Biogas typically refers to a mixture of different gases produced by the decomposition of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, waste water, green waste or food waste. Biogas is a renewable energy source. Biogas can be produced by anaerobic digestion with anaerobic organisms, which digest the material within a closed system or the fermentation of biodegradable materials.
Biogas is mainly methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and may have small amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), moisture and siloxanes. The gases methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO) can be burned or oxidized with oxygen. This release of energy allows biogas to be used as fuel; It can be used for any heating purpose, such as cooking. It can also be used in a gas engine to convert gas energy into electricity and heat.
Biogas can be compressed, in the same way that natural gas is compressed into CNG and used to power motor vehicles. In the United Kingdom, for example, it is estimated that biogas has the potential to replace around 17% of the vehicle's fuel. Qualifies for renewable energy subsidies in some parts of the world. Biogas can be cleaned and upgraded to natural gas standards, when it is converted into bio-methane. Biogas is considered a renewable resource because its cycle of production and use is continuous and does not generate net carbon dioxide. The organic material grows, converts and uses and then grows back into a cycle that repeats itself continuously. From a carbon perspective, so much carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere in the growth of the primary bio resource as it is released when the material finally becomes energy.