Modeling and assessment of dairy farm-based biogas plants in South Africa

Power and energy sector in South Africa is looking alternate ways for clean power production in order to cut down its carbon emissions caused by bulk production from coal fired power plants. Commercial farm-scale biogas plants have immense potential for energy production from livestock manure in South Africa, where various agricultural activities are practiced throughout the country. These biogas plants can provide energy for farms and farming communities, which may not be connected to the grid or cannot afford to fulfil all their energy requirements. South Africa´s livestock industry is extremely competitive. Hence, farmers can use biogas production systems to make their agricultural activities more profitable in an environment-friendly manner. The paper reports on the economic and environmental assessment of dairy farm based biogas plants in South Africa. A sensitivity analysis is also carried out to assess the impact of farm size on economic viability and environmental impact of the plants.