Tribewanted: Vorovoro

Having left the island a few weeks ago now (and not loving the cold and the wet back in England), I thought I would blog with an update on the small-scale biogas system I completed just before my departure.

The project was plagued with difficulties in sourcing the proper parts right from the beginning. Although on the surface they seem to be fairly basic, its getting them in good enough condition which was the problem, as well as sourcing a 220Ltr drum with a screw-top lid, common pretty much everywhere BUT Fiji.

Once all the parts were assembled, the system was constructed in a matter of a couple of weeks. Many tribe members got involved, and our thanks have to go out to Cedric, Rob and Tom, Helen, Kate and Ruan as well as young Adam Potts (who can be credited with the beautiful biogas sign alongside felow team member Julia).
As with all projects on the island, the emphasis was put on having the fijians develop a good understanding of the technology and I worked closely with current Sustainability Manager Mess as well as resident geniuses Pupu and Marau.

Although completely tested, the hiccup came a few days before my departure as we were lacking the initial quantity of pig manure to catalyse the system, so in keeping with Fijian tradition I visited Pupu’s village with several bunches of yaqona to present as keri keris for the pig farmers there.

We are now only a matter of weeks away from hopefully having our first 100% pig powered meal on Vorovoro and I am sure we will hear from them when the happy day comes round.

Quick facts:

How does it work?
In a nutshell, the biogas plant produces a combustible gas (methane, with a couple of other components) by anaerobically (i.e without oxygen) breaking down the pig manure and filtering out undesirable components before storing it for use. Provided the system is fed with a small quantity of manure every day, the plant will continue to produce a regular supply of gas perfectly suitable for cooking with.

How can I find out about the system in more detail?
Watch this space for a proper breakdown of the system with detailed photos.

Total cost of the system?
Less than £100

How long will it take to pay off?
We are hoping to be able to cook breakfast every day with the system, before switching back to bought-in gas, in which case the system will pay for itself in a matter of months. Thereafter we can look at scaling up the system to provide us with more energy.