‘Biogas' - gas produced during the breakdown of organic matter - can be harnessed and used to provide heat, electricity and transport fuel. Biogas schemes help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deal more effectively with effluent disposal on farms. This guide to biogas schemes is aimed at a farming audience, and includes practical examples.
Utilising biogas makes sense because it occurs as a result of a number of existing natural processes and the gas would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere as a harmful greenhouse gas. Biogas contains methane, which has twenty times more greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide. The process of burning biogas for electricity generation or heat converts the methane into carbon dioxide, therefore significantly reducing the environmental impact.
