Drivers and barriers to the implementation of biogas technologies in Bangladesh

Figures & data

Table 1. Animal manure production in Bangladesh [30].

Animal manure type	Generation ratio (kg dry matter per capita per day)	Waste generation (kt/y)	Waste recovery (kt/y)
Cattle	2.90	24,180	14,887
Buffalo	2.52	1196	717
Goats	0.60	4680	2700
Sheep	0.45	39	214
Poultry droppings	0.04	1921	960

Table 2. Biogas situation in Bangladesh [5, 34].

Technology	Potential	Target	Achievement	Remark
Domestic biogas system	9 million m^3	100,000 biogas plants	Ongoing project	Most plants are wet fermentation based
Biogas power plants	380 MW	5 MW	Less than 1 MW	Wet fermentation based

Figure 1. Chronological steps of the methodology of this research.

Table 3. Exclusion criteria of the literature.

Exclusion criterion	Remark
Criterion 1	The article uses ‘biogas’ term only in title and does not incorporate drivers and barriers to implementation
Criterion 2	The article uses ‘biogas’ only as a part of the future research direction or future perspective
Criterion 3	Articles deals only with biogas production technology
Criterion 4	Availability of full texts

Table 4. The barriers and drivers to biogas technology that were included in the questionnaire.

Category	Barrier	Driver
Technical	Planning and installation issues Lack of waste treatment and storage facilities Poor quality of feedstock Water unavailability Nonexistence of proven technology Lack of feedstock supply (resource availability) Uncertainty in production of feedstock Physical resource limitations (land availability)	Efficient methods of waste utilisation Variety of feedstock use for bioenergy Specific application-based Customised technologies suitable for processing local feedstock
Economic	Competition with other investments Uncertain return on investment Uncertainties about receiving financial support High initial investment Uncertain development and operational costs Lack of investment incentives Low energy cost for end users	Profitable return on investment Availability of financial support Possibility of cost savings on energy Availability of cheap feedstock Bank loans at low interest rates Ensuring business value from biogas projects Third party financing
Government/Policy	Unclear and complex issues Lack of financial policy Insufficient attention from government Bureaucratic complexity Lack of concrete biogas policy	Meeting governmental renewable energy target Adaptation to climate change Specific target for biogas production
Social/ Awareness/ Behavioural	Perceived negative environmental impacts of feedstock Lack of sufficient knowledge on biogas usage Lack of awareness about the policies, technology etc. Political unwillingness Resistance to change Socio-economic differences between urban and rural population	Possible reduction in carbon emissions Other environmental benefits (other than CO2 reduction) Attractiveness of growing renewable energy market Increased bioenergy interest from end-users Political willingness to embrace green energy
Market	Unsettled energy market Immature biogas market Low primary-end-user demand Lack of participation in global carbon market Inadequate private participation Competition with fossil fuels	Market diversification or opportunity Bioenergy use versatility Threat of rising natural gas price
Organizational & Competence	Lack of technical experts/services Poor research & development Lack of coordination in biogas projects No unique platform for biogas stakeholders Lack of feedstock experience	Availability of technical experts Environmental certification system People with real ambition Environmental image Long-term energy strategy

Figure 2. Technical barriers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 3. Economic barriers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 4. Social barriers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 5. Policy barriers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 6. Market barriers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 7. Organization and competency barriers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 8. Technical drivers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 9. Economic drivers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 10. Social drivers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 11. Policy drivers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 12. Market drivers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Figure 13. Market drivers to biogas implementation, where respondents were asked to rank the perceived barriers from ‘1: Unimportant’ to ‘5: Extremely important’.

Table 5. Top ranked barriers and drivers to biogas technology in Bangladesh.

Top ranked barriers and drivers
Category	Barriers	Drivers
Technical	Lack of waste treatment and storage facilities	Efficient form of waste utilisation
Economic	High initial investment	Ensuring business value from biogas project
Social/ Awareness/ Behavioural	Lack of awareness about the policies, technology and its benefits’	Attractiveness of growing renewable energy market
Government/Policy	No feed-in tariff policy	Adaptation to climate change
Organizational and Competence	Poor research and policy	People with real ambition
Market	Immature biogas market	Threat of rising natural gas price

Figure 14. Government initiatives for the diffusion of renewable energy technologies (inspired by Ref. [13]).

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