Clean energy becomes more popular with locals of rural areas in Uzbekistan. Biogas units are especially in demand of farmers, which provide farms with heating, electricity and biologically clean fertilizers.

Media tour of journalists to the farm Nadejda (Hope) in Khovos district of Sirdaryo region could become the best way of increasing the awareness of people about the promising kind of renewable energy. The farm has the first in the country biogas unit that has been installed with the support of the Small Grants Program of the Global Ecological Fund. The same program in conjunction with the State Committee for Nature Protection of Uzbekistan acted the organizer of the media tour.

The journalists participated in the tour received evidence in the effectiveness of the innovation. The installation for biogas uses the animal and domestic wastes, as well as uneaten food. The technology helps not only to improve sanitation and hygiene condition at the farm, but also ensures the reliability of energy in rural areas, especially in remote mountainous and desert areas.

The application of the fertilizers in the production of biogas will help to improve the physical properties of the soil and, as the experience proved, increase the crop yields to 20-30 percent. These fertilizers can be used in all climatic areas and all types of soils.

For widespread dissemination of the experience of the farm Nadejda, from this year on the basis of implementation of the joint project of the Uzbek government and UNDP ‘Supporting Uzbekistan in Transition to a Low-Emission Development Path’ has been created a demonstration center that is already started promoting clean technology. At the workshop and trainings organized in the place, farmers were able to learn the experience of construction of biogas units, develop the skills in how to use and maintain such units. Own business plans on exploitation of this kind of units were also developed within the workshops. (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper)