Greenhouse Gases Emission from Energy Production in Conventional Biogas Plants in India

Abstract

This article deals with the evaluation of the atmospheric CH₄ and CO₂ emission from the widely accepted conventional biogas plants operating in India. CH₄ and CO₂ are the two major constituents of biogas and also the two important greenhouse gases causing the present global warming. Average CH₄ and CO₂ emission per plant from the floating gasholder model biogas plants ranged between 73 ± 8.92 and 742 ± 81.53 g d⁻¹ and 159 ± 17.31 and 1476 ± 152.63 g d⁻¹, respectively. Emissions from the fixed dome biogas plants ranged between 93 ± 20.63 and 288 ± 46.53 g d⁻¹ CH₄ and 196 ± 40.90 and 598 ± 93.70 g d⁻¹ CO₂. The current contribution of greenhouse gases from the installed biogas plants in India toward the annual atmospheric CH₄ and CO₂ budget is estimated to be approximately 0.143 and 0.306 Tg, respectively.

Keywords:

• biogas plant
• carbon dioxide
• emission
• greenhouse gases
• methane

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Dr. Sushil Kumar and Dr. M. C. Jain of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, for their valuable guidance. Financial assistance through Senior Research Fellowship, from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, is also duly acknowledged.

Notes

^a Flux from the exposed areas around the floating gasholder.

^b Flux from water jacket around floating gasholder.

^c Total emissions from all the exposed portions of the biogas plant, excluding slurry pit.

^a Flux from the exposed areas in the slurry displacement chamber.