Emission reduction potential of a food waste-based biogas plant: Installation and lesson learned in Bhutan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54417/jaetm.v6i1.164Keywords:
Emission modelling; biogas; food waste; GHG mitigation; waste managementAbstract
Landfilling practices contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) and short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) emissions, exacerbating climate and health risks. This study evaluates the emission reduction potential of a portable 1 ton per day (TPD) anaerobic digestion (biogas) plant in Samdrup Jongkhar, Bhutan, using food waste. An assessment was conducted using the Emission Quantification Tool (EQT) to compare baseline emissions (Business as Usual, BAU) with two scenarios: (1) biogas implementation with added fuel consumption for waste transport to biogas plant and (2) biogas implementation excluding transport emissions. Results indicate that BAU emits 1,274.21 kg CO₂ eq/ton of waste, dominated by methane (43.94 kg/ton) and CO₂ (43.46 kg/ton). Scenario 1 reduced total GHG emissions (CO₂ eq) by 14.5%, while Scenario 2 achieved a 99.2% reduction highlighting the impact of transport-related emissions. The biogas plant also demonstrated potential economic viability, offsetting 23 domestic LPG cylinders/month with net annual savings of Ngultrum (Nu.) 113,840.
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