Biogas in Thailand: an Emerging Industry from Agricultural By-products

Biogas, which is comprised of methane and carbon dioxide, is a renewable energy source that is produced through anaerobic digestion by a consortium of anaerobic microorganisms. Various organic materials, including organic wastes, organic fractions of municipal solid wastes, wastewaters from agro-industries, and energy crops, can be utilized as a substrate for biogas production. Biogas helps a community or a country to move towards energy security, since it can be used to replace heat or to generate electricity. Many developed countries, such as Germany, have successfully implemented an integrated renewable energy platform that includes biogas and other renewable energy resources, e.g. wind and solar, both for environmental benefits and economic revenues. Electricity from renewable energy sources has become a commodity. On another note, renewable energy markets have not been widely achieved in developing countries. Most countries still focus on waste treatment and utilization due to several barriers. In some cases, government policy is the main barrier to the promotion of renewable energy usage. This paper reviews the current status, promotion policy, and limiting barriers obstructing the opportunity for biogas utilization as a commodity. We hope that in the near future biogas, as a renewable energy source and as an originated component for other value-added products, will become fully exploited.