Source: Clarke energy, August 2025
When we think of renewable energies, we usually think of wind or solar power. However, there is enormous potential in Africa for using renewable gases to generate electricity. Certain natural microbes are able to break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen to produce different types of biologically created gas – biogas, which consists mainly of methane and carbon dioxide.
Renewable energy from biogas has the advantage of being able to produce a constant source of base load energy, not just when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. It can also be used for high-efficiency combined heat and power generation – providing a renewable energy source.
The organic matter needed to produce biogas is available in a wide range of forms on the African continent – some of which are unique. These include biogas from landfills – landfill gas, biogas from human waste – sewage gas, biogas from food waste or agricultural materials and, finally, naturally produced biogas, such as that found in lakes in Rwanda and Cameroon, or at certain mining sites in South Africa.
Biogas is a gas formed by a variety of anaerobic micro-organisms. These microbes feed on carbohydrates and fats, producing methane and carbon dioxide as the products of metabolic waste. This gas can be exploited by mankind as a sustainable energy source. Biogas is considered a renewable fuel, as it comes from organic matter created from atmospheric carbon produced by plants during the last vegetation periods. The creation of biogas is also known as bio-methanization. Gases of biological origin are produced as metabolic products, from two groups of micro-organisms called bacteria and archaea…
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