Benefits of biogas

Biogas is used as a renewable energy source. By using the anaerobic fermentation of organic waste, gases are created which can be transferred into heat, fuel, or electricity. Harvesting these gases for energy has benefits in all sorts of areas in our society, like environmental, agricultural, energy production, waste treatment, and economical benefits. This article will explain some of the biggest benefits of biogas!

Environmental benefits:

The biggest advantage of biogas is of course its role as a renewable energy source. Biogas is a perfect solution for mitigating climate change. The fermentation of organic waste releases greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. Biogas digesters capture these gases instead of naturally releasing them which happens with conventional manure storage. Besides that, the digestate that remains after all gases have been harvested, can be used as a natural fertilizer. Reducing the need for the energy intensive production of mineral fertilizer. This means that biogas greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Agricultural benefits:

Besides the environmental effects, there are also agricultural benefits of biogas. Like the usage of the digestate as a fertilizer. Once fully fermented the digestate is odorless, which means it does not attract flies, termites or other pests. This makes digestate fertilizer eco-friendly as well as cost reducing. Biogas also creates financial diversification and with that risk mitigation, as it is a separate revenue stream for the agricultural sector.

Energy production benefits:

Biogas is a direct replacement for fossil fuels. Compared to solar and wind energy, biogas is much more reliable. On average, solar power has a reliability rate of 25%, while wind power has a rate of 35%. Biogas is able to provide energy 24/7, with a reliability rate of 95%!  Besides that, biogas storage systems can provide renewable electricity within minutes. This means that on peak demand, there is no need to switch to fossil fueled electricity. Lastly biogas can also be compressed and used as transportation fuel.

Economic benefits:

Biogas is often seen as a way to create a ‘circular economy’. This is due to the fact that waste material is used to create something new; energy. Producing biogas is a cost-effective way to process organic waste into a profiting revenue stream. As stated, the production of biogas is more stable than wind or solar energy. This means that the revenue stream is also more stable compared to these other forms of renewables. We’ve talked about the usage of the digestate as a fertilizer but depending on the composition, it can also be sold as an animal bedding. Lastly the manufacturing of biogas plants provides a boost for local job creation in construction, engineering, project management, and other disciplines associated with creating these plants.

Waste treatment benefits:

A lot of waste materials end up on landfills, where they pollute the ground and water sources. Storing organic waste for biogas production solves this problem. The eventual “waste” of biogas (the digestate) is much better for the environment when used as a fertilizer. Anaerobic digestion prevents the growth of parasites preventing waterborne diseases.

As you can see, biogas has it’s advantages in all aspects of our society. As a solid and reliable renewable energy source, we at Membrane Systems Europe believe it will help cover a greener future!