Biogas Opportunities and Challenges

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Overdependence on fossil fuels has significantly impacted the world climate. Currently, issues such as the rising carbon footprint are a major concern for governments. The need to reduce the effects of global warming as well as minimize the consumption of petroleum products has prompted people to implement other means of generating energy for usage. Biogas has become a substantial solution to the underlying demand for energy across the globe. Being a renewable source of power, biogas is capable of providing a significant amount of power, especially for domestic usage. Even though biogas has proven to be a reliable source of renewable energy, there are ecological, technical, and economic opportunities as well as challenges associated with it.

Based on the technical viewpoint, the production of biofuels requires bio-digester technology to facilitate the manufacturing process. Most of the techs are not expensive and can be easily afforded on a small scale to enhance the production process (Obileke et al., 2021a). Installing bio digesters requires individuals to have some basic training on the technology, which can be obtained from experienced personnel. Therefore, implementing the production of energy can be achieved mainly in rural areas as well as urban centers. The development of technological systems that can easily transform biomaterials into energy is making it easier for people to rely on energy.

Furthermore, the production of biogas enables people to reduce environmental pollution. Generally, biofuels are manufactured from waste products such as food remains and other biomaterials (Iea, n.d.a). Tagne et al. (2021) iterate that venturing into the production of biofuels enables people to eliminate waste. Through the use of technologies, biomaterials can be transformed into bio-energies, including biogas, which can be used to produce electricity or biofuel.

According to Tagne et al. (2021), various microorganisms facilitate the decomposition of organic wastes through a process known as anaerobic digestion. The process ensures waste products are fully utilized to produce energy that can be used in other areas, thus eliminating ecological pollution (Garfí et al., 2019). In addition, by using anaerobic digestion technology, the waste is treated effectively, thus preventing the possible emission of greenhouse gasses (Situmeang et al., 2022). Similarly, during the production of biofuel, the carbon dioxide produced is directly consumed in the ecosystem through the process of photosynthesis. This aspect makes the manufacture of biogas to be less effective on the environment.

From the economic perspective, the production of biogas occurs locally hence eliminating the transportation expense. Generally, other fuel products, including coal, require shipment, which makes them expensive. In contrast to biofuel, users do not have to spend a significant amount, thus making the individuals receive energy at a relatively lower price (Cucchiella et al., 2019). Similarly, the biomaterials used as feedstocks in the production of biogas, such as crop residue and manure from animals, can easily be obtained from farmers, especially the ones obliged to pay disposal fees (Lisowyj & Wright, 2020).

Therefore, it is easier to access such waste products to be used in the process of manufacturing biofuel. This aspect thus makes biogas less expensive as the materials are affordable hence reducing the cost of electricity (Abd Allah et al., 2021). In addition, the electricity produced from the biogas plants can be used by people or factories to provide heat and generate necessary power for the production process (Singh & Kalamdhad, 2022). Since the cost of biofuel is cheaper as compared to other sources of energy such as coal and fossil fuels, it, therefore, brings economic relief to the community that relies on it.

Despite the opportunities associated with biogas, the source of energy still faces several challenges that make its production stagnate. Based on technology, some bio-digestive machines are expensive, and most people cannot easily afford them (Reddy et al., 2022). The issue thus makes it difficult for people to produce the required quantity of biofuel to be used as energy and electricity (Iea, n.d.b). Therefore, the cost required to install the machines hinders the majority from investing in production.

The process of converting manure to energy produces methane which is detrimental to the climate. According to Gittelson et al. (2021), manure digesters have the potential to leak large volumes of methane into the environment, which negatively affects the environment. Other harmful end products of the process include nitrous oxide that comes from fertilizer (Pizarro-Loaiza et al., 2021). These substances are effective chemicals that facilitate the ecological problem (Iea, n.d.c). Furthermore, Gittelson et al. (2021) iterate that the process of producing biogas contributes to global warming in a number of ways. First, the authors argue that in order to obtain the necessary resources, such as feedstocks, they must be transported from the site to the plant. During the shipment, the trucks used to produce greenhouse gasses into the environment.

In addition, to produce the energy, experts are required that have adequate knowledge about the processes involved. To access such personnel, an individual must hire professionals, which requires money. Similarly, the cost of establishing manure-to-energy is high and requires the person to spend a significant amount of cash to obtain the necessities (Ferrer-Martí et al., 2018). For example, to build a digester, the following items must be purchased; mixing tanks, station pumps, generators, flow meters, and other compulsory resources (Obileke et al., 2021b). In other words, developing a fully functional system to produce biogas requires a large amount of money.

