5.1 Summary

The study has shown that digesters are able to produce biogas from a mixture of water hyacinth and fresh rumen residue (Cow dung) to meet collective needs in cooking energy. The facility’s yield of 1 kg of gas was collected. Although the yields have been quite satisfactory, they can be improved by applying the appropriate pretreatments. Promoting the use of biogas is a means of dealing with organic wastes and addressing mankind’s energy needs. Using the water hyacinth as a substrate for the production of biogas is an advantageous control strategy because it permits a “productive fight” against the plant’s invasion. The stock, which is available in a given space and time, is renewable, and all of the harvested plants are replenished within a growing season. The digester is just a small part of the whole system, which encompasses, on the one hand, the harvesting and processing of the raw material (water hyacinth, plant residues, organic urban waste, etc.) and on the other, the management of the finished products: biogas and organic fertilizer. The successful popularisation of biogas is more than just a question of technological approaches focused on engineering. It must also be in line with a safe integration of the weed so as to maximize its potential.