Anaerobic digestion and biogas experts are currently meeting in Kigali, Rwanda to discuss how regional capacity can be sustainably enhanced to increase biogas production, according to a report in the country's New Times newspaper.
The three-day workshop, organised by the Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS), brings together experts from all the East African Community (EAC) member countries and participants from the Swedish Institute of Standards.
At the opening of the workshop, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Monique Nsanzabaganwa, reminded the participants of the need to reduce over-dependency on oil through the use of alternate sources of energy such as biogas derived from the anaerobic digestion of agricultural and animal wastes, as well as biofuels.
"We have to find ways of boosting our efficiency so that we use less oil. The only way the EAC's energy supply can be secure is by permanently reducing our dependence on oil and develop relevant standards for health and safety," she said.
According to the New Times, the Minister also claimed that the government has embarked on promoting maximum use of alternative energy sources like methane gas.
"Like many developing countries, we have to decrease the dependence on costly fossil fuel; this is the reason we are prioritising projects like methane gas extraction," Nsanzabaganwa said.
Nsanzabaganwa went on to highligh some of the negative impacts of using oil, citing countries like Brazil.
"Countries like Brazil have experienced negative impact in trade balance because of the need to import more oil; but now, Brazil has put in place long-term programmes to develop biofuel production as an alternative to oil, which the EAC needs to adopt," she said.
Paul Walakila, an expert from Uganda Bureau of Standards, observed that there is a need for regional member states to harmonize policies on usage of biogas for the whole region to benefit.
