One night in September 2011, Darto’s house in Pendem, Mojogedang, Karanganyar, was full of people. Several people walked around while others were seen cramming his brightly lit living room. They were curious about Darto’s biogas lamp. In an animated fashion, Darto related the story of his new biogas lamp. “All you need to do is strike a little fire near the lamp’s sheath, and it will immediately light up,” he said with delight.

“It is also easy to use. I can even control its brightness level,” Darto added.

Darto works as an organic farmer and owns a number of livestock to boot. He is also actively involved in Pendem Village’s “Sumber Rejeki” farmers group. Before using home biogas, Darto relied on firewood and sometimes on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking.

Darto has been using BIRU for half a year now. He is no longer using LPG or firewood. “It has been easier for my wife’s daily chores, as she no longer needs to look for firewood,” Darto said. “And because we now have plenty of biogas, I have managed to use it for lighting and heating up the water for washing myself,” he said with a laugh.

According to Tarmo, a biogas handyman and a partner of BIRU LPTP, Darto’s biogas lamp is a modified version of kerosene lamp. “The fuel is channeled through a PVC pipe and the flow is controlled with a tap,” he said.

The considerable demand for biogas lamps shows that it is favored by a big group of people. Today, a lamp specifically designed for use with biogas is available in the market. It is even more economical than the modified kerosene lamp.

Darto has made great use of BIRU. During the day it can be used for cooking, while at night it helps brighten up his house. “I once found it hard to believe that cow dung can be turned into fuel, but now I have proven it myself,” he said. BIRU turns waste into benefit! (Mada Riani)