Dr. Yasmine Fouad: Implementing 60 biogas units to treat and recycle animals’ manure at Al Minya governorate.
Minister of Environment: The project is considered a real model for combating climate change impacts … providing green job opportunities for graduates in Upper Egypt.
Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, together with Mrs. / Nevine El Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity, inaugurated household biogas units project in Bani Hassan village located at Al Minya governorate with a total of 60 units from animals’ manure in the presence of Major- General Osama El Kady, Al Minya Governor, Mr. Eric Oshlan, Director of the international labor organization office in Cairo, Canadian Ambassador in Cairo, Managing Director of the National Bank of Kuwait, President of Al Minya university with an eminent group of environmental and social action leaders, in addition to civil community representatives.
The project comes within the framework of ministry of environment’s contribution in implementing the presidential initiative “decent life for the Most Needy villages” and the memorandum of understanding signed between bio-energy association, affiliated to the ministry, and the National Bank of Kuwait and the International Labor organization to implement 60 household biogas units from animals’ manure at Al Minya governorate with a total cost of 1 million, 200 thousand pounds as the final receipt of the project was concluded after finalizing units’ construction and conducting periodic follow-up for them to ensure the sustainability of the project.
Dr. Yasmine Fouad confirmed that the project is a model for projects that contribute in achieving sustainable development through connecting economic, environmental and social dimensions. Also, the project achieves the national and international dimensions for development as household biogas units provide a source for safe new, renewable energy for household consumption, in addition to providing new green job opportunities by training graduate engineers and technicians on bio-energy technology, as well as establishing companies from entrepreneurs to implement and construct household biogas units. Besides improving health and environmental conditions for the poor villages through the safe disposal of animals’ manure waste and agricultural waste then developing treatment and disposal systems of animal waste to produce clean fuel.
Minister of Environment indicated that the economic return from this project, represented in the utilization of agricultural and animal waste to afford a sustainable source of energy as each unit produces about 2 household gas cylinders per month in addition to saving the cost of disposing these waste. In addition, the unit produces 100 liters of organic fertilizer affording the fertilization of 2 acres that would help in increasing the export opportunities due to its dependence on the organic agriculture. In addition, the construction of 6 companies specialized in bio-energy field.
Dr. Yasmine Fouad highlighted that the proper atmosphere was provided to support the implementation of this project through conducting workshops in the village before the execution to identify the people with biogas technology and encourage them to use it so as to utilize the rural waste in producing energy and fertilizer. We are currently working on disseminating such technology in other villages all over the republic.
Moreover, Minister of Environment assured that the international institutions including, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) are essential partners in the development through the fruitful and constructive cooperation that seeks for achieving sustainable development for the sake of the future generations.
Inauguration events include simple presentation of the project, granting certificates for trained engineers and technicians, in addition to conducting a field visit to the units.
