摘要：This paper presents a pilot project that investigates the
possibility of producing biogas from a mixture of water hyacinth and fresh
rumen residue – replacing firewood as a source of fuel – to meet the energy
needs of a maternity facility in Niamey (Niger). The discontinuous-type
installation (batch reactors) is made up of six digesters measuring 5 m3 each.
The output during hot and cool seasons, 0.52 m3 and 0.29 m3 respectively of biogas per m3 of digester per day, has met the energy needs of the maternity facility, estimated at 8 m3 of biogas per
day. The study revealed strong seasonal variations: output during the hot
season is approximatively 1.8 times greater than it is during the cool
season. Large quantities of water hyacinth, an invasive plant present in
Niger since 1986, are manually harvested in aquatic environments. The project is run
by a local NGO, the Groupe d'Initiative pour les Energies Renouvelables (GIER), and supported by UNICEF and the Niger Basin
Authority. The duration of the project is 8 months.
