Design and implementation of a sustainable solution for upgrading and distributing biogas in rural Tanzania
Master Industriële ingenieurswetenschappen electromechanica
Kenneth Dries (UHasselt)
We designed, built, tested, and implemented a technical installation that integrates ecological, social, and economic sustainability from the very first design stage.
What is your thesis about?
In our master’s thesis, we address the challenge of access to reliable and sustainable energy in rural Tanzania, where many households still rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking. This practice contributes to deforestation, ecosystem degradation, and serious health risks due to indoor air pollution. As a sustainable alternative, biogas can be produced from organic waste such as manure and food residues, but raw biogas contains impurities like CO₂ and H₂S, which reduce efficiency and pose safety risks.
We designed and implemented a solar-powered system that upgrades and compresses biogas, making it safe for use and easy to distribute. The system was developed for an existing biogas installation in the village of Kimbiji, producing around 100 liters of biogas per day. Using locally available materials, we tested multiple purification methods. The most effective combination—calcium hydroxide for CO₂ removal and rusted steel wool for H₂S adsorption—reduced CO₂ levels to 16% and H₂S to 2 ppm. The upgraded gas is then compressed to 8 bar using solar energy and stored in LPG cylinders for distribution.
In addition to the technical design, we conducted a techno-economic analysis. While the system is not yet economically viable at very small scale, a larger-scale configuration processing 6,500 liters of biogas per day significantly reduces costs and approaches market-competitive energy prices. Our results demonstrate that scalability is essential for long-term feasibility and broader implementation of the solution.
How does your master thesis contribute to sustainability?
With our thesis, we contribute to sustainability by delivering a holistic, real-world solution that integrates ecological, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development. By converting organic waste into clean cooking energy, our system reduces deforestation, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and improves air quality and public health.
Ecologically, every unit of biogas produced reduces the need for firewood and charcoal, allowing forests and soils to recover and supporting biodiversity. Socially, our project addresses energy inequality: by providing affordable, locally produced biogas, it reduces the burden on women and children who traditionally spend hours collecting firewood, while improving indoor air quality and safety. Economically, the system is designed to be scalable and locally manageable, ensuring long-term viability rather than short-lived technological intervention.
A key strength of our work is its strong local embedding. Through manuals, instruction videos, and hands-on workshops, we ensured knowledge transfer and local ownership, enabling the community to operate, maintain, and expand the installation independently. By using locally available materials and incorporating stakeholder input from the outset, the project avoids dependency and supports durable capacity building.
Overall, our thesis demonstrates that sustainable energy transitions are most effective when they are context-sensitive, community-driven, and system-oriented, offering a replicable model for rural energy access that combines technical robustness with social justice and ecological resilience.