Biogas

Biogas is a renewable gaseous fuel generated from organic materials including agricultural residues, manure, municipal waste, plant matter, sewage, wastewater, green waste, and food waste. Biogas is produced by anaerobic digestion with anaerobic organisms or methanogens inside an anaerobic digester, biodigester or a bioreactor. The gas composition is primarily methane (CH
4) and carbon dioxide (CO
2) and may have small amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H
2S), moisture and siloxanes. The methane can be combusted or oxidized with oxygen. This energy release allows biogas to be used as a fuel; it can be used in fuel cells and for heating purposes, such as in cooking. It can also be used in a gas engine to convert the energy in the gas into electricity and heat.

Biogas can be upgraded to fuel gas quality specifications by stripping carbon dioxide and other contaminants. Biogas that has been upgraded to interchangeability with natural gas is called renewable natural gas (RNG). RNG can be used as a drop-in fuel in the gas grid or to produce compressed natural gas as a vehicle fuel.

Biogas is considered to be a renewable resource. At a high level, biogas is a carbon-neutral fuel in so far as emissions of carbon dioxide from its combustion are matched by carbon dioxide pulled from the atmosphere to produce biomass. In practice, the carbon intensity of biogas can vary depending on emissions from the production of biomass and the processes used to produce and upgrade biogas. In some applications, the capturing of biogas can avoid emissions of methane reducing overall emissions.

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