The majority of countries rely heavily on energy for economic, social and long-term development. Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been a large population increase, as well as advances in social, economic and technological spheres. As a result, power consumption has evolved as a basic demand in modern society.

In recent times, fossil fuels have accounted for approximately 80 per cent of the world’s energy needs due to their high calorific values, abundance, and widespread availability. As a result, the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have significantly increased due to this spike in the use of fossil fuels.

Remarkably, emissions from burning fossil fuels reached 54 gigatons of CO2 equivalent and, by 2050, emissions are expected to grow to 70 Gt CO2-eq. As a result, to meet their energy needs, many countries are now relying on ecologically friendly and renewable energy sources.

With its present rate of urbanisation and population growth, Malaysia’s population is projected to reach 37.4 million by 2030. The two issues raised by this development are managing waste and energy safety. Utilising green energy may both ensure that energy needs are met and simultaneously reduce environmental problems like greenhouse gas emissions.

Biogas a potential renewable energy source

A potential renewable energy source that could lessen dependency on fossil fuels is biogas. Malaysia, a country highly reliant on fossil fuels, gets 78.0 per cent of its energy from these sources, with hydropower and renewable energy making up 18.0 per cent and 4.0 per cent of the total, respectively.

Anaerobic digestion of both liquid and solid biowastes can produce biogas. Liquid biowastes include sewage sludge, animal manure, palm oil mill effluent, and liquid food waste. Solid biowastes include garden waste, municipal waste, landfill debris, and solid food waste.

Biogas may be processed to replace mined natural gas with the right kind of treatment, and then it can be used as fuel to heat homes and businesses, produce electricity, and power ground vehicles. But primarily, we should be concentrating on producing electricity from carbon-free sources like solar and wind power, and then converting as many uses as possible to electric power.

In 2022, Malaysia’s biogas energy capacity was 120 megawatts. In contrast, the world’s biogas market values in 2022 were highest in China, the United States and Germany. Over the coming years, it is anticipated that the biogas industry would grow in value globally, reaching US$86.7 billion in 2030.

Over 105 billion tonnes of organic waste are produced year by humans globally, and as this trash breaks down, toxic methane and other greenhouse gases are released. Biogas has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide by 10 per cent and meet 50 per cent of the Global Methane Pledge by 2030, provided that all 105 billion tonnes of it are recycled. Regretfully, at the moment, just two percent of natural garbage gets recycled and managed.

Green energy source

Biogas is considered a green energy source due to its renewable nature and ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now, how does biogas qualify as a green form of energy?

First, organic materials like food scraps, wastewater and crop residue are broken down anaerobically to generate biogas. It is a sustainable asset since it is continuously produced from a variety of sources of natural substances.

Second, biogas’s capacity to trap methane emissions is one of its most important environmental advantages. Methane is an extremely powerful greenhouse gas with a much greater potential to cause global warming than carbon dioxide. Methane released into the atmosphere is lessened by the process, which gathers and transforms methane created during the breakdown of organic materials into biogas.

Third, biogas can be utilised to replace fossil fuels like petroleum, natural gas, and coal in a variety of uses, such as heating, transportation, and the production of electricity. It helps lower GHG linked to conventional energy sources by replacing fossil fuels.

Fourth, biogas plants help to create a sustainable economy by reusing food scraps that might have been disposed of in dumps or allowed to degrade, producing methane. Instead, these materials are transformed into biogas and digestate, which can be used to generate sustainable energy and high in nutrients fertiliser.

Fifth, compared to using fossil fuels, the production and use of biogas usually have a reduced carbon footprint. Even though the production process involves certain emissions, like those from building and transportation, these are frequently offset by the GHG reduction made possible by gathering methane and the creation of green energy.

Sixth, generating electricity can take place closer to the source of biological waste production thanks to the decentralised nature of biogas plants. It also encourages renewable energy at the neighbourhood level and lessens the need for distant delivery of energy supplies.

Cleaner energy source

Essentially, biogas offers a way to reduce emissions of methane and black carbon while offering a cleaner energy source for lighting, cooking, and power generation. Biogas can be used to replace the burning of fossil fuels, wood, manure, or other polluting materials in homes. It can also be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve global health, reduce agricultural losses, increase energy accessibility, and improve the lives and businesses of people and companies.

The potential of biogas technology is still unrealised. In order to tackle this problem, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition is supporting a number of international projects that investigate how biogas technology might help lower methane and other air pollutants. This is in line with the 2030 target set by the Global Methane Pledge to cut the release of methane by at least 30 per cent.

-- BERNAMA

Dr Rulia Akhtar is a Research Fellow with the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies (UAC), Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation), Universiti Malaya, Malaysia.