KARACHI - A pilot project costing $ 5 million to produce 486 meters cubic feet of bio-gas and 25 kilowatts of electricity per day from cow-dung will be commissioned by the end of July, 2008.

This was stated by the president National Engineering Corporation and chief executive of the pilot project Syed Feroz Shah while briefing Sindh Minister for Environment and Alternate Energy Askari
Taqvi during his visit of the bio-gas plant in Cattle Colony, Bin Qasim here Friday. Secretary Environment Mir Husain Ali .Naeem Mughal director EPA sindh, M.Naeem Qureshi President National froum for Environment & Health ,Nadeem Shah Consul General Japan Quetta was also present on the occasion

He pointed out that a British company M/s HiRAD Plc, UK has installed this plant as a pilot project to utilise cow dung and convert it into bio-gas and electricity, besides producing 2.25 tons of enriched natural manure (organic fertilizer) per day.

He said that cow dung will not be discharged into the sea as has been done at present and instead use this waste to produce bio-gas, electricity and manure.

He said that after the successful experiment, a large plant with a capacity of producing 30 megawatts of electricity, 0.430 million cubic meters of bio-gas and 1,500 tons of manure per day will be installed in cattle colony.

"The cost of the large plant is estimated in the range of 4 110 to $ 120 million and leading multinational companies besides Asian Development Bank (ADB) have already shown their keen interest to invest in this project", Shah told the minister.

He said that several such plants of alternate energy can be set up under joint venture between the local and foreign companies.

Shah said that bio-gas, having 70 percent of methane (CH4) and 30 percent of carbon dioxide, will be sold to companies whereas KESC has agreed to buy the electricity.

The minister gave assurances for all the possible support to the project and said that alternate energy has bright future in the wake of skyrocketing oil prices.

Shaukat Mukhtar, joint secretary of Karachi Dairy Farmers Association and owner of cattle farm where the bio-gas plant in coming up, urged the minister to provide smooth access to the plant by improving the dilapidated approach road. He also appealed the minister to direct city government to improve sanitary conditions in cattle colony.