27/01/2024
Biogas is the end product after anaerobic digestion and primarily consists of carbon dioxide (Co2), methane (Ch4), small amounts of nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), ammonia (Nh3), and hydrogen sulfide (H2s) (Kougias, Angelidaki; 2018).
Utilization
Biogas can be used for heating and generating energy in rural settlements, especially in developing countries like South Africa which they are currently facing a large energy crisis. This renewable gas can also be widely used for other purposes as well, such as cooking, lighting, and refrigeration, hence it is a great renewable energy alternative.
Drivers of Biogas Utilization
One of the main purposes for biogas production and utilization is Global Warming and to reduce the large spread of harmful carbon emissions.
It is not a secret that climate change is mainly caused by the large spread of gas emissions mostly and largely produced by Oil & Gas industries, landfills, and illegal dumping sights.
In return, this has affected the health of people and threatened the existence of humanity as a howl. Due to global warming, mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), and tick-borne encephalitis, have been able to surface (Kurane, 2010), and have claimed the lives of many people in big parts of Africa and Asia.
Mining companies are amongst the biggest contributors to gas emissions by the manufacturing of mineral resources to make energy, oil, gas, and petroleum products.
Landfills are also among the contributors even though not so large but the main issue with them is space. A great shift needs to happen, not just in one part of the world but globally in terms of biogas. More utilization of this renewable energy source can mitigate the speed of climate change.
Advantages of Biogas
Biogas is not harmful to the environment
Biogas is a clean renewable energy source and therefore does not pollute but rather reduces gas emissions. The process of producing biogas can be natural and does not need any electricity or harmful acids for generation, and the feedstock used in the process is also raw material that can be reproduced.
Biogas does not require high-quality feedstock
Biogas feedstock is collected from natural organic waste, and common feedstocks include livestock manure, food-processing waste, and sewage.
It helps manage waste
The waste kept in landfills produces methane, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases. This waste can be used and converted into biogas to help curb the spread of carbon emissions, instead of letting it go to waste or causing more problems for landfills that are filling up.
Promotes farming
Biogas production and usage also drive farming activities through the use of farm waste and energy plants. The waste collected from farms can be converted into biogas while the remaining digestate can be used as manure for plantation.
Biogas is a low-cost technology
Usually, the costs of biogas revolve around transportation of feedstock, land purchasing, technology, maintenance, etc. This is different for domestic/small-scale biogas production though, as they are normally smaller in size and are based at home lesser materials are needed and feedstock is easily available through kitchen and animal waste.
Disadvantages of Biogas
Shorter technology advancements
The system utilized in biogas production is less efficient. Technologies to simplify and make biogas products cheaper are not yet available, and this is causing large plant construction and industrial use of biogas to be even more expensive.
Impurities
Biogas still contains some impurities after purification and compression, and without being upgraded the fuel can corrode metal engine parts of a vehicle.
Biogas needs warm temperatures for effective production
The effects of weather have become part of the renewable energy environment as wind and solar systems are also affected by these challenges. Biogas needs at least around 37 degrees Celsius temperature to form bacteria needed for anaerobic digestion.
Conclusion
Biogas is a clean and sustainable renewable energy source, produced from a mixture of broken-down organic waste materials it can help slow the spread of gas emissions and manage waste in rural and urban areas. Contributing to the fight against global warming, load-shedding, pollution, and unemployment, biogas has a lot of economic, health, and environmental advantages, and holds lesser disadvantages.
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