Biogas market

Biogas is a mixture of gases which are naturally produced in the environment. It is produced where organic matter is left in oxygen-free conditions, with appropriate hydration and temperature.

In biogas plants biomass (a renewable resource) is used for biogas production which can be:

• used for the production of electricity and thermal energy,
• introduced into the natural gas system or used as CNG fuel in vehicle transport after it has been refined and enriched.

Advantages of biogas plants:

• a stable source of energy which is effective regardless of weather conditions,
• the most effective process of energy production from biomass,
• utilisation of waste and reduction of methane and other greenhouse gas emissions to atmosphere,
• more jobs,
• post-fermentation mass with very good fertilising properties.

Poland is a country with a very high potential for the production of biogas which is used in a regularly growing number of plants.

The diagram below shows the development of biogas market in Poland compared to other RES technologies.

*on the basis of data provided by URE - Energy Regulatory Office, as at June 30, 2016

 

The basic sources of biogas:

• fermentation of agricultural waste,
• fermentation of activated sludge in sewage-treatment plant digester tanks,
• fermentation of organic municipal waste,
• fermentation of industrial waste.

The chart below shows the acquisition of biogas in Poland broken down into sources (data of GUS - Polish Central Statistical Office, "Energy from Renewable Sources in 2014" report).