Harnessing the power of cow dung: Exploring the environmental, energy, and economic potential of biogas production in Indonesia

Abstract

In countries that produce cattle, like Indonesia, improper management of cow dung is an issue. Biogas production had previously been regarded as the most advantageous method of digesting cow dung. This study examines the energy, economic, and environmental advantages of biogas produced from cow dung if it were to replace coal-powered electricity and LPG in Indonesia. Additionally, the slurry created as a byproduct is used in place of urea as a fertilizer. Benefit calculations begin at the household level and progress to the village level and eventually the national level. According to the study's findings, installing a biogas plant can cut carbon emissions by up to 6.78 tons of CO2/village/day. Each household has an annual savings capacity of IDR 725,000, and each village has a potential annual regional income of IDR 178,000,000. Almost 44% of the urea fertilizer can be replaced by the slurry and 13.2 million households can be served by the 18,177 GWh of electricity produced annually on a country level. The annual reductionable amount of LPG is 3.84 million tonnes and the annual savings to the state budget for LPG and fertilizer subsidies are IDR 40.3 trillion. By lessening the nation's reliance on fossil fuels, the use of biogas also helps to create energy security. Replacing trucks with other equipment for transporting cow dung, utilizing absorbers to boost methane concentrations, and improving electricity generator efficiency are the best approaches to maximizing the advantages of biogas.