The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has achieved a breakthrough in biogas technology. A researcher, Dr. Victor Okereke said this on Tuesday.
He told journalists in Port Harcourt that waste materials refined from pig, cow, goat and sheep gotten from the institution’s livestock unit fueled the technology.
Okereke said this development was a great milestone which, if properly harnessed, could be used to generate electricity to power the university and its host communities.
Biogas is methane gas produced from agricultural waste, manure, food and animal waste that can be used as renewable energy source with little or no carbon footprint the researcher stated.
“Presently, the gas extracted from the dung (faeces) is used to generate power to pump water for the animals in the farm and later process animal products for sale.
“Going forward, we intend to increase the stock of animals in the farm to derive enough dung which will be enough to generate electricity to power the university community.
“But to achieve expansion of this project, we will need all the necessary support that we can get.”
Okereke, who is an agricultural microbiologist, said that biogas, a renewable energy source, has high sustainability rating without any harmful impact on the environment and the technology had potential to solve the nation’s electricity challenges which has taken its toll on the economy over the years.
He disclosed that UNIPORT’s waste-to-wealth scheme, had produced capable researchers and manpower from its Faculty of Agriculture.
“From the look of things, the future of affordable cheap and reliable energy lies in biogas utilization sourced from animal dung, among other end-uses.
“We understand that one cow’s waste can produce electricity to light two 100 watts light bulbs for 24 hours.
“This is indeed a useful technology that makes economic sense, particularly in this part of the world, where power supply is a luxury enjoyed by a privileged few,” Okereke said.