Israeli Device Making Manure Into Green Energy For Indian Farmers

An Israeli company capable of turning food scraps and other organic waste into fuel will be installing 7,000 units of its system on dairy farms in India.

HomeBiogas has created a miniaturized anaerobic digester, a tank that uses microorganisms to digest the organic waste and release a methane-rich gas, which can be used for cooking or heating on site.

Starting early next year, thousands of dairy farmers in the Indian city of Satara will be able to produce green energy by feeding their new HomeBiogas system with cow manure. 

This will replace cooking on firewood and the use of charcoal, and reduce their exposure to harmful cooking smoke, as well as decrease deforestation and cut reliance on fossil fuels for cooking.

The company will provide the farmers with its systems under an agreement with SKG Sangha, a non-profit organization that encourages the development of renewable energy technologies in remote rural areas. 

“I’m excited to announce a substantial, long term deal with SKG Sangha that incorporates the installation of thousands of HomeBiogas systems in India and the expected sale of 500,000 carbon credits that the project will produce,” says Oshik Efrati, HomeBiogas’ CEO.

“The sale of carbon credits is a significant contribution to the HomeBiogas business model where most of the income for manufacturing, installing and maintaining the HomeBiogas systems with the Indian dairy farmers will derive from selling carbon credits to companies who are interested in lowering their emission and not from the farmers themselves,” he explained.

“I believe that developing and implementing innovative technologies, together with adopting carbon-based funding solutions, will lead humanity to succeed in facing climate challenges.”