A new biogas plant was officially launched on November 27 at the New Wing Prison in Beau Bassin, Mauritius. The project, supported by the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) and the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), aims to foster environmental sustainability, social rehabilitation, and inclusivity, according to the UNDP.
Developed through a partnership between the Mauritius Prison Service, Association Kinouété, and the University of Mauritius, the facility was constructed by both detainees and prison officers, offering them a chance to acquire valuable technical skills. The involvement of detainees and officers in the project is designed to aid their reintegration into society by providing practical experience that can lead to employment opportunities, the UNDP noted.
Four prison officers have been trained in biogas plant operations, and they will pass on their knowledge to 10 detainees working in the prison kitchen. Additionally, women detainees from the Women’s Prison will also receive training on maintaining the biodigester system.
Pamela Bapoo-Dundoo, National Coordinator of the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme, stressed the transformative potential of the initiative: “By equipping inmates with valuable skills through projects like the biogas plant, we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, foster environmental sustainability, and enhance opportunities for reintegration and meaningful employment, driving long-term socio-economic change.”
Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management, and Climate Change, Honourable Rajesh Bhagwan, underscored the initiative’s broader impact: “If replicated across Mauritius, this project could significantly cut the volume of organic waste sent to the Mare Chicose landfill.”
The biogas plant is part of a wider effort to promote environmental sustainability and uphold human rights-based, rehabilitative approaches to incarceration. The facility converts organic waste into renewable energy, helping the prison meet its energy needs while also advancing the correctional services’ food security and environmental goals.
The plant will process 30 kg of biodegradable waste daily, sourced from the New Wing Prison kitchen, Beau Bassin Prison, Women’s Prison, Police Training School, and Brown Sequard Hospital. If necessary, additional waste will be collected from Beau Bassin Market. The biogas produced will power the prison’s kitchen, which prepares three meals a day for approximately 350 detainees, covering half of its monthly cooking energy requirements, which currently rely on 12 gas cylinders.
To ensure safety, large balloons have been installed to collect the biogas, and the system includes solar water heaters to maintain optimal temperatures for the process. Additionally, methane gas dehydrators and de-sulphurising systems ensure the gas used for cooking is clean. The nutrient-rich sludge produced by the digester will be utilized in the prison’s agricultural projects, supporting on-site food production.
