Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- biog:biogas [2025/12/03 16:45] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
+++ biog:biogas [2025/12/17 04:30] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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 <caption>
-Small experimental biogas digester. Waste material is put into the oil drum; the neoprene cover rises when full of gas; the gas is tapped into a container (upside-down plastic drum with water seal) which rises as more gas enters. When full, gas can be tapped off and used via a little gas ring.
+_Small experimental biogas digester. Waste material is put into the oil drum; the neoprene cover rises when full of gas; the gas is tapped into a container (upside-down plastic drum with water seal) which rises as more gas enters. When full, gas can be tapped off and used via a little gas ring._
 </caption>
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 <caption>
-Mini-biogas experiment, working on exactly the same principle as the digester above.
+_Mini-biogas experiment, working on exactly the same principle as the digester above._
 </caption>
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 <caption>
-Simplified cross-section of a type of digester used for animal and human waste all over China and the far east. A toilet can be incorporated into this system.  Image: [Tkarcher](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Biogas_plant.svg), [CC BY-SA](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
+_Simplified cross-section of a type of digester used for animal and human waste all over China and the far east. A toilet can be incorporated into this system.  Image: [Tkarcher](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Biogas_plant.svg), [CC BY-SA](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)_
 </caption>
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 </figure>
 </WRAP>
 ### Reduces resource use
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 <caption>
-Slightly larger digester, filled with animal manure collected from local smallholdings, with a steel wool filter to remove hydrogen sulphide, and gas storage tanks with a water seal; plus a demonstration of cooking with gas.
+_Slightly larger digester, filled with animal manure collected from local smallholdings, with a steel wool filter to remove hydrogen sulphide, and gas storage tanks with a water seal; plus a demonstration of cooking with gas._
 </caption>
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 ### Creates two renewable resources
-Sewage sludge and animal slurries usually end up as fertiliser anyway, so it's better to obtain fuel from it first, and prevent runoff and methane emissions at the same time – and you still get fertiliser at the end of the process. It's the missing link for those wanting to switch from fossil fuels – many people heat their homes with [wood](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/lowimpact-topic/wood-stoves/) and their water with [solar](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/lowimpact-topic/solar-hot-water/), and get their electricity from [wind](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/lowimpact-topic/wind-generators/) and [solar](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/lowimpact-topic/solar-electricity/) – but cooking is a problem; it's too expensive with electricity, and Agas are expensive too, plus they take a long time to get up to temperature, and will make your space too hot in the summer. Gas is best for cooking, but with biogas it can be done without gas bills.
+Sewage sludge and animal slurries usually end up as fertiliser anyway, so it's better to obtain fuel from it first, and prevent runoff and methane emissions at the same time – and you still get fertiliser at the end of the process. It's the missing link for those wanting to switch from fossil fuels – many people heat their homes with [wood](/wstov/wood_stoves) and their water with [solar](/watr/water), and get their electricity from [wind](/wind/wind_generators) and [solar](/soel/solar_electricity) – but cooking is a problem; it's too expensive with electricity, and Agas are expensive too, plus they take a long time to get up to temperature, and will make your space too hot in the summer. Gas is best for cooking, but with biogas it can be done without gas bills.
-NB: as with other [biofuels](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/lowimpact-topic/biodiesel/), we think that the feedstock (raw materials) should be waste material. We don't think it's a good idea to set aside large areas of land for growing fuels when much of the world doesn't have enough food (although the waste from food crops is fine). Also, large-scale digesters need to be fed by large operations like factory farms or sewage plants. These [bring their own problems](https://feedbackglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Feedback-2020-Green-Gas-Without-the-Hot-Air-Exec-Summary.pdf), such as hormones, animal cruelty, and energy-intensive transport and chemicals. We think that the best solution is usually the smallest scale possible – in this case the farm, community or domestic scale.
+NB: as with other [biofuels](/biod/biodiesel), we think that the feedstock (raw materials) should be waste material. We don't think it's a good idea to set aside large areas of land for growing fuels when much of the world doesn't have enough food (although the waste from food crops is fine). Also, large-scale digesters need to be fed by large operations like factory farms or sewage plants. These [bring their own problems](https://feedbackglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Feedback-2020-Green-Gas-Without-the-Hot-Air-Exec-Summary.pdf), such as hormones, animal cruelty, and energy-intensive transport and chemicals. We think that the best solution is usually the smallest scale possible – in this case the farm, community or domestic scale.
 <WRAP center centeralign>
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 <caption>
-Adding food waste to a small digester.
+_Adding food waste to a small digester._
 </caption>
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 ## What can I do?
 ### Setting up
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 <caption>
-How to build a domestic / farm scale biogas digester
+_How to build a domestic / farm scale biogas digester_
 </caption>
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 <caption>
-Biogas digester on a family farm in India; there’s no reason that they can’t be used successfully in the West too.
+_Biogas digester on a family farm in India; there’s no reason that they can’t be used successfully in the West too._
 </caption>
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 <caption>
-Boiling water with biogas.
+_Boiling water with biogas._
 </caption>
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 <caption>
-Temperature range for microbes.
+_Temperature range for microbes._
 </caption>
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 Methane is explosive – see [Adelaide University's website](https://web.archive.org/web/20140325204535/http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/safety/) for safety considerations.
 ## Further resources
+- ## [Anaerobic Digestion (AD)](https://www.biogas-info.co.uk/) - Information Portal on Anaerobic Digestion
+- ## [Energy Justice Network](https://energyjustice.net/) - anti-landfill gas site
+- ## [Biogas Technology](https://biogas-technology.blogspot.com/2012/10/biogas-plant-construction-plant-guide.html) - small biogas plant construction guide
+- ## [Build a Biogas Plant](https://www.build-a-biogas-plant.com/) - anti-landfill gas site
+- ## [Open Ideas](https://www.lowimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/Open-Ideas-Domestic-biogas-projects-in-developing-countries.pdf) - domestic biogas plants in developing countries
-## Specialist(s)
+## Specialist curators of this topic
-![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/Rokiah-yaman.jpg)
-Rokiah Yaman co-founded [LEAP Micro AD](https://www.madleap.co.uk/) to develop advanced anaerobic digestion technology as part of a decentralised, circular, food-waste-energy model designed to support local employment and training opportunities, manage organic resources sustainably, engage people around zero waste and strengthen community resilience.
-_Date on Lowimpact:2013-08-25_