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.