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Biogas Technology Promoted in Ciego de Ávila |
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Written by Delicia Leyva Morales|
Friday, 29 June 2012 09:48
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 Farmers and specialists from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MSTE) in the Cuban central province of Ciego de Avila discussed the use of swine sewage treatment plants by anaerobic digestion as viable technology for environmental sanitation and renewable energy production during the 5th Provincial Workshop on Biogas Technology Application.
Levis Valdés González, a specialist from the Bio-Food Research Center (BFRC) in the municipality of Morón, said that among the main environmental impacts of pig raising in the territory are the deterioration of air quality due to the generation of toxic gases and the contamination of both surface and subsoil water because of the dumping of liquid and solid pig waste (excreta) without pretreatment.
He also referred to the need to implement anaerobic digesters in the farms not specialized in raising pigs, belonging to the peasant sector, as an alternative to reduce the emission of pollutant loads to the environment, produce renewable energy (biogas) and get bio-fertilizers for agricultural use.
He said the system biogas obtained can be used for cooking food and lighting of the house, which represents a savings of 80 percent of the payment for electricity, with the replacement of traditional electric stoves.
In this regard, farmer Arnaldo Padrón Valdés, from of Velasco town (Pedro Ballester) in the municipality of Primero de Enero, said that at home, since September last year to date, the monthly cost of electricity consumption was reduced from 30 to 11 pesos, by means of the use of biogas as an alternative source of energy for cooking food.
Other farmers are reported to insufficient training and technical advice on the part of specialists in BFRC specialists at people's councils and rural communities located far from the center of the municipalities and expressed their interest in spreading the biogas technology in backyard swine raising and in the farms dedicated to cattle breeding.
According to Levis Valdés, by the end of 2011 there were 30 anaerobic digesters for the treatment of livestock residuals all over the province, but the figure is still lower than the amount of polluting sources recorded by the MSTE.
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