Biogas is a widely used form of renewable energy. It is mostly produced from organic wastes. Given the supply shortage and growing demand of fossil fuels, the demand of biogas has increased considerably in different parts of the world. This form of renewable energy requires less costly labor input.
Biogas is clean and environment-friendly. As it is produced through decomposition of organic products in absence of oxygen, there is no supply constraint. The renewable nature of biogas is another crucial feature of this newly developed form of energy.
Source and Production of Biogas: An Overview
Biogas can be produced from a number of sources. The organic waste products constitute the primary source of biogas. Energy crops, biomass, sewage, and the like can also be used as a source of biogas.
Anaerobic fermentation of biomass and other biodegradable products produces carbon dioxide and methane. Wood gas is another special type of biogas. A different method is used for producing this biogas. The process of gastification is carried out on biomass or wood to generate wood gas. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen are the popular forms of wood gas.
Biogas is known by different names as per its source of production. March gas, digester gas, swamp gas, and landfill gas are some other terms that are used to describe the different forms of biogas.
Anaerobic digesters come in handy to decompose the biodegradable wastes and energy crops. In Sweden, seized alcoholic beverages are used to generate biogas.
Use of Biogas
Biogas has a number of applications or use. It is widely used in cooking, water heating, electricity generation and many other purposes. Biogas can be used as fuel in vehicles after compression. Here, biogas is used to stimulate the fuel cells in the internal combustion engine.
In India, biogas caters to the fuel requirements of over 2 million households. It is used extensively in rural China. The number of biogas consumers is also increasing in Europe and America.