Greening China’s Rural Energy : New Insights on the Potential of Smallholder Biogas

Clean, safe energy for rural areas is an important component of green growth and sustainable development. Biogas could be an important contributor, if its record in reality lives up to its expected potential. This paper provides a preliminary assessment of biogas use by smallholder farmers in rural China, using data collected from 2,700 households in five provinces. The authors find that user satisfaction is high, and environmental and economic benefits appear tangible. There are strong indications of reduced use of wood and crop residues for fuel. Less time is spent on collecting fuel wood and cooking, which is especially beneficial to women. Adopters also save on fertilizers, because of the use of biogas residues. Moreover, problems with suspension of biogas use, whether due to technical or human factors, remained limited. However, few tangible benefits to respiratory health were detected. Overall, these findings are grounds for optimism about the potential for of smallholder biogas to contribute to more sustainable development, in China and beyond.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Christiaensen, Luc, Heltberg, Rasmus
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2012-06
Subjects:	ADVERSE EFFECTS, AIR, AIR POLLUTION, AIR QUALITY, ANAEROBIC DIGESTION, ANIMAL WASTE, APPROACH, AVAILABILITY, BIOGAS, BIOGAS DIGESTER, BIOGAS DIGESTERS, BIOGAS PRODUCTION, BIOGAS PROMOTION, BIOGAS SUPPLY, BIOGAS SYSTEMS, BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY, BIOMASS, BIOMASS COMBUSTION, BIOMASS FUELS, BIOMASS STOVES, BURNING BIOMASS, CANCER, CARBON, CARBON FINANCING, CARBON INTENSITY, CEMENT, CHARCOAL, CLEAN ENERGY, CLEAN FUELS, CLIMATE, CLIMATE CHANGE, CO, COAL, COAL CONSUMPTION, COAL USE, COMMERCIAL ENERGY, CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE, COOKING, CORN, CROP, CROP RESIDUE, CROP RESIDUES, CROP WASTE, CULTIVATED LAND, DEFORESTATION, DIRTY FUEL, DOMESTIC ENERGY, DUNG, ELECTRICITY, EMISSIONS, EMISSIONS OF METHANE, ENERGY CONSUMPTION, ENERGY DEMAND, ENERGY ECONOMICS, ENERGY EXPENDITURES, ENERGY MIX, ENERGY OUTLOOK, ENERGY POLICY, ENERGY SOURCE, ENERGY SOURCES, ENERGY SUBSTITUTION, ENERGY USE, ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES, ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ENERGY, FEEDSTOCK, FERMENTATION, FERTILIZERS, FIRE, FOREST, FOREST CONSERVATION, FOREST DEGRADATION, FORESTS, FUEL, FUEL COLLECTION, FUEL DEMAND, FUEL MIX, FUEL SWITCHING, FUEL USE, FUEL WOOD, FUELWOOD, GREENHOUSE, GREENHOUSE GAS, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, GROWTH IN ENERGY DEMAND, HEATING, HOUSEHOLD ENERGY, HOUSEHOLD ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, HOUSEHOLD ENERGY TECHNOLOGY, HOUSEHOLD ENERGY USE, HOUSEHOLD FUEL, INCOME, INSECTICIDES, LARGE-SCALE BIOGAS, MANURE, MEASUREMENTS, PER CAPITA INCOME, PRICE OF COAL, PRICES OF COAL, QUANTITY OF GAS, RENEWABLE ENERGY, RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS, RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE, RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY, RURAL AREAS, RURAL ENERGY, RURAL ENERGY USE, RURAL HOUSEHOLD, RURAL HOUSEHOLDS, SIGNS, SOLID BIOMASS, SOLID BIOMASS FUELS, SOLID FUEL, SOLID FUELS, STRUCTURES, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, TECHNICIANS, TEMPERATURE, VILLAGE LEVEL, WOOD, WORLD ENERGY, WORLD ENERGY OUTLOOK,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/06/16402333/greening-chinas-rural-energy-new-insights-potential-smallholder-biogas http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9318
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!