What is the difference between natural gas and biogas?

It might seem obvious, but there’s a big difference between natural gas and biogas. Natural gas sounds like it’s “natural”, but it’s actually a fossil fuel that negatively impacts the environment. It’s a non-renewable source of energy. Biogas, however, reduces greenhouse emissions (it reduces the greenhouse effect) and is a renewable source of energy. We’ll explain more about it in this article.

What is biogas?

Biogas is an environmentally friendly, renewable energy source produced from the breakdown of organic matter, such as food or animal waste, in a process called anaerobic digestion. For it to work, the organic matter should be in a sealed environment without oxygen. That way, various gasses are being released, such as; methane (60-65%), carbon dioxide (30-35%), nitrogen (0-5%), and hydrogen sulfide (0–2%), which is raw biogas.

This normally takes place in large tanks called digesters. To make sure the gas is being captured, you need special roofing systems, such as double membrane covers – in which we are specialized. What is great about biogas? It turns waste into a source of energy that can be used to fuel vehicles, for cooking, and for heating. Which positively affects the environment and the economy.

What is natural gas? 

Natural gas is a fossil  fuel – just like other fossil fuels such as oil and coal – that’s extracted from subsoil. Natural gas forms from microorganisms, plants and animals that have been preserved underground for millions of years. The extreme heat of the earth and pressure from the rocks turns the material into natural gas. Natural gas can be found in rock formations deep beneath the surface of the earth. To extract it you need to use large drills to bore into the earth.

People have been using natural gas for hundreds of years to heat buildings and water, to dry clothes and to cook. The problem is that natural gas resources are limited. That’s why it’s called a non-renewable source of energy, meaning, at some point – it has been estimated at 52 years by the MAHB – the world runs out of natural gas. Which is why we need renewable energy like biogas. Why is natural gas bad for the environment? When fossil fuels are burned they release large amounts of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) into the atmosphere. Because of that, CO2 levels are increasing, which contributes to global warming.

What is the difference between biogas and natural gas? 

Let’s set the facts straight. Biogas is a clean source of energy (eco-friendly). It releases carbon dioxide, but because it comes from plant matter it fixes the carbon from atmospheric CO2. That’s why biogas plant production is carbon-neutral and doesn’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Biogas is a renewable energy because it comes from renewable sources like food and animal waste.

That’s not the case with natural gas. The resources are limited and estimated to run out in 52 years according to the MAHB. If you look at it from an economical point of view, there’s also a big difference between biogas and natural gas. Biogas uses simple and low-cost technology, which makes it cost-effective. Whereas natural gas is quite expensive – 30% more than biogas.

For more information about worldwide biogas covering systems and storage please feel free to contact us.