From waste to watts: Turning pig manure into renewable energy

In Timor-Leste, pigs have long been a store of wealth and serve important social needs.

Pig rearing is becoming increasingly commercialised as farmers are using better husbandry techniques, bio-secure practices and nutritious animal feed. Pig farming is now a more resilient livelihood, including for the many women who have traditionally reared pigs.

However, with more commercial pig farming comes a new challenge: manure waste management. A typical adult pig in Timor produces 3-4kg of waste per day,1 resulting in approximately 50kg of daily waste for a farm of 15 pigs. Pig waste is usually disposed of on nearby land or stored in an open pit or a rudimentary septic tank for manure. Improper waste management can harm human and animal health. Manure also emits methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), which are greenhouse gases (GHG) that contribute to climate change. Recognising this challenge, MDF identified biogas as a potential solution that would achieve both climate change mitigation and farm waste management objectives.