Opportunities for biogas production from sewage collection in Nakuru, Kenya

Developing countries often lack basic infrastructure such as access to modern energy supply, waste disposal, piped water and sanitary disposal of sewage. These factors reduce human development opportunities and are associated with poverty and disease. In contrast in developed countries, water treatment of sewage effluent is accepted practice and indeed energy generation from the production of biogas from anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge is growing in importance. In this study we consider opportunities for introducing sanitation into lower income housing areas in certain parts of the city of Nakuru in Kenya. Latrines and toilet blocks are connected to underground storage tanks. Waste is collected by truck to a centralised waste water treatment plant incorporating an anaerobic digestion plant. The biogas production system has been modelled and found to be able to produce 3073m3 biogas per day which can produce 5,635kWh electricity per day. Whilst sanitary anaerobic digestion is not going to solve the problems of these low income areas, it will make improvements to their living conditions.