Furthermore, acquiring the feedstocks may be challenging, and an individual might be required to pay for the waste products. For instance, manure waste might be costly to obtain from farmers who are not obliged to spend on disposal. Similarly, transporting the biomaterials to the biogas plant requires a fleet of trucks, especially if the person is producing large-scale biofuel. In order to access the resources, it is necessary to incur significant costs.

Biogas is an essential energy remedy that can enable people to lower their dependency on fossil fuels which are detrimental to the planet. Biofuel is easier to produce since it requires biomaterials from plants and animals. Investing in the production of biogas has significant challenges as well as opportunities. From the ecological perspective, biogas reduces the burden of environmental pollution since most of the waste materials are used in the production of biogas energy. However, during the processing, the manure used to release methane gas which has the potential to enhance the greenhouse effect.

Based on the economic viewpoint, the feedstocks such as animal manure can be obtained at a free cost, especially when the farmers want someone to relieve them from disposal costs. The aspect reduces the expenditure associated with its production. Similarly, the energy from the biogas plant can be used for heating and as a source of electricity, thus saving people from using other sources of power that are expensive. However, the economic challenge occurs during the purchase of digesters and other materials needed to facilitate the production of energy. Even though biogas has challenges and opportunities, when it is harnessed effectively, it will provide an alternative source of power to reduce dependency on coal and fossil fuels.

References

Abd Allah, W. E., Tawfik, M. A., Sagade, A. A., Gorjian, S., Metwally, K. A., & El-Shal, H. (2021). Methane production enhancement of a family-scale biogas digester using cattle manure and corn stover under cold climates. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 45, 101163. Web.

Cucchiella, F., D’Adamo, I., & Gastaldi, M. (2019). An economic analysis of biogas-biomethane chain from animal residues in Italy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 230, 888-897. Web.

Ferrer-Martí, L., Ferrer, I., Sánchez, E., & Garfí, M. (2018). A multi-criteria decision support tool for the assessment of household biogas digester programmes in rural areas. A case study in Peru. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 95, 74-83. Web.

Garfí, M., Castro, L., Montero, N., Escalante, H., & Ferrer, I. (2019). Evaluating environmental benefits of low-cost biogas digesters in small-scale farms in Colombia: A life cycle assessment. Bioresource technology, 274, 541-548. Web.

Gittelson, P., Diamond, D., Henning, L., Payan, M., Utesch, L., & Utesch, N. (2021). The False Promises of Biogas: Why Biogas Is an Environmental Justice Issue. Environmental Justice. Web.

Iea. (n.d.a). Biogas production by region and by feedstock type, 2018 – charts – Data & Statistics. IEA. Web.

Iea. (n.d.b). Sustainable supply potential and costs – outlook for biogas and biomethane: Prospects for organic growth – analysis. IEA. Web.

Iea. (n.d.c). An introduction to biogas and biomethane – outlook for biogas and biomethane: Prospects for organic growth – analysis. IEA. Web.

Lisowyj, M., & Wright, M. M. (2020). A review of biogas and an assessment of its economic impact and future role as a renewable energy source. Reviews in Chemical Engineering, 36(3), 401-421. Web.

Obileke, K., Nwokolo, N., Makaka, G., Mukumba, P., & Onyeaka, H. (2021a). Anaerobic digestion: Technology for biogas production as a source of renewable energy—A review. Energy & Environment, 32(2), 191-225. Web.

Obileke, K., Onyeaka, H., & Nwokolo, N. (2021b). Materials for the design and construction of household biogas digesters for biogas production: A review. International Journal of Energy Research, 45(3), 3761-3779. Web.

Pizarro-Loaiza, C. A., Antón, A., Torrellas, M., Torres-Lozada, P., Palatsi, J., & Bonmatí, A. (2021). Environmental, social and health benefits of alternative renewable energy sources. Case study for household biogas digesters in rural areas. Journal of Cleaner Production, 297, 126722. Web.

Reddy, M. V., Reddy, V. U. N., & Chang, Y. C. (2022). Integration of anaerobic digestion and chain elongation technologies for biogas and carboxylic acids production from cheese whey. Journal of Cleaner Production, 364, 132670. Web.

Singh, P., & Kalamdhad, A. S. (2022). Assessment of small-scale biogas digesters and its impact on the household cooking sector in India: Environmental-resource-economic analysis. Energy for Sustainable Development, 70, 170-180. Web.

Situmeang, R., Mazancová, J., & Roubík, H. (2022). Technological, economic, social and environmental barriers to adoption of small-scale biogas plants: Case of Indonesia. Energies, 15(14), 5105. Web.

Tagne, R. F. T., Dong, X., Anagho, S. G., Kaiser, S., & Ulgiati, S. (2021). Technologies, challenges and perspectives of biogas production within an agricultural context. The case of China and Africa. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(10), 14799-14826. Web.

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Biogas Opportunities and Challenges

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