Biodigester Gas is produced through anaerobic digestion of organic matter such as cow dung and leftover food. It includes biogas, the energy resource produced renewably, and digestate, the rich-nutrient by-product suitable for use as organic fertilizer.
Key Highlights:
- Benefits
- Biodigesters capture methane– the strong greenhouse gas, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of dairy farms.
- Reduces waste runoff and hence advocates principles of environmental and agricultural productivity.
- Energy Independence and Cost Savings.
- Improving Soils With Digestates.
Energy Independence and Cost Savings
- Using biogas, a source of energy produced from farm waste, small farmers can generate their own electricity, heat water, and operate farm machinery, diminishing their dependency on outside energy sources.
- Any surplus electricity can be fed into the local grid in addition to being another source of income for the farm.
Improving Soils With Digestates
- Digestate is a product that comes out from anaerobic digestion that improves soil fertility and structure and consequently provides much healthier crop yields.
- It is odourless, on the low side is likely, so less chance to be infected with pathogens hence making application onto fields much safer and more environmental-friendly.
Recycling Economy
- Dairy farms are part of the circular economy on the reuse of waste.
- This integrated approach prepares the case for resource efficiency, waste reduction and resilience against shifting energy and fertiliser prices.
Barriers and Opportunities
- It needs upfront investment and technical know-how.
- The government incentives, the subsidies, and grant programs for renewable energy bring this technology a bit closer.
- Jugaad or collaboration between dairy cooperatives with agritech companies would, in coordination with banks and financial institutions, make biodigesters smoother.
