Technology Overview

Biogas power is a technology that generates electricity using biogas produced from the anaerobic digestion of organic materials such as agricultural waste, livestock waste, or sludge. The collected biogas is used as fuel in engines or turbines to generate electricity.

This process enables the conversion of organic waste into energy while also producing by-products that can be reused in agriculture. The generated electricity can be used on-site or supplied to the grid.

Technical Characteristics

The nominal net electrical efficiency of biogas power systems is approximately 35%, depending on the conversion technology, such as gas engines or small gas turbines. These systems are typically small-scale and relatively flexible in operation; however, their capacity factor depends on the ability to collect and supply biogas consistently.

Gas treatment and cleaning before use in power generation equipment is a critical factor to ensure system efficiency and equipment lifetime.

Investment costs are approximately 3.6 million USD/MW, which can be relatively high per unit of capacity due to small scale and decentralized deployment. However, the technology provides significant environmental benefits by reducing methane emissions from organic waste and utilizing locally available energy resources. In the energy transition, biogas power plays an important complementary role, particularly in agriculture and waste management, contributing to emission reduction and promoting a circular economy.

Application in Vietnam

In Vietnam, this technology has been applied in some farms and waste treatment facilities, but its full potential has not yet been fully exploited.