Bio-gas magic saves mill, brings fortune

Cow dung being poured into bio-gas plants in Shamim Re-rolling Mills in Jessore. PHOTO: STAR

Akbar claims he is the first man at least in Jessore to run a mill by using bio-gas.

He now even thinks of marketing bio-gas in cylinders for cooking, at a price lower than LNG cylinders now available in the market.

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Akbar's Shamim Re-rolling Mills on three acres of land at Sujalpur near Jessore town was set up in 1996. But he had to close it down with a bank loan of about Tk 6 crore as production cost was high due to use of furnace oil at high prices.

He installed two bio-gas plants in March this year at a cost of about Tk 10 lakh.

Prior to installation of the bio-gas plants, the mill needed 1,80,000 litres of furnace oil a month, which cost him around Tk 16 lakh.

The quantity has come down to around 88,000 litres now, which costs about Tk 11 lakh, reducing the production cost by about Tk 5 lakh a month, Akbar said.

The bio-gas plants cost him around Tk 15,000 per month for purchase of cow dung and maintenance, he told this correspondent during a visit to the mill on Saturday.

"This is a great relief for me and an eye-opener to all. My losing mill has now turned profitable", a beaming Akbar said.

"I do not have to worry for power supply and furnace oil. Cow dung, the only raw material for producing bio-gas, is found in plenty in nearby villages".

The mill produces 30 to 40 tonnes of iron rod a day. The bio-gas is used mainly for furnaces producing lumps of iron, which are shaped into rods.

Bio-gas produced from cow dung was so long used as fuel for cooking, albeit in a limited scale in rural areas. "My innovation will now lead to diversified use of bio-gas to the benefit of small industries in the country", he said.

The two plants need around 15 drums of cow dung a day, each bought at Tk 100.

Akbar said his plants produce bio-gas in excess, which has to be burnt out. The excess gas can be marketed for domestic use. But it needs special type of cylinders and filling machines.

For commercial production of bio-gas, Tk 1.5 crore is needed to produce the cylinders and buy filling machines.

If the investment is made, at least 500 bio-gas cylinders can be supplied per day he claimed. Each cylinder will cost between Tk 200 and Tk 250, he estimates.

The cow dung used in the plant is also a good compost fertiliser for use in croplands, he said.