Together with its twin city Mubende and the International University of East Africa (IUEA), the Giessen district hosted the first German-Ugandan biogas conference. The meeting in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, was supported by funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) was also involved.
The desire for such a conference arose within the context of the biogas project with Mubende. A climate partnership has connected the Giessen district and the Ugandan city since 2020. This partnership led to the construction of a biogas plant for organic waste, which is currently under construction. It will go into operation this year and will supply energy for the school kitchen of a secondary school with 3,000 students.
Away from the previous energy source wood
Mayors from Ugandan cities, investors, the Ugandan Ministry of the Environment, and German institutions in Uganda were invited to the conference. Many municipalities in Uganda are now aware of the partnership project in Mubende and also want to switch from traditional wood fuel to biogas produced from organic waste. The wood needed for cooking is dramatically reducing forest areas, while at the same time mountains of waste are growing. "We need to start viewing organic waste as a valuable resource," demanded Alfred Okot Okidi, State Secretary in the Ugandan Ministry of the Environment. The biogas project in Mubende will serve as a model for this.
“We have been informed that approximately 75 percent of Ugandan households heat their stoves with firewood or coal, thereby accelerating deforestation,” said District Administrator Anita Schneider. On the other hand, a significant amount of organic waste is generated, which can be converted into energy in a resource-efficient and climate-friendly way. “These positive aspects lead to waste being viewed as valuable and encourage the adoption of waste separation. Good solutions are emerging that can serve as models for other Ugandan municipalities.”
Their often tight budgets have frequently been strained by rising wood costs, noted Gideon Muhindo, a biogas expert at the IUEA who is providing scientific support for the Mubender project. "It is foreseeable that biogas will soon cost less than wood, thus not only protecting the environment but also easing the burden on households."
Johannes Hertlein, a financing expert at Solvienta GmbH in Hesse, presented participants with various financing options for biogas plants. Public-private partnership models, as practiced in Germany, generated considerable interest. Unlike other development cooperation projects, these models offer investors high levels of security for the economically viable operation of the plants.
Opportunities for investors also from the Giessen district
“Investment costs for biogas plants in Uganda will be significantly lower compared to Germany, and operation will be simpler,” noted Prof. Dr. Linda Knorr, who participated in the conference on behalf of THM . “Uganda lies on the equator with consistent temperatures throughout the year, which is why the organic waste does not change over the year, unlike in Germany.”
However, successful solutions in the municipalities often lack the necessary investment capital, said District Administrator Schneider. "Therefore, it is worthwhile not only to transfer know-how but also to bring companies from the Giessen district together with Ugandan stakeholders."
The IUEA is also providing on-site support and advice to Ugandan municipalities. Experts from the university designed the organic waste fermentation plant in Mubende and oversaw its construction.