Creating Green Energy in the Third World

How Copper and cow dung can work together to make a real difference 

Copper and cow dung may seem as unlikely bedfellows, but they are being used together to help bring electricity to Bangladesh's rural poor.

A US company, Emergence BioEnergy, is working in Bangladesh to generate electricity using a Stirling engine which is powered by methane. The methane is produced by a bio-difester which converts cow manure into a mixture of methane and compost.  500,000 mini power-plants are planned, with around 20 kg of copper used in each system.

Saving the planet

Energy from biomass is sustainable and is designed to be carbon neutral. Biogas from cow dung provides a green alternative to the billion tonnes of carbon dioxide that are pumped into the atmosphere each year from fossil fuels.

Emergence BioEnergy is also developing a plan for micro-credit financing of Stirling engine power plants. In a country where only 3% of the rural population of 100 million has reliable access to electricity, this project will bring significant benefits to the community and, if successful, this business model could be replicated around the world.