Biogas electricity is produced from organic waste using anaerobic digesters or landfills. It is a renewable resource that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and can be used for small-scale power generation on farms or large-scale industrial manufacturing. However, nitrous oxide emissions during production are a potential problem.
Electricity produced using renewable fuels created from agriculture and municipal waste is called biogas electricity. Biogas is produced in anaerobic digesters using microbes to convert organic waste into methane gas. This gas is then used to generate electricity in power plants, both large and small, rather than using non-renewable fuels. An alternative method of biogas production takes place in landfills. The organic matter in the landfill undergoes anaerobic decomposition deep within the landfill mass and in specially designed landfills the resulting methane gas is trapped for later use as fuel.
The small-scale production of electricity from biogas mainly takes place on farms where the manure is converted into methane gas using an anaerobic digester. The chemical energy in methane is converted to mechanical energy when the methane is burned to power a turbine. This, in turn, converts mechanical energy into electrical energy which can be used as an energy source for the farm. In small-scale power generation, a microturbine or motor is typically used to produce electricity. Excess heat can also be trapped and used to heat water or a small building.
Large-scale, centralized production of electricity from biogas is less common than the agricultural conversion of manure to electricity, which is increasingly popular on farms around the world. Industrial manufacturing is expensive and requires a high level of maintenance, but provides a cost-effective alternative for wastewater treatment and waste disposal. Biogas can be used alone or in combination with other fuels in power plants. With further processing, it can also be used to heat homes as biomethane or compressed for burning in vehicle engines.
There are three main advantages of biogas electricity over conventional electricity generation using coal or natural gas. Biogas is a renewable resource created from all types of organic waste. Manure, crop waste and slurry are commonly used and all are continuously being produced. Waste management is another advantage of biogas. The third benefit of biogas electricity is the reduction of greenhouse gases released during the open decomposition of waste.
A potential problem of biogas electricity is the emission of nitrous oxide during biogas production using anaerobic digesters. Methods to reduce emissions are being studied. Manure left to decompose outdoors emits significantly more nitrous oxide than is emitted during the conversion and combustion of biogas. Nitrous oxide and methane, another gas produced by the decomposition of organic matter, are both significantly more potent greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. Using manure or other organic matter to produce biogas for energy, rather than allowing it to decompose outdoors, is thought to reduce the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
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