Biogas pipeline comes into operation in Biratnagar

Technicians work at the biogas plant at Shri Krishna Gaushala in Biratnagar. The plant started distributing biogas to 32 households on Thursday. Photo: Hari Adhikari/THT

BIRATNAGAR: Locals of ward-14 in Biratnagar Metropolis are elated after the town’s only biogas plant came into operation recently.

The plant, in its first phase, began distributing gas through a pipeline on Thursday in a bid to replace costly LPG cylinders.

“At present, we have dispensed biogas to 32 households,” Chair of Shri Krishna Gaushala, Shankar Lal Agrawal said, “We aim to expand distribution to 100 households soon.”

The biogas produced at Shri Krishna Gaushala in Biratnagar-14, Jatuwa will be distributed to households located within a kilometre from the plant through pipelines, Agrawal informed.

At present pipelines are being laid to expand distribution from the plant with an installed volume of 300 cubic metres.

The cow farm houses more than 200 cows and calves that excrete 2 tonnes of manure daily allowing steady production of biogas.

Cows graze at Shri Krishna Gaushala in Biratnagar. The farm has over 200 cows and calves. Photo: Hari Adhikari

The construction works of the gas plant, pipeline and other structures around the farm were done with an investment of Rs 8.5 million funded jointly by Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, a government institution and locals in the area.

According to Agrawal, a team of Nepali and Gujarati technicians are undertaking the plant installation and other necessary works in the farm.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli,  during the shortage of LPG cylinders following the 2015 trade embargo, had announced that every Nepali kitchen would get Liquid Petroleum Gas through pipelines garnering wide criticism of being over-ambitious. As of now, the households in Biratnagar have started to believe that the pipeline idea works well with biogas, if not LPG, where it is readily available in the community.