Bangladeshi poultry farmers receive support for bioenergy projects

International agencies are helping Bangladeshi farmers produce renewable energy from poultry waste.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, will work with German Development Cooperation and Infrastructure Development Company Ltd. to promote sustainable waste management in Bangladesh's poultry sector, a waste-to-energy initiative promising multiple benefits to poultry farmers and others.

The Nation of Bangladesh reports that farms will benefit from increased income through the sale of slurry, the by-product used as fertiliser. The project will explore new renewable energy sources for small and medium businesses, while creating opportunities for renewable energy financing by financial institutions. By 2011, the project expects to generate substantial electricity from poultry waste. This will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 45,000 tonnes by the end of 2011.

IFC will address issues of energy and waste management through the innovative waste-to-energy generation project, which entails productivity improvement and market-awareness initiatives aimed at helping about 44,000 layer-poultry farmers. The work will include promotional and motivational activities for entrepreneurs in the poultry sector.

German Development Cooperation will be providing technical assistance to the project clients, while Infrastructure Development Company Ltd. will provide financing.

Erich Otto Gomm, Programme Coordinator, German Development Cooperation - Sustainable Energy Development, said: "Waste-to-energy has a huge market in Bangladesh and we are very happy to be a partner in this initiative. We have a keen interest in promoting renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies in Bangladesh."

Islam Sharif, executive director and CEO of Infrastructure Development Company Ltd. said, "Renewable-energy financing is one of the major objectives of Infrastructure Development Company Ltd. The project will help us create a financing product for 'green', small and medium enterprise clients who are currently underserved."