Rwanda Correctional Services yesterday announced that all prisons have now been fitted with biogas plants.

With the installation of biogas, prisons will drastically reduce the heavy expenditure on firewood as a source of energy for cooking.

Additionally, substitution of firewood with biogas as fuel helps in the protection of the environment. This benefits the community in the long-term by increasing the amount of rainfall and helping to reduce drought.

The Government has invested a lot in ensuring food security and for this to be sustainable, it is imperative that the environment is protected.

Furthermore, the continuous felling of trees for firewood risks eroding the fertile soil, which would reverse the initiatives to ensure food security.

Rwandan prisons have shown what the advantages of using biogas are and with the lessons in mind, its use should be extended to institutions of learning, and other establishments, that still use firewood.

Biogas is used around the world, including in homes in Nepal and to power trains in Sweden. With energy shortages, the use of biogas not only helps bridge the gap, but also offers environmentally friendly alternatives that can be used to cater for the various power needs.

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