Julienne Mukelenge no longer worries about toxic fumes or power cuts when cooking at her home in Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after switching to biogas, a renewable energy source that is cheaper and locally produced.
"Electricity is expensive, but with biogas it's very economical," she said, standing in her kitchen, where blue flames licked the sides of a bubbling pot of that night's supper.
kAm|@DE @7 E96 4:EJVD ?62C=J @?6 >:==:@? A6@A=6 42??@E 277@C5 E@ FD6 6=64EC:4:EJ 2?5 >@DE=J 56A6?5 @? 492C4@2=[ 42==65 >2<2=2[ 7@C 4@@<:?8 2?5 962E:?8]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 4@DE @7 2 328 @7 492C4@2= 92D D9@E FA 27E6C v@>2[ 2 DEC2E68:4 C68:@?2= 42A:E2= :? E96 62DE[Â 76== E@ E96 |ab 2C>65 8C@FA :? y2?F2CJ =2DE J62C 27E6C 7:6C46 7:89E:?8 H:E9 8@G6C?>6?E 7@C46D]k^Am
kAm%96 #H2?52\324<65 |ab H2D =@?8 5@C>2?E[ 3FE E@@< FA 2C>D 282:? :? =2E6 a_a`[ 42AEFC:?8 DH2E96D @7 62DE6C? s#r 2?5 DA2C<:?8 2 >2DD 5:DA=246>6?E @7 A6@A=6]k^Am
kAmp7E6C D6:K:?8 4@?EC@= @7 v@>2[ E96 |ab 32??65 =@88:?8 :? ':CF?82 }2E:@?2= !2C< ?62C E96 4:EJ @? E96 8C@F?5D :E 96=A65 7F?5 AC@\z:?D92D2 >:=:E:2D[ =625:?8 E@ E96 C:D6 :? E96 AC:46 @7 492C4@2=]k^Am
kAmQq67@C6[ x FD65 E@ 3FJ @?6 328 @7 492C4@2= 7@C 2 >@?E9[Q D2:5 >@E96C @7 EH@ #@>2:?6 z2?J6C6]k^Am
kAmqFE H:E9 QE96 C:D6 :? E96 AC:46 @7 2 D24< @7 492C4@2=[ 82D :D =6DD 6IA6?D:G6 96C6Q[ D96 25565]k^Am
kAmp D:I\<:=@8C2>>6 W`b\A@F?5X 4J=:?56C @7 3:@82D[ 4@DE:?8 Sg[ 4@G6CD E96 ?665D @7 2 9@FD69@=5 @7 E9C66 E@ 7:G6 A6@A=6 7@C ?62C=J EH@ H66<D[ 4@>A2C65 E@ Sb_ 2 >@?E9 7@C 492C4@2=]k^Am
k9am\ t4@\7C:6?5=J 76CE:=:D6C \k^9am
kAmq:@82D :D AC@5F465 3J E96 564@>A@D:E:@? @7 @C82?:4 >2EE6C]k^Am
kAmxE 92D 366? >256 :? v@>2 D:?46 a_`e 3J &>@;2[ 2 =@42= 4@>A2?J H9@D6 DE2E65 2:> :D E@ @776C 2? 2=E6C?2E:G6 E@ 7:C6H@@5[ H9:49 56DEC@JD 7@C6DED]k^Am
kAm*G6D #F32CFC2[ 2? &>@;2 6>A=@J66 H62C:?8 @G6C2==D 2?5 D276EJ 8@88=6D[ 4@==64ED Qb_ 42CE=@25DQ @7 5C@AA:?8D 6G6CJ H66< 7C@> 49:4<6? 4@@AD 36=@?8:?8 E@ E96 4@>A2?J 2?5 =@42= A2CE?6CD E@ 7:== E96 3:@82D 5:86DE6CD]k^Am
kAm%96D6 2C6 46>6?E A:ED H96C6 E96 H2DE6 :D 4@?G6CE65 :?E@ >6E92?6 367@C6 36:?8 3@EE=65]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 &>@;2 925 4@?DECF4E65 2C@F?5 d_ 3:@82D 5:86DE6CD[ H9:49 2C6 62DJ E@ 3F:=5 2?5 @A6C2E6[ :? E96 C68:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 7:C> D2JD :E 5:DEC:3FE6D fa_ <:=@8C2>>6D @7 3:@82D E@ :ED 4FDE@>6CD 6G6CJ >@?E9]k^Am
kAm!C@5F4E:@? C6>2:?D D>2==\D42=6 2?5 =:>:E65 7@C E96 E:>6 36:?8]k^Am
kAmx? v@>2[ C6D:56?ED =24< E96 DA246 2?5 C6D@FC46D E@ :?DE2== E96:C @H? 3:@82D 5:86DE6CD[ D2:5 &>@;2 5:C64E@C ':4E@C |2E6C2?J2]k^Am
kAm$E@C286 :D 2=D@ 2? :DDF6[ 8:G6? E96 =24< @7 DF:E23=6 6BF:A>6?E E@ AC6DDFC:D6 E96 3@EE=6D]k^Am
kAmw6 ?6G6CE96=6DD 9@A6D E@ C@== @FE E96 E649?@=@8J :? CFC2= 2C62D[ H96C6 72C>6CD H9@ DFAA=J E96 4@>A@DE 42? E96? C64@G6C E96 76CE:=:D6C AC@5F465 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 2?26C@3:4 5:86DE:@? AC@46DD]k^Am
kAm$6C86 q2D9@?82[ 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2=:DE :? v@>2[ D2:5 AC@5F4:?8 E9:D EJA6 @7 ?2EFC2= 76CE:=:D6C 42? C65F46 E96 FD6 @7 496>:42= 76CE:=:D6CD 2?5 E96 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 52>286 E96J 42FD6]k^Am
kAmq:@82D 2=D@ 96=AD E@ C65F46 E96 QE@I:4 7F>6D 7C@> H2DE6 :?4:?6C2E:@?Q E92E A@==FE6 E96 2:C :? E96 4:EJ 2?5 27764E E96 52:=J =:G6D @7 :ED :?923:E2?ED[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmDEC^4=E^<;>\8:=^;93k^Am


