What’s Biogas, Anyway?
Biogas is the star product of anaerobic digestion – a fancy term for a natural process where microbes break down wet organic waste, creating a gas rich in methane. This gas can be used directly for heat or combined heat and power (CHP), or “upgraded” to biomethane – which is basically renewable natural gas ready to slot right into existing infrastructure (no new gas pipes required, hooray!).
Why should we care? Because biogas and biomethane help reduce fossil fuel use, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and fit snugly into the circular economy. They’re like the multi-tasking friend who’s good at everything.
Biogas: A Ready and Reliable Climate Solution
Unlike some emerging clean technologies that are still years away from commercial viability or require major new infrastructure, biogas and biomethane are technologies that are already here, working, and making a real impact on sustainability today. Thousands of anaerobic digestion plants around the world are actively converting organic waste – from food scraps and agricultural residues to wastewater sludge – into valuable energy. This means biogas is not just a future promise; it’s a proven part of the solution right now.
The ability to produce energy locally from waste reduces reliance on imported fuels, strengthens energy security, and supports rural economies by creating jobs in farming, waste management, and plant operation. Moreover, biogas plants provide a reliable, dispatchable source of energy, unlike some renewables that are intermittent by nature.
One of biogas’s greatest strengths is that biomethane can be fed directly into the existing natural gas grid without the need for costly new pipelines or major infrastructure upgrades. This compatibility means faster deployment and lower costs compared to building new energy networks from scratch. Consumers and businesses can use biomethane in the same way as natural gas today, from heating homes to fueling vehicles.
Economically, this lowers barriers to adoption, encourages investment, and helps balance the energy market by providing a flexible, renewable fuel source. Environmentally, injecting biomethane into the gas grid reduces methane leakage associated with fossil gas production and distribution. Plus, by turning organic waste into clean energy, biogas cuts down landfill methane emissions – a powerful greenhouse gas – while supporting nutrient recycling through biofertiliser production.
Beyond Electricity: Why Renewable Gases Matter
Renewable electricity is a big piece of the Net Zero puzzle, but it’s not the whole picture. We need renewable gases like biomethane and green hydrogen to power those “hard to abate” sectors – think heavy-duty trucks, long-haul ships, industrial heat, agriculture, and chemical production.
Methane’s high energy density makes biomethane a perfect fit here, especially when compared to hydrogen, which is still wrestling with infrastructure and storage challenges. Plus, biomethane can be ramped up quickly to meet fluctuating electricity demand.
How Carbogenics Supports the Biogas Industry with CreChar
While Carbogenics doesn’t produce biogas itself, we play a crucial role in helping biogas plants operate more efficiently and sustainably – and in closing the loop on organic waste management.
Our flagship product, CreChar, is created from secondary biomass – organic materials that would otherwise end up in landfill, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of letting this biomass go to waste, we transform it through a patented process into CreChar, a highly stable, carbon-rich material.
CreChar acts as a powerful enhancer for anaerobic digestion by improving process stability and boosting biogas yields. This means plants can generate more renewable energy from the same amount of feedstock, increasing efficiency and reducing waste.
But the benefits don’t stop there. Once anaerobic digestion is complete, CreChar remains in the digestate – the nutrient-rich residue – and when spread onto agricultural land, it serves as a long-term carbon sink. The carbon in CreChar is locked into a form that resists decomposition for centuries, preventing it from breaking down and returning to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This is a critical step in tackling climate change, as it permanently removes carbon from the active carbon cycle.
In addition to locking away carbon, CreChar-enriched digestate improves soil health by enhancing nutrient retention and water-holding capacity. This means farmers can rely less on synthetic fertilisers, reducing chemical runoff and further lowering environmental impacts.
In summary, Carbogenics helps biogas systems go beyond clean energy production. By diverting secondary biomass from landfill, boosting biogas yields, and creating a durable carbon store in soils, CreChar plays a vital role in building a truly circular, sustainable, and climate-positive solution.
Contact
For further information on Crechar® and other services from Carbogenics please contact:
Lidia Krzynowek: (COO and Co-Founder)
lidia.krzynowek@carbogenics.com
