Biogas is produced after organic materials (plant and animal products) are broken down by bacteria in an oxygen-free environment, a process called anaerobic digestion.

 

Biogas systems use anaerobic digestion to recycle these organic materials, turning them into biogas, a mixture of gases primarily consisting of methane and carbon dioxide. Biogas can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste or food waste, which contains both energy (gas), and valuable soil products (liquids and solids).

 

Anaerobic digestion already occurs in nature, landfills, and some livestock manure management systems, but can be optimized, controlled, and contained using an anaerobic digester. Biogas contains roughly 50-70 percent methane, 30-40 percent carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases. The liquid and solid digested material, called digestate, is frequently used as a soil amendment

​

Some organic wastes are more difficult to break down in a digester than others. Food waste, fats, oils, and greases are the easiest organic wastes to break down, while livestock waste tends to be the most difficult. Mixing multiple wastes in the same digester, referred to as co-digestion, can help increase biogas yields. Warmer digesters, typically kept between 30 to 38 degrees Celsius (86-100 Fahrenheit), can also help wastes break down more quickly.

​

After biogas is captured, it can produce heat and electricity for use in engines, microturbines, and fuel cells. Biogas can also be upgraded into biomethane, also called renewable natural gas or RNG, and injected into natural gas pipelines or used as a vehicle fuel.

​

The United States currently has 2,200 operating biogas systems across all 50 states, and has the potential to add over 13,500 new systems.