18. Current State and Future Prospects of Global Biogas Industry

Biogas and biomethane deserve particular attention and support among renewable energy sources as these low-carbon technologies promote closed loop waste-energy systems. The industry can significantly contribute to further development of rural areas. The use of biogas in stationary engines for various agricultural operations (milling, grinding, powering water pumps and chaff cutters, etc.) also shows that it has the capacity to be a profitable business that can generate ample opportunities for employment in rural areas. Given the potential of biogas in off-grid, rural areas to meet household energy requirements and, to a small extent, rural industry requirements, the future prospects of biogas remain high. Global trends such as the increased rural to urban migration are limiting the potential of biogas in off-grid, rural areas. Increasingly, farmers are depending more on farm mechanization which is leading to a lower number of cows. This chapter presents various case studies from India, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia and Rwanda that illustrate the prospects for the medium and long term of the biogas industry in the agriculture sector.