Biogas has become the favorite at the international exhibition Ecomondo

The main highlight of the Ecomondo 2023 international green technology exhibition is biogas. This direction in energy, as experts claim, has tremendous prospects.

There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it is a local source of renewable energy. Secondly, it is a predictable source that can balance solar and wind energy, which depend on weather conditions. Thirdly, organic waste is used for biogas production, solving the issue of waste disposal. Fourthly, the production technology itself is quite inexpensive, and production can be launched very quickly. As a bonus, besides gas (or heat and electricity), the output includes liquid and solid digestate (fertilizer and compost).

“Europe, which is currently rapidly trying to reduce dependence on Russian gas and greenhouse gas emissions, places great expectations on biomethane. According to the International Energy Agency estimates, biogas has the potential to replace 20% of natural gas. The exhibition showcased a variety of technologies aimed at increasing extraction and making it as cost-effective and efficient as possible. In particular, significant attention was paid to biogas production from municipal waste,” explains Nicole Danilova, Chairwoman of the Waste Management Association.

For example, equipment was presented that allows separating organic matter from the general mixture of unsorted waste by almost 100%. Additionally, there was equipment for fermenting even poorly sorted municipal solid waste, diverse monitoring and analysis equipment, improved bacterial mixtures, and more. These technologies are not only numerous but also rapidly evolving. Currently, there are technological capabilities to produce biogas practically in every populated area, regardless of whether there is waste sorting infrastructure.

Technologies for landfill gas extraction are also improving. While Ukraine averages around 30-40% extraction, some Western companies manage to extract up to 80%.

“Of course, these technologies are relatively expensive at the initial stage, but considering the high demand, they quickly scale up and become accessible,” concludes Nicole Danilova.