The different uses and advantages of biogas
The anaerobic digestion process produces biogas – made up predominantly of biomethane and CO2 – which can be used in a variety of ways and within multiple industries and business processes. Here, we’ll explore 5 uses and advantages of biogas.
5 uses and advantages of biogas
Whilst the biogas produced via anaerobic digestion is most commonly ‘scrubbed’ and the biomethane injected into the gas grid to generate heat & power for local homes and businesses, biogas does have a number of uses and advantages beyond this, such as:
- It can replace compressed natural gas for use in road vehicles
- It can displace carbon dioxide in [on-site] CHP plants
- It can be used in rural areas as a cooking gas
- It can be used in street lights
- It can be used in hydrogen fuel cells
What’s more, the process of anaerobic digestion also creates a nutrient rich byproduct that can be used, when treated, as a highly effective fertiliser on farms & fields.
The advantages of biogas and anaerobic digestion plants
Providing a renewable and sustainable energy source: created via the entirely organic process of anaerobic digestion, biogas is a renewable, sustainable and eco-friendly energy source, positively contributing to the UK’s quest for energy security and alternatives to fossil fuel derived energy sources.
Encouraging a circular economy: on-farm anaerobic digestion plants promote waste management, and farms can recycle the waste produced by their livestock every day by feeding it in the AD plant, where its converted into useable energy. In fact, did you know that the waste products of one cow can provide enough energy to power a lightbulb for an entire day?
Rural and on-farm odour management: not only do anaerobic digestion plants provide a meaningful way via which farms can recycle their waste, but it also provides a way to manage, control and reduce odour on farms and in rural areas.
Providing an additional income: injecting biomenthane derived from anaerobic digestion into the national gas grid provides AD plant owners – often farmers – with an additional income – the biomethane sold onto the gas grid and used as energy to heat & power homes and businesses connected to the grid.
In short, biogas and the anaerobic digestion plants that produce said gas are extremely useful and provide a wealth of benefits and advantages, not only to the local area in which they are located, but to the country’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and increase energy security.
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