Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) is planning to install 150,000 biogas plants across the country by 2016, as the country has a prospect to install two million such units.

IDCOL director (law) SM Formanul Islam told reporters at a press conference on Sunday ahead of the national biogas week-2011.

The IDCOL has so far installed 20,000 biogas plants across the country, he said.

IDCOL chief executive officer Islam Sharif, SNV country representative Gobindaraj Phokrel and German donor agency KFW programme manager Tazmilur Rahman were present at the press conference.

Farmanul Islam said IDCOL will provide around Tk 9000 assistance to install a biogas plant through its 30 associate organisations. Such plant would be used at least for 30 years, he said. If any client installs biogas plant through IDCOL, then he or she would be given five years’ warrant on it.

The official said around 1.5 million people across the world died due to carbon emission. Through using the biogas plant, it would be able to save the forest avoiding deforestation as the plant is environment-friendly and it produces natural fertiliser also, he said. It would also help women empowerment, he added.

Anyone can be able to install a biogas plant if he or she has three to four cows or a chicken firm, official said.

“If Bangladesh installs two million plants, then it would be able to create tremendous change in the GDP as a plant would produce six tonnes of biogas per year,” he said.

But the installation cost of the biogas plant would be raised, the IDCOL official said. The country has been observing biogas week from Saturday last.