IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i5p2612-d508362.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Anaerobic Digestion in Reducing Dairy Farm Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Author

Listed:
  • Alun Scott

    (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, Loughborough University, London E20 3BS, UK)

  • Richard Blanchard

    (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, Loughborough University, London E20 3BS, UK)

Abstract

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dairy farms are significant contributors to global warming. However, much of the published work on GHG reduction is focused on either methane (CH 4 ) or nitrous oxide (N 2 O), with few, if any, considering the interactions that changes to farming systems can have on both gases. This paper takes the raw data from a year of activity on a 300-cow commercial dairy farm in Northern Ireland to more accurately quantify GHG sources by use of a simple predictive model based on IPCC methodology. Differing herd management policies are examined together with the impact of integrating anaerobic digestion (AD) into each farming system. Whilst significant success can be predicted in capturing CH 4 and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as biogas and preventing N 2 O emissions, gains made can be lost in a subsequent process, negating some or all of the advantage. The process of extracting value from the captured resource is discussed in light of current farm parameters together with indications of other potential revenue streams. However, this study has concluded that despite the significant potential for GHG reduction, there is little incentive for widespread adoption of manure-based farm-scale AD in the UK at this time.

Suggested Citation

  • Alun Scott & Richard Blanchard, 2021. "The Role of Anaerobic Digestion in Reducing Dairy Farm Greenhouse Gas Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:5:p:2612-:d:508362
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2612/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2612/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ignacio Perez Dominguez & Thomas Fellmann & Peter Witzke & Franz Weiss & Jordan Hristov & Mihaly Himics & Jesus Barreiro-Hurle & Manuel Gomez Barbero & Adrian Leip, 2020. "Economic assessment of GHG mitigation policy options for EU agriculture: A closer look at mitigation options and regional mitigation costs (EcAMPA 3)," JRC Research Reports JRC120355, Joint Research Centre.
    2. Nizami, A.S. & Orozco, A. & Groom, E. & Dieterich, B. & Murphy, J.D., 2012. "How much gas can we get from grass?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 783-790.
    3. Sean O’Connor & Ehiaze Ehimen & Suresh C. Pillai & Gary Lyons & John Bartlett, 2020. "Economic and Environmental Analysis of Small-Scale Anaerobic Digestion Plants on Irish Dairy Farms," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-20, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liu, Jianfeng & Tang, Zhengkang & Wang, Changmei & Wu, Kai & Song, Yuanlin & Wang, Xingping & Zhang, Zhiwen & Zhao, Xingling & Yang, Bin & Piao, Mingguo & Yin, Fang & Zhang, Wudi, 2021. "Novel technique for sustainable utilisation of water hyacinth using EGSB and MCSTR: Control overgrowth, energy recovery, and microbial metabolic mechanism," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 1701-1710.
    2. Ouda, O.K.M. & Raza, S.A. & Nizami, A.S. & Rehan, M. & Al-Waked, R. & Korres, N.E., 2016. "Waste to energy potential: A case study of Saudi Arabia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 328-340.
    3. Browne, James D. & Murphy, Jerry D., 2013. "Assessment of the resource associated with biomethane from food waste," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 170-177.
    4. Carlos S. Ciria & Marina Sanz & Juan Carrasco & Pilar Ciria, 2019. "Identification of Arable Marginal Lands under Rainfed Conditions for Bioenergy Purposes in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Józef Szlachta & Hubert Prask & Małgorzata Fugol & Adam Luberański, 2018. "Effect of Mechanical Pre-Treatment of the Agricultural Substrates on Yield of Biogas and Kinetics of Anaerobic Digestion," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-16, October.
    6. Nolan, P. & Luostarinen, S. & Doyle, E.M. & O'Kiely, P., 2016. "Anaerobic digestion of perennial ryegrass prepared by cryogenic freezing versus thermal drying methods, using contrasting in vitro batch digestion systems," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(P1), pages 273-278.
    7. Thamsiriroj, T. & Nizami, A.S. & Murphy, J.D., 2012. "Why does mono-digestion of grass silage fail in long term operation?