The idea that rotting vegetable matter gives off a flammable gas has been understood since the ancient Persians. The first Anaerobic Digestion (AD) sewage plant was built in Bombay in 1859; and brought to the UK in 1895.

AD was used for sewage in the UK and Germany in the early 1900s. AD was seen as a means to reduce the volume of solid matter in the sewage.

The use of farm manure for methane was developed in Bombay, in the 1930s. KVIC (Khadi and Villages Industries Commission) used it for rural areas in the early 1960s. This floating steel gas drum design, was used by the Indian Government to provide villagers with cooking fuel.

China started a similar programme in the 1960s and claimed that 5 million plants had been built by the early 1980s. The design was based on a septic tank. The original rectangular tank was rapidly replaced by a design based on a dome shape.

Similar designs were developed by various groups in India and formed the basis of an effective programme in Nepal.

The programmes in China, India and Nepal have developed steadily. Interest has grown in Europe more recently.

KVIC floating drum design used in Nepal

Dome design adapted for Nepal

All photos by David Fulford unless otherwise stated