Biogas can be used for cooking, heating, and lighting in households and industries. It can also be converted into electricity and used as a vehicle fuel. The leftover material from the anaerobic digestion process, called digestate, can be used as a high-quality fertilizer.
Benefits of Biogas
- Renewable Energy Source: Biogas is a renewable energy source as long as organic waste is continuously available for the production process.
- Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The use of biogas helps to reduce the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from organic waste decomposition.
- Waste Management: Biogas production provides a sustainable method of managing organic waste, reducing the environmental impact of waste disposal.
Study Guide: Biogas
Key Concepts
- Anaerobic digestion
- Methane and carbon dioxide
- Renewable energy
- Digestate
- What are the main components of biogas?
- How is biogas different from natural gas?
- In what ways can biogas be used as a sustainable energy source?
The student develops an understanding of the processes of science by asking questions, predicting, observing, describing, measuring, classifying, making generalizations, inferring and communicating.