NATHAN GUMA
AT a time when Zimbabwe continues to grapple with erratic power supplies, a new partnership is emerging to turn organic waste into energy.
Kenyan biogas digester manufacturer Sistema.bio has entered into an agreement with local company Lanforce Energy and other partners to install more than 2 000 biodigesters in Zimbabwe over the next four years. The move is part of the firm’s wider expansion into southern and West Africa.
The country has been finding news ways to meet its energy needs, relying largely on hydro and coal.
Rural electrification targets set for 2023 have not been met, while many households continue to experience long periods without electricity.
Zimbabwe’s potential for biogas generation has been highlighted by eMkambo, a local agricultural research organisation.
Its study at Harare’s Mbare Musika market found that at least 28 000 kilogrammes of tomatoes are discarded every week – waste that could be turned into fuel.
In a statement to The NewsHawks, Sistema.bio said the initiative aims to expand access to clean and modern cooking energy through local partnerships.
“In Zimbabwe, Sistema.bio’s expansion has been enabled through implementation partners Lanforce Energy, aiming to install over 2 500 biodigesters in the country within four years,” reads the statement.
“This initiative is also done in collaboration with the Modern Clean Cooking Facility for Africa (MCFA) and underscores Sistema.bio’s commitment to addressing energy challenges, promoting environmental sustainability and supporting access to affordable, clean and modern cooking solutions in Africa.”
Sistema.bio director Madrin Maina said the company’s expansion is designed to build alternative energy systems across the continent.
“We have the technology, experience, and business models to dramatically accelerate clean and reliable energy access across Africa.
“Sistema.bio’s bio-digester technology represents a climate-smart energy solution for smallholder farmers that is rapidly scalable, can be tailored to local conditions and has the potential to empower millions of people in communities across Africa,” she said.
The company has widened its operations to Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.
“Sistema.bio has operations in 31 countries with its African footprint initially in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and with the expansion now in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Ghana, and Nigeria.
“Sistema.bio has installed more than 12 000 biodigesters, providing clean and reliable energy access to over 100 000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the statement added.
It has also partnered with Engie Energy Access to introduce biogas digesters in Zambia and Mozambique, supported by the Modern Clean Cooking Facility for Africa. The collaboration aims to reach over 10 000 smallholder farmers in the two countries.
In West Africa, Sistema.bio has teamed up with Farmerline in Ghana and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Nigeria, where the first biodigesters were installed in July 2024.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s dependence on coal remains high. Researchers say coal combustion still accounts for 40% of global CO₂ emissions from energy use.
Zimbabwe holds significant coal reserves – enough for 163 years at current consumption levels, but changing global financing trends are limiting coal-based investments.
China, Zimbabwe’s main energy financier, has pledged to stop funding new coal projects abroad.
President Xi Jinping’s announcement at the United Nations General Assembly last year affected several planned power plants, leaving Zimbabwe searching for alternatives.
For now, biogas presents one option for communities without power.
Whether the new installations will make a difference in Zimbabwe’s wider energy mix remains to be seen.
