Environmental analysis of biogas production systems

The awareness of an energy market in evolution leads us to look for solutions through new and different technological and normative instruments. Of particular interest is anaerobic digestion, a mature but still promising technology that could help to minimize environmental impact related to both GHG emissions and livestock waste management, and to add value to agricultural byproducts. The biogas energy system is extremely complex because of a series of variables such as the raw materials, adopted technologies, different uses of obtained energy products and digestate. Therefore, the environmental assessment will depend on the energy context and its potential changes on waste management, as well as the geographical area of reference. This article aims to assess the environmental impact of biogas production systems, taking into account both the indirect benefits achieved by replacement of fossil fuels and the direct benefits coming from changes in land use, raw materials and animal effluent management.