Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST) ISSN: 3159-0040 Vol. 1 Issue 5, December - 2014 The role of Biogas Energy Production and Use in Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction; the case of Amhara National Regional State, Fogera District, Ethiopia Zerihun Yohannes Amare (PhD Candidate, Pan African University, Nigeria) Founding Member and Economic & Environmental Sustainability Affairs Advisor of Fight against Child and Youth Trafficking (FACT) P.O. Box: 3540, BahirDar, Ethiopia. Tel:+251913450741 E-mail:zerihun.yohannes19@gmail.com Abstract—Energy is a key to development. About 94% of Ethiopian households depend on biomass fuel to meet their daily energy needs, while modern fuel due to lack of amenities and low income is either not available or not affordable for the majority of the population both in Ethiopia and particularly in the study area. This use of traditional fuel leads to environmental degradation and ecological imbalance and adverse human health impacts. The main objective of this study was to study the role of biogas energy production and use in greenhouse gas emission reduction in Fogera District, Ethiopia. The field work was based on survey/schedule questionnaire and interview (in Fogera district 30 biogas user households in March 2011). The primary data was used for calculation of greenhouse gas emission (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change guidelines). The study revealed that, biogas was used for cooking and lighting and, before biogas installation, the surveyed households were using to traditional fuels in high amount but not after. The total annual greenhouse house gas emission was 5,459kilogramg CO 2 e/Household/year. Each biogas plant reduced the emission to 1612kilogramCO 2 e/Household/year by saving 3847.2192 kilogram CO 2 e/household/year (70.47%) due to reduction of firewood and kerosene usage at household. Keywords—Renewable energy, Greenhouse gas emission, Biomass, Biogas 1. Introduction Energy is the basic factor contributing to development, and sustainable development is not possible without making energy systems more sustainable. No country has managed to develop much beyond a subsistence economy without ensuring at least minimum access to energy services for a broad section of its population [1]. It is therefore, not surprising to find that the billions who live in developing countries attach a high priority to alternative energy services. Rising oil prices, growing energy security concerns and the human devastation caused climate change are increasing the attractiveness of alternatives to conventional fossil fuel based energy sources .This shows how energy is vital to development of the country. Overall, at least 1.6 billion people-one-fourths of the world’s population-currently live without electricity and this number has hardly changed in absolute terms since 1970 and yet, the electricity required for people to read at night, pump a minimal amount of drinking water and listen to radio broadcasts would amount to less than 1 percent of overall global energy demand [2]. From this, it can be concluded that how energy inhibits the economic and social amenity of the community in particular and country in general. Two billion people – about 40 percent the total world population depends on fire wood and charcoal as their primary energy source. From these people, three quarters (1.5 billion) do not have an adequate, affordable supply [3]. When people needs affordable energy for household activities but fire wood becomes increasingly scarce, women and children who do most of the domestic labor in many cultures spend more time in searching of fuel wood. In some places, it takes eight hours or more just to walk to the nearest wood supply and even longer to walk back with a load of sticks and branches that will only last a few days. In Sub-Saharan Africa, about 50 percent of all primary energy comes from biomass. In Ethiopia, however, dependency from biomass amounts to 94 percent, half of the biomass is used for baking Injera [4]. Empirical evidences explained in the above shows how the world calls for alternative energy sources of environmentally and socio-economically feasible. 2. Materials and Methods The study was conducted to describe the existing experiences and facts related with biogas energy benefits in greenhouse gas emission. Data about Interventions of biogas energy on environmental www.jmest.org JMESTN42350308 404