Biogas from livestock waste - an effective model

In the context of climate change increasingly impacting daily life, green transformation in agricultural production is becoming an inevitable trend. Khanh Hoa Ward (Can Tho City), with its strengths in agriculture, livestock farming, and aquaculture, is gradually utilizing waste to produce biogas, solving environmental problems while saving living costs and increasing income.

Mr. Ha collects all the by-products from his aquaculture ponds and processes them into biogas.

"Turning waste into gas"

In the Bung Tum area of ​​Khanh Hoa ward, Mr. Pham Huynh Ha, a brackish water shrimp farmer with over 1 hectare of ponds, has been struggling with the problem of wastewater treatment for many years. Each time he siphons the pond bottom, wastewater mixed with shrimp feces, shells, and leftover feed flows into the surrounding environment. This not only causes pollution but also poses a potential risk of disease outbreaks in the next farming season.

In 2025, after accessing support from the project "Strengthening the Capacity for Renewable Energy Transition and Waste Management for a Sustainable Environment in the Mekong Delta," Mr. Ha decided to invest in a composite tank system combined with a biogas digester. All by-products from his shrimp ponds are collected and processed. "Gas prices are currently high. Each month I use a 12kg cylinder costing 500,000-600,000 VND. With this 9 cubic meter tank, I can use gas for a whole year without spending money. Waste has now become a source of energy for daily cooking, not only saving costs but also making my shrimp farming area cleaner," Mr. Ha shared.

In the Tan Tinh area, Ms. Le Thi Kim Ngan has significantly reduced her cooking costs by using biogas from pig farming.

Ms. Ngan's family currently raises more than 10 pigs for meat. Previously, waste from the pig pens was discharged into the pond and river near their house. Since receiving support to install a biogas digester, all waste is collected and put into the digester. After decomposition, the biogas is directly fed into the kitchen.

According to Ms. Ngan, by the end of 2025, when they start using biogas, her family will no longer buy gas from outside but will utilize it for daily life for two families, saving millions of dong each year. In addition, the livestock pens will be cleaner, the air will be more ventilated, and neighbors will no longer complain about the foul smell as before.

Towards green agriculture

Through the project "Strengthening Capacity for Renewable Energy Transition and Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability in the Mekong Delta," funded by ActionAid International in Vietnam, Khanh Hoa ward received support for the installation of a total of 410 biogas tanks. Of these, 50 livestock farming households received one tank each, and 120 aquaculture households received three tanks each, along with composite plastic tanks, gas stoves, and gas supply systems. Each tank costs nearly 12 million VND, with the project providing 90% of the cost and the residents contributing only 10%. The total cost of implementation reached 4.9 billion VND. This is considered a significant boost, as without this support, many households would find it difficult to invest in biogas production.

According to Mr. To Thanh Nhi, Head of the Economic , Infrastructure and Urban Planning Department of Khanh Hoa Ward, the locality will continue to promote awareness campaigns to change people's perceptions in production, and have households sign commitments not to discharge waste into the environment. At the same time, they will encourage people to continue applying biogas technology in production to maintain environmental hygiene in livestock and aquaculture. “When livestock waste is ‘recycled’ into energy, and when people proactively change their production methods, that is the foundation for building a green, circular, and sustainable agriculture. This is also one of the long-term solutions that Khanh Hoa Ward aims for in its journey to respond to climate change,” Mr. Nhi emphasized.

In the context of rising gas prices, the biogas model is proving its practical value. Not only does it help reduce the financial burden on individual households, but it is also a clean energy solution aligned with sustainable development trends. From the biogas tanks in Khanh Hoa, we can see a new mindset emerging: not viewing waste as a burden, but as a "resource."

Text and photos: SONG LE

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/biogas-tu-chat-thai-chan-nuoi-mo-hinh-hieu-qua-a205938.html