QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT

Programme Office: March 2009

Add a classification if required

Quarterly Project Progress Report from Implementer to

Post.
(Please refer to the project bidding form/contract/ when completing this progress report.
You should focus on activities completed in the quarter, outputs achieved and progress
towards project purpose)

1. Basic Information
Departmental Strategic Objective
Fund/Programme
Programme Indicator
Country Business Plan Objective
Project Title
Countries covered
Name of Implementer
Quarter this report covers (mm/yy-mm/yy)

David Livingstone Fund

Choma/ Chigwere Biogas Project
Malawi
Mzuzu University
April June, 2010

Planned start Date

1st April, 2010
Planned end Date
31st June, 2010
Please explain any variance in planned start and
end dates

Actual start date

1st April, 2010
Actual end date
31st June, 2010
The activities are continuing

2. Project Design
Project Purpose (From the original Project Bidding Form/Contract).

The Purpose is the reason you are doing the project.

The purpose of the project is to contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide and methane
emissions into the atmosphere through the promotion of use of biogas for cooking instead of
charcoal and firewood. Biogas is a by-product of the decomposition of organic matter by
anaerobic bacteria. It primarily consists of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and traces of
nitrogen, sulphur compounds, volatile organic compounds and ammonia. It has a heat value
arising from its methane component and may be used directly for heating or in internal
combustion engines.
If biogas were used for cooking instead of firewood and charcoal, a 4m3 biogas plant would
reduce deforestation by 37 hectares per year. The project will therefore reduce the emissions of
CO2 and CH4 into the atmosphere by promoting the use of biogas for cooking. Subsequently, the
consumption of firewood and charcoal will be reduced and so will be the rate of deforestation.
Biogas technologies also reduce CH4 emissions from natural decomposing manure. If more
biogas than what is immediately required is produced, it could be bottled and sold in Mzuzu City
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Programme Office: March 2009

or elsewhere to replace firewood and charcoal. Biogas technology is therefore an important

mitigation measure in the fight against climate change.

Please describe any significant changes to project design (outputs, activities, budgets, duration
etc.) during this quarter?
Significant changes made to the project design during this period:
Procurement of materials for the solar water pumping system has been put on hold. Training of
staff in biogas technology and GIS has been put on hold. The priority for the next quarter is to
complete the construction of the biogas plants because of changes made to funding
arrangements (i.e. funding for this year has been postponed to next financial year).
The income and expenditure report (See Appendix 3) shows that there is a balance of Mk543,
769.73. This amount of money will be used as running costs for the construction of six biogas
plants which is currently in progress.
The work schedule has been amended to take into account the changes made during this quarter
and going forward (See Appendix 1 & 2). The work plan will have to be amended once the
funding plan has been determined.

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Programme Office: March 2009

3. Progress against Project Purpose

Indicators of success*

Status before project started*

Progress

About 58.62 tonnes (Carbon Dioxide

equivalent)/ year net Greenhouse
Gases savings

About 58.62 tonnes (Carbon Dioxide

equivalent)/ year net Greenhouse
Gases emitted into the atmosphere

Use of firewood and charcoal for

cooking reduced (by an equivalent of
444 hectares of forest reserve saved
per year)

An equivalent of 444 hectares of forest

reserve destroyed per year through the
exclusive use of firewood and charcoal
for cooking by the project beneficiaries

Biogas used for cooking instead of

charcoal and firewood. Biogas plant
slurry used as bio-fertiliser

Animal manure left to decompose in

open environment causing water
pollution and sanitation problems
amongst others

Four biogas plants (each 3m3) have been constructed and

are operational. One biogas plant (each 3m3) has been
constructed and is to be commissioned after fixing the
problems that were experienced. Six biogas plants (each
2m3) are under construction.
Four biogas plants (each 3m3) have been constructed and
are operational. One biogas plant (each 3m3) has been
constructed and is to be commissioned after fixing the
problems that were experienced. Six biogas plants (each
2m3) are under construction.
Four biogas plants (each 3m3) have been constructed and are
operational. One biogas plant (each 3m3) has been constructed
and is to be commissioned after fixing the problems that were
experienced. Six biogas plants (each 2m3) are under construction.

