Biogas is a methane rich fuel gas produced by anaerobic breakdown or digestion of

biomass with the help of methanogenic bacteria.

Biogas is made up of methane (50-70%), carbon dixide (30-40%) with traces of

nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide and hydrogen. 50% of the combustible energy present in
the organic waste can be changed into methane gas.

The energy realised from biogas depends upon the proportion of methane present in it.

The calorific value of biogas is 23-28 MJ/m3.

The effluent and residue left after the
fermentative generation of biogas is rich in
minerals, lignin and a part of cellulose. It is an
ideal manure. Biogas or gobar gas generation
has been taken up in India on a large scale.
Already, there are over a million individual and
several thousand community biogas plants
operating in the country. The technology was
developed by the collaboration of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and
Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).

Biogas generation is a three-stage anaerobic digestion of animal and other organic

wastes. The latter consist of lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, lipids and proteins. Lignin
cannot be broken down under anaerobic conditions. Cellulose digestion is slower than
that of other substances.

In the first stage of anaerobic digestion, facultative anaerobic decomposer microbes

bring about enzymatic breakdown of complex organic compounds into simpler and
soluble compounds often called ‘monomers’. For this, the decomposer microbes
secrete celluloses, proteases and lipases (cellulolytic, proteolytic and lipolytic
enzymes).
In the second stage, the simple soluble compounds of microbial digestion or
monomers are acted upon by fermentation causing microbes. The latter change the
monomers into organic acids. Organic acids, especially acetic acid, are acted upon by
methanogenic bacteria in the third or final stage. The methane bacteria convert
organic acids as well as carbon dioxide into methane. The biogas thus formed is
stored in tanks for supply.

Advantages:
Using organic wastes first for biogas generation has several advantages over their
direct use as fuel or fertilizer (Fig. 10.8).

(1) It provides both energy and manure.

(2) Biogas is a storable form of energy which can be used more efficiently and
economically.

(3) Biogas has wider applications than the direct burning of organic wastes.

(4) The energy value of biogas is lower than that of organic matter but due to more
efficient handling, the net energy output is roughly equal to the output in direct
burning of organic wastes.

(5) It minimises the chances of spread of faecal pathogens. Sanitation and health are,
therefore, improved. This is not possible in other cases.

(6) The fertilizer value of the manure produced in biogas plants is similar to that of
manure formed directly from organic wastes.

(7) Spread of plant pathogens with the help of crop residue is checked.

(8) Biogas use does not add to pollution.