South African School Turns Cattle Dung into Biogas, Cutting Firewood Use

At Tiyani Secondary School in Limpopo province, more than 1,000 students now eat meals cooked with biogas produced from cattle dung collected by local volunteers. The pilot, launched in 2022 with support from the University of Venda, uses an ox‑drawn cart to gather manure from nearby households. The dung is mixed with water and fed into a biogas digester, an airtight container where microbes convert it into methane‑rich gas. The gas is piped directly to the school kitchen, powering breakfast and lunch preparation. When dung supplies are low, firewood still supplements the energy mix. Project manager Fosta Chavalala said the initiative turns waste into a useful energy source and hopes to expand the system to rely more on gas. University of Venda’s Biogas Research head, David Tinarwo, highlighted that the project reduces dependence on firewood, eases pressure on local forests, and cuts greenhouse‑gas emissions.