The GEF's Small Grants Programme implemented a project in rural Uzbekistan to produce biogas from cattle manure, and succeeded in demonstrating the viability of biogas plants as a convenient alternative energy technology, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
2 April 2012: The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) has presented the results of a project approved in 2009 to promote biogas in rural Uzbekistan.
A US$21,296 GEF SGP grant supported the development of biogas plants on Nadejda Farm in Uzbekistan, a project that included the construction of biogas plant by local farm owners, raising awareness about biogas plants as an alternative energy technology, and more access to training by other farmers. Currently, the plant provides the farm with enough gas for cooking, hot water, and heating. Furthermore, it produces enough electricity to pump water to three nearby farms and approximately 30 households in the vicinity. It is estimated that this new biogas plant technology avoids the equivalent of more than 155 tons of CO2 emissions annually through utilization of cattle manure for production of electricity (avoiding methane emissions). The grant has also been used to support the training of 200 farmers in the region and the Nadejda Farm which, with the support of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), has become a demonstration site for biogas technology in the region. [GEF Press Release]