult to use a form of energy like biogas."
 
Biogas plant
The transition to using biogas would be possible with the existing infrastructure, says Peter Erkelens of the Eindhoven University of Technology, who has been living and working in Kenya for three years. He thinks the main problem will be the implementation. This has been shown to be the case by a biogas plant in the coastal city of Mombassa.

 
"There is a biogas plant on sisal and animal manure. It's fully operational since September 2007. But it still has its problems. Because you need to have qualified staff, you need the infrastructure like pipes and you have to import equipment. Also there are problems with tariffs and grid connections."

Financial and technological support from outside is essential, believes Mr Erkelens. Even just to train local people to work in the new industry.
 
Manure
Kenya is investing little in methane production, but is looking for alternative fuels so that it can become less dependent on oil imports. The country has around 2000 small, mainly local biogas plants which are run on manure. Nevertheless, methane production is economically feasible, says Mr Spanjers.
 
"Especially if the substrate for these biogas plants is available. And secondly: if the technology is not too complicated which is the case, and thirdly, of course you have to be able to produce energy in the form of biogas or electricity. And if the price for this energy is high enough, it is economically feasible."
 
Green energy
The main problem at the moment is that alternative energy is hardly able to compete with cheap oil, especially if it needs government subsidies. A Kenyan experiment with biodiesel failed as soon as it had to stand on its own two feet. The government stimulated farmers to grow oil seed. They thought they could combine the development of green energy with combating poverty. But it did not work in practice. Prices for biogas crops collapsed without the government subsidies.
 
In spite of this, Mr Spanjers is convinced by the possibilities. He is working on the construction of a biogas research centre in Kenya where all know-how on methane production can be collected. As far as he is concerned, Kenya will have taken a big step in this direction by ten years time.