Drivers and barriers to the implementation of biogas technologies in Bangladesh

Abstract

In Bangladesh, despite available feedstock for producing biogas, the development of biogas production has been very slow. The objective of this research was to study the drivers for and barriers to biogas technology implementation in the country. As the research involved different types of stakeholders related to biogas production, the outcome provides clarity about the factors influencing the profusion of biogas production in Bangladesh. The outcome of the study identifies poor research and development, lack of coordination among stakeholders, an immature biogas market, lack of awareness and no feed-in tariff policy as the main barriers. In the case of drivers, the motivation of producing biogas as an efficient way of using waste, the availability of local experts, the attractiveness of a growing renewable energy market and the contribution of biogas technology in adaptation to climate change were found to be the most important factors. The study’s outcomes are found to be similar to other studies from developing countries with similar socio-economic status. In accordance with the important drivers and barriers identified in this study, recommendations for increasing the diffusion of biogas in Bangladesh are also presented at the end of the article.

Keywords:

• Bioenergy
• biogas
• barriers
• drivers
• sustainability
• Bangladesh

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.