Reduced indoor air pollution resulting

from the use of charcoal and firewood
for cooking

Indoor air pollution resulting from the

use of charcoal and firewood for
cooking

(Describe any progress to date)

Four biogas plants (each 3m3) have been constructed and

are operational. One biogas plant (each 3m3) has been
constructed and is to be commissioned after fixing the
problems that were experienced. Six biogas plants (each
2m3) are under construction.

*From the bidding form/contract. Please include and highlight any new indicators since the project started.

4. Progress against Outputs

Outputs (original planned outputs)*

Indicators of outputs*

Progress (describe progress this quarter)

Original output - Twelve biogas plants (each

Five biogas plants (each 3m3) and eleven

Commissioned plant 3 (Mabvuto Chimaliro). Removed

Programme Office: March 2009

3m3) constructed. Revised output - Five

biogas plants (each 3m3) and eleven biogas
plants (each 2m3) constructed.

biogas plants (each 2m3) are operational.

Solar water pumping system (with a water

storage capacity of 10,000m3) installed

More than 20 households in the project

area supplied with portable water for
household use (including dairy animals)

No change to progress achieved in the previous quarter.

Thirty people trained in construction and

maintenance of biogas systems and
technologies

Thirty competent people that are able to

construct and maintain biogas systems

No change to progress achieved in the previous quarter.

Research report produced. Impact of

biogas on climate change a case of
Malawi

Impact of biogas on climate change in

Malawi assessed and recommendations
made

Baseline data collection and compilation still in

progress.

Increased awareness about biogas systems

and problems of climate change amongst
developing partners and the general public

Communities made aware of biogas

systems and the problems of climate
change

No change to progress achieved in the previous quarter

One biogas plant for research purposes

installed at the university

Various raw materials (food waste etc) and

different operating conditions tested for
biogas and bio-fertiliser production

Procurement of construction materials continued.

Manual for biogas systems construction

and operation developed

Construction and operational manual for

biogas systems available for use in Malawi

Data and information gathering still in progress.

effluent from digester and fed with fresh dung and

currently awaiting gas production.
Construction of six biogas plants (each 2m3) in progress
and the work will continue into the next quarter.

*From the bidding form/contract. Please include and highlight any new outputs/indicators since the project started.

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Programme Office: March 2009

5. Activities
Activities (original planned
activities for the quarter)+

Completed?
Yes/No)

Commissioning of Plant 3

Yes

Progress (describe progress this quarter)

Planned Budget Expenditure

Total
for the activity
this quarter
Expenditure
from the activity
based budget.
(Mk)
(Mk)
(Mk)
Plant 3 has been commissioned and is
0.00
0.00
00.00
operational.

Construction

of

six

biogas

Yes

plants (each 2m ) to continue

Installation

research

No

Procurement of materials almost complete.

biogas plant at the university

Identification of site for solar

No

Activity put on hold due to changes in

pumping

system

installation
Identification of potential sites

300,000.00

575,310.00

2,380,785.00

200,000.00

162,590.00

298,196.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

85,000.00

0.00

0.00

605,000.00

0.00

0.00

continue into the next quarter as planned.

water

of

Construction work in progress and will

funding arrangements.
No

Nothing

has

been

done.

Potential

for installation of biogas plants

beneficiaries for the next phase will be

for the next phase

identified from the previous list. The number

of potential beneficiaries identified was more
than the number of plants to be installed;

Awareness (Installation sign

No

posts)
7

Procurement of materials for

biogas plant construction (for

therefore some were put on a waiting list.

Delays experienced in delivery of the correct
sign posts from supplier.

No

No funding made for this phase of the

project.

the next phase of the project)

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Programme Office: March 2009

Totals
Does your activity based budget
need to be updated?

Mk1,190,000.00
Yes

Mk737,900.00

Mk3,686,311.40

An updated activity based budget spreadsheet and a work schedule for the 2010/ 2011 financial year
been prepared (See Appendix 1 & 2).

+From the bidding form/contract. Please include and highlight any new/changed activities since the project started

6. Activities Planned for the next quarter

Activity

Budget (for activity)

Construction of six biogas plants (each 2m3) to continue

(Mk)
700,000.00

Installation of a research biogas plant at Mzuzu University

100,000.00

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Programme Office: March 2009

7. Risk

Please update your risk register for this project, highlighting any new risks.

Risk

Likelihood
(H/M/L)

Impact
(H/M/L)

Failure of biogas plants due to

How are you managing these risks?

Plant sizes have been reduced to cater

lack of cooperation amongst

for individual households instead of one

different households

plant serving a number of households

Failure of biogas plants due to

death of animals

Beneficiaries are encouraged to increase

the number of animals and improve
animal health through good animal
husbandry practices. This is carried out in
collaboration with other stakeholders
such as Land O Lakes, Mzuzu ADD and
DElPHE Project (which is being
implemented in the same area

Delays in project

Use of alternative means of transport

implementation due to

such as bicycles for use by artisans

transport problems

during the construction phase of the

experienced by the university

project

Low adoption of biogas

Incorporating of biogas plants that use

technology if biogas plants fail

other wastes (such as toilet wastewater

due to various causes (say if

and food waste) in the project design.

animals die due to an

outbreak)

Delays in project

Procurement of project materials in

implementation due to

advance as much as possible and use of

transport problems

other means of transport (public or

experienced by the university

bicycles) for workers.

8. Other
Has there been a change in the level of local or host government support and engagement? Please
briefly describe.
(*we encourage host government support and engagement in all projects but recognise this is not necessarily always possible)

The government and local leaders are always supportive of this project and they continue to do so. The
government through Mzuzu ADD is helping farmers in this area (in addition to other areas) in improving
animal health. This is critical to biogas production as health animals will produce more manure which will
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Programme Office: March 2009

increase biogas production.

Any necessary additional background or commentary? Lessons learned in the last quarter*?
*Please try to provide one (or more) example of a lesson learnt in the project during the last quarter.

The implementation of the project during this period faced a number of challenges with the main ones
being:
Transport problems being consistently experienced. This results in delays in undertaking various
activities such as procurement of materials, assessment of potential sites, dung collection and
transportation of materials to sites.
Persistent rainfall contributed to the delays of most of the activities mentioned above. Most of these
areas are inaccessible when it is raining.
Delays in the procurement of project materials, procurement of the wrong materials and the
unavailability of the right type of materials.
In your opinion is this project still viable?
The project is still very viable. The communities are now very enthusiastic about the project after seeing
that more households are benefiting from the biogas plants that have been constructed and
commissioned. More and more people are now showing interest in the project and want to be considered
for biogas plant installation.
People in these communities are increasing the number of animals they keep to ensure they have
enough manure for sustainable biogas production. The number of animals per household has increased
as compared with the initial count prior to the implementation of the project. This has the additional
benefit of increased milk production resulting in improved livelihoods of these communities. This is
evident with the number of potential beneficiaries being twenty seven in this phase as compared to
twelve during the previous phase (in the Choma and Chigwere areas).
The implementation of this project is generating a lot interest from within Malawi and overseas. Therefore
the continuation of this project will only increase this interest and help the promotion of biogas technology
as a source of energy, waste management, improved livelihoods and climate change mitigation.

Signature..
Name: Fredrick W. Munthali
Position: Project Coordinator
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Programme Office: March 2009

Date..
Please now pass this to the Project Officer in the Post to complete the final section:

Project Officer Comments

Having read this report are you satisfied this
is a fair and accurate description of progress
to date?

Yes/No*

Do you believe the project is still viable?

Yes/No*

Is the plan for the next quarter realistic and

appropriate?

Yes/No*

*If the answer to any of these questions is No please provide details:

Signature..

Name..
Position..
Post.

Date..

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Programme Office: March 2009