Community-Based Biogas Supply System for Village Jalera at Baran District in Rajasthan

The population of India is increasing at the decadal growth rate of 17.64% during 2001-2011. There is a rapid growth in energy demand too. However, most of the rural areas of India are still dependent on cookstoves that use wood or cattle dung cakes as fuel directly, because LPG availability is very less in the rural areas. In this paper, a feasibility study of establishing a community-based biogas plant at village Jalera in Baran district of Rajasthan, India is done. Mahaveer Gaushala Kalyan Samiti at Village Jalera, District Baran has about 900 cattle. A community-based biogas plant at this gaushala is designed. The total biogas plant volume is 613 m3 and the total biogas production is 270 m3/day. It is than supplied to the 198 houses. This community-biogas plant has the potential of earning income of Rs. 26, 36,685/year. It will also lead to total fuel savings of Rs. 17, 34,480/year when compared to the direct burning of cattle dung cakes. The annual volume of biogas produced by this plant is equal to 2,920 cylinders of domestic LPG gas amounting to Rs. 18,98,000.