Main market vendors to benefit from Biogas project
May 19, 2022 10:13 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Jason Abel .
Food vendors at the Port Vila market house and the Tagabe Fresh Produce market will soon benefit from cheap, clean, renewable cooking fuel to replace LPG gas for cooking.
This comes as the Vanuatu Agricultural Supplies (VAS) confirmed that works on installing two Biogas unit systems for the Port Vila market house and the Tagabe Fresh Produce market have already begun.
The program is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Agriculture and the Port Vila City Council (PVCC), with VAS as the implementation partner for the Biogas units at the central markets. There is also an agreement with VAS and the Department of Agriculture for the Biogas Unit at the Tagabe market.
VAS’ Business Development officer, Aaron Prendergast, said the cement slab at Tagabe was installed on Tuesday and the slab at the Central market will be installed this week as well. Following this, two HBG4.0 systems will be installed at each site.
“For the main market, the intention is to retrofit some bain-marie food heaters to keep hot food for the food vendors in the markets, along with some biogas for cooking purposes, with potential further biogas systems to be added in the future to cater for all of the cooking needs,” Mr. Prendergast explained.
“For the Tagabe market, the Biogas will be used by the food vendors. These vendors currently rely on LPG gas for cooking.
“The system will also benefit the markets in being able to process some of the waste from the markets and reducing the need for waste disposal. The third main benefit, in addition to cheap fuel, waste management is the production of a valuable biologically active liquid fertiliser as a by-product.”
Mr. Prendergast added that considering all of these economic benefits, it is certainly a viable approach for Vanuatu, and that is before considering the environmental benefits that these systems bring as part of the package.
The Biogas units are part of the eight Biogas unit systems, donated as a gift by the Israel Ambassador to the Vanuatu government supported and installed by VAS.
VAS confirmed that there are four other units and these will be installed in different provinces, after consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Forestry and Biosecurity.
Prendergast believes that this is a positive and practical way forward for waste management and renewable energy production, in all markets throughout the country.
VAS recently installed Biogas units for Malapoa College and Lycee LAB, Montmartre is listed as the next beneficiary of the project.
