Powering Uganda's Clean Energy Future: Biomethane Technology and Innovation for Clean Cooling in Rural Uganda (BioCool)

BioCool aims to tackle the challenges limiting the widespread adoption of anaerobic digestion (AD) technology to produce biomethane, for sustainable cooling among rural communities in Uganda. 

Uganda's dairy sector contributes over 50% to the total agricultural GDP. Without reliable access to electricity, conventional refrigeration is not readily available. Approximately 70% of the milk produced is sold as raw milk through informal markets, bypassing essential processing steps and leaving it vulnerable to spoilage and huge losses in the sector.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) technology can help to meet sustainable cooling needs among smallholder farmers in Uganda. It has been promoted in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to address fuel poverty across multiple sectors and contribute to economic growth.
 Over 30,000 AD systems are currently installed in Uganda, however, barriers such as shortages in input resources (water and feed material), limited awareness of process control by households and energy costs, limit the sustainable long-term operation of the digesters.

BioCool aims to tackle these obstacles by implementing an Energy as a Service (EaaS) model for biomethane. EaaS shifts the techno-economic burden associated with installing and operating an anaerobic digester to the energy provider, and the customer only has to pay for the fuel consumed. 

Impact

Through the enhancement of biomethane access (SDG7), the project will drive sustainable development, especially in energy-deprived communities, improve livelihoods, and create economic opportunities in the agricultural sector.

Project website

https://energycatalyst.ukri.org/uganda/university-of-leeds-2/