Low-cost biodigesters are more than biogas producers – they hold tremendous untapped potential for wastewater treatment. Jaime Martí Herrero reflects on a project that took him from a metropolitan slaughterhouse in Ecuador to Indigenous communities in the Amazon.
SEPS Project: Small Wind Energy System in Odisha, India
In addition to installing two wind-solar hybrid energy systems to demonstrate the potential of the technology as a reliable energy source in the region, a diverse range of capacity building and hands-on training activities were undertaken to ensure the long-term operation of the system.
The energy produced by the wind-solar hybrid system is made available to the communities through a community charging station and a local electricity distribution line. Sixty households in two remote villages (Kamalaguda and Tijmali) now have reliable access to electricity. They are provided with lighting and charging points for mobile phones and other electrical devices. A local energy management system, as well as an operations and maintenance crew, have been trained to ensure the sustainability of the system.
Overall, the project successfully demonstrated the hybrid system as a viable option for rural electrification in remote off-grid areas in the Kalahandi District of Odisha, India. This was the first project of its kind in the region and as 25% of local villages still lack access to electricity, the potential for replication is huge.