Biogas in rural areas, NGO CODEGAZ

Producing energy, protecting the forest and fertilising the fields using household waste - all perfectly possible with biodigesters! Spotlight on the minor miracle taking place in Madagascar since 1999 thanks to the NGO CODEGAS. It's a straightforward principle: the biodigesters ferment organic waste, which in turn produces "biogas" and digestate" through the process of methanation. - Biogas is a source of energy that can be used to cook meals and light up the house. It provides an alternative to wood for fuel, removing the need to collect wood from the forest when cooking. This clearly has a beneficial impact on biodiversity. - Digestate (substrate created by the methanation process) is used as agricultural fertiliser, particularly in the paddy fields. CODEGAZ, an in-house ENGIE NGO, has been selected to construct ten biogas biodigesters to provide fuel energy for cooking and lighting, and fertiliser for local peasant farmers using reclaimed livestock waste. A second objective is to train the Malagachy villagers how to operate, run, maintain biodigesters and use the installations for lighting and cooking with biogas. CODEGAZ, a recognised public-interest organisation since 2007, has completed over 500 humanitarian projects since its formation, benefiting some 600,000 people in 21 countries. Its areas of expertise include access to renewable energies, improving the status of women, food security and agro-nutrition, access to water and sanitation, child protection, access to healthcare, access to education and training.


The ENGIE Foundation has been supporting CODEGAZ for ten years. As a humanitarian organisation, it brings together volunteer retirees and employees from across the ENGIE Group who want to help towards providing sustainable, practical solutions to support the basic needs of populations in developing countries.