India's cows offer biogas alternative to Mideast energy crunch

Across much of India, an energy crunch caused by the Iran war has prompted long queues for cooking gas cyclinders. Biogas produced from cow dung is an alternative fuel helping ease pressure on supplies. India consumes more than 30 million tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) annually, importing over half its needs.

The government insists there is no shortage of cooking gas, but supply delays, panic buying and black marketeers have created long queues for cylinders. However, since the 1980s India has also promoted biogas as a low-cost rural energy source, subsidising more than five million "digester" units that convert farm waste into methane for cooking, and nitrogen-rich slurry for fertiliser.