Abstract
Production of biogas from anaerobic digestion has the potential to be part of the transition to a renewable based energy system. However, diverse classifications may obstruct knowledge sharing within and between countries, thus potentially hindering development of biogas solutions, as part of an environmentally sustainable renewable based energy system. The aim of this study is to present an approach to categorize biogas production plants and to investigate and compare some country-specific classifications of biogas production plants. The study shows that there are differences between the country-specific classifications studied, both in the terminology and in the underlying descriptions when the terminology is the same. It is also shown that the biogas plants studied do not fit into all of the in-depth country specific European classifications studied. A Framework for Categorization that includes seven categories is proposed. When the biogas plants studied are inserted into the framework, similarities between different plants are shown. These similarities are not found when using the existing European biogas plant classifications. It has also been shown that only three of the proposed categories are included in any of the four in-depth European classifications studied. The Framework, developed in this study, shows the complexity of common categories for biogas production plants, and it is an attempt towards finding a common classification for biogas plants.
Highlights
The European Commission (2010) has launched the 2020 climate and energy package, a set of binding legislations
An increased role for biogas in the European Union (EU) is manifested in its communication “Renewable Energy Road Map” (European Commission, 2007), by indicating an increase of biogas used for electricity production until 2020
European classifications for different biogas plants were studied based on information from the European member countries in International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy Task 37
Summary
The European Commission (2010) has launched the 2020 climate and energy package, a set of binding legislations. The package is set to ensure that the European Union (EU) meets the energy and climate targets for 2020, including the 20 % target on increased share of renewable sources, where biogas may play a part in reaching the target. Increased biogas production has obvious effects on reaching the target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20% (European Commission, 2010). An increased role for biogas in the EU is manifested in its communication “Renewable Energy Road Map” (European Commission, 2007), by indicating an increase of biogas used for electricity production until 2020. The Renewable Energy directive (RES directive) (European Commission, 2009) states that biogas installations can contribute significantly to sustainable development, and the directive settles the 10% target for renewables within the transport sector. It emphasizes that each country has to propose relevant measures to reach a balanced use of domestic and imported renewables for transportation considering, amongst other concerns, the issue of security of energy supply
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