Integrated Renewable Biomass Energy Development Sector Project

In terms of primary counterpart selection for project implementation in biogas use, the National Energy Administration should have had a leading role. It possesses the technological know-how on biogas use in rural areas to guide and demonstrate policy commitment to achieving the renewable energy targets at both county and provincial levels. Without that support, the driving force was very limited in three efforts: (i) to enable the grid connection of MLBGPs or centralized biogas plants, (ii) to establish advanced and stringent technological parameters for enhancing the conversion ratio of biogas generation capacity, and (iii) to diversify the scope of biogas use for both electricity and natural gas. This lack of technological know-how also resulted in the establishment in Heilongjiang of biogas power plants that could not operate in winter, when the outside temperature drops to –10 to –30 degrees Celsius, as the design of the biogas digesters failed to be resilient to extreme cold. Other issues such as a lack of staffing resources and frequent changes of personnel were apparent in Henan, where the PIO was still significantly understaffed during the project completion review.