Project Name: Promoting technology of electric generator using biogas in rural areas of Vietnam

Client:   Toyota Foundation

Project Duration:   2009 – 2010

Project Description

Biogas has been introduced and developed in Vietnam for over 20 years. At present, there is one rather big biogas program funded by the Dutch Government through SNV organization, a Dutch one, and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam (MARD). The main objective of the programme is to train technicians and to subsidy for farmers to build biogas digesters for households in rural areas of the country.

In order to establish a fully sustainable way of biogas utilization and commercialization, the project, financed by the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Programme, aims to promote developing market for electricity generation using biogas in selected rural areas through developing business model for local enterprises while continuing promote sustainable biogas utilization in the rural areas. Capacity building is provided to increase market capacity for local entrepreneurs in development of bio electricity generation technology. Marketing activities are promoted among rural community to use biogas in a sustainable way which is combined by using biogas for cooking, using biogas for generating electricity and using biogas residues for fertilizer; and to improve awareness of farmers and local community in using biogas not only for environment protection but also for energy efficiency and for poverty reduction by productive use. The project has also a target to identify conditions for further market development in other rural areas of Vietnam in near future.