RCS saves over Rwf 540 Million thanks to the use of biogas

The use of biogas in prisons has helped reduce health risks from smokes as a result of using firewood, improved hygiene but more importantly cut down cost spent to buy firewood according to the prisons officials.

As places whose a very big number of people, prisons are able to get needed human wastes to produce biogas.

And according to the prisons management, the prisons have not misused this opportunity and since they started using biogas, they have registered huge positive impact both on human life and economically.

Addressing the press conference, the RCS Commissioner General George Rwigamba said that all the prisons are committed to use biogas in all correctional facilities as alternative energy source to cut on firewood expenses and help protect environment.

“All the prisons are using biogas and we have managed to save Rwf 543 Million annually on firewood using biogas, the number of inmates goes hand in hand with the quantity of inmates and this helps build digesters,” he said

He said that in prisons like Rwamagana, Huye and Muhanga, no single firewood is used as prisons use biogas and briquettes.

According to RCS officials, thanks to the use of biogas, in all prisons, no firewood is used in Rwamagana prison and the briquettes which are used along with biogas have reduced down to 50 percent.

For instance Rwamagana prison has 12 digesters that generate biogas energy from wastes of inmates and can cook up to 70 percent of food for inmates.

Up to now, Bugesera prison is the first to maximize the use of biogas among other prisons as it uses 90% of biogas in cooking and only uses 2 bundles of firewood to complement biogas, according to the RCS officials.

Use of biogas also ended bad smell and the issue of latrine which were often full while the remains after biogas are used as manure that is used to increase production in prisons farms.

In 2007, Rwanda Correctional Service committed to use biogas in all correctional facilities as alternative energy source to cut on firewood expenses and help protect environment.