Biogas Production Technology in India

The use of biogas as cooking fuel has become quite popular in rural India over the last few years. There are plenty of organic sources, from which biogas is produced in India. Among the different local sources of biogas, manure, organic waste products and cattle waste are worth mentioning.

[br]The National Biogas Program initiated in the late 1970s was the first major step towards promotion of biogas in India. Due to the increasing demand and prices of fossil fuels, the need for an alternative source of renewable energy has been felt allover the world. Biofuel has come up as an ideal solution to this fuel crisis. Among the different forms of biofuels, biogas is particularly popular for its simple sources of production. Biogas production technology in India has been changed from time to time. Methanogenesis is mostly used for the purpose.

Biogas Production Process in India at a Glance

The process of Methanogenesis is microbial by nature. It requires several intermediate steps and essentially the methane-generating bacteria. There are three basic steps namely hydrolysis, acidification, and finally the formation of methane.

[br]In the hydrolysis phase, enzymes like amylase, protease, lipase, and cellulose secreted from microbes hydrolyze the organic products. Through this process, organic materials such as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids get decomposed.

In the second phase of acidification, the decomposed and simplified organic products are transformed into carbon dioxide, acetic acid, and hydrogen with the help of acid-producing bacteria.

In the last step, the anaerobic bacteria further decomposes carbon dioxide, acetic acid, and hydrogen produced in the second stage, to simpler organic compounds of low molecular weights like carbon dioxide and methane.

Biogas formed through this process of Methanogenesis is popularly known as ‘gobar gas’. It contains carbon dioxide and methane. It may also contain a bit of hydrogen sulphide. The final composition of ‘gobar gas’ depends on the nature of substrate utilized in the process. If cattle dung is used as the source, the composition of the biogas will be like 40-45 percent of carbon dioxide, 55-66 percent of methane, and insignificant amount of hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide.