On May 5, the “Training Course on Biogas Technology, Rural Energy and Environmental Protection for Developing Countries in 2016”opened in Chengdu at Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture (BIOMA). The course is sponsored by Ministry of Commerce of China and organized by BIOMA. Senior officials from the Academy for International Business Officials (AIBO) of MOFCOM, the Special Commissioner’s Office of MOFCOM of China in Chengdu, Department of International Cooperation (DIC)of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences（CAAS）and Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce and BIOMA were present at the opening ceremony.

Vice President LIU Mingzhe of AIBO extended warm welcome to all participants in his speech. Hesaid that biogas was a practical technology for the whole human kind, and BIOMA is the best place to learn this technology. He proposed three suggestions to participants and BIOMA: first, participants should make up for “short panels” in their biogas knowledge structure so as to ensure the unified pace of the training course; second, this course should focus on hands-on practice so that participants can grasp the essence of biogas technology and take it back home to teach other people back in their home countries; third, create smooth communication channels. Particularly, when they go back to your home countries after this course, they can stay in touch with BIOMA so that the problem they might come cross during the application of biogas technology will be solved in time.

Deputy Special CommissionerMs. FU Yan of the Special Commissioner’s Office of MOFCOM in Chengdu said in her speech that this training course would enrich the contents of China’s biogas cooperation with other countries in the world and hoped that participants could become friendship messengers between China and their home countries.

Division director Mr. Lu Ping of Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce (DOC) extended congratulations to the opening of the course and said that the Sichuan DOC would provide its due service to this course.

BIOMA’s CPC Party Secretary Ms. CAI Ping said in her speech that in order to make this training a success, senior officials of BIOMA had held a meeting to discuss the organization of this training so as to ensure that this course has high-quality contents and good service. She hoped that participants could enhance exchanges with BIOMA experts so as to work together to solve energy crisis and protect world environment.

Participant representative Mr. Ray Robinson from Dominica said that many developing countries were faced with energy and environment problems and participants would cherish this opportunity to learn biogas in Chengdu at BIOMA.

This course is the 65th training session held by BIOMA since its establishment. It lasts for 42 days from May 5 to June 15, and has 29 participants from 11 developing countries. The contents of this training includes introduction to biogas development in China, design and construction of rural household biogas digesters, fermentation process of biogas plants, biogas microbiology, etc. During the course, participants will also visit some pilot biogas plants and companies.

Editor：Zhang Wen