Energy Reports (Oct 2023)
Profitability of the agricultural biogas plants operation in Poland, depending on the substrate use model
Abstract
The circular economy is one of the most critical challenges in the 21st century. By using waste, the consumption of valuable raw materials can be reduced. It will also reduce the amount of waste directed to landfill or incineration. Also, in biogas production terms, activities consistent with the circular economy are raised. They mainly consist of the use of waste in the anaerobic digestion process and the rational use of the digestate. For the owners of biogas plants, the essential issue is optimizing the anaerobic digestion process to produce as much biogas as possible. The work aimed to determine the profitability of the operation of agricultural biogas plants in Poland, depending on the substrate use model.The study analyzes two options for supplying agricultural biogas plants with substrates: Option I — traditional (maize silage and slurry) and Option II — waste (slaughterhouse waste and slurry). In both options, it was assumed that biogas plants would operate under the conditions of the auction system — one of the models in force in Poland. The investment balance can be significantly improved by using waste instead of maize silage. The profit for the biogas plant operating in Option I was estimated at PLN 628,360, and in Option II it was PLN 2,307,600. The conducted analysis showed that the operation of waste biogas plants is much more profitable than traditional ones. The positive impact on the natural environment will complement the economic benefits. It is because managing waste from the agri-food industry in controlled conditions will significantly contribute to energy production, considering the aspects of protection against climate change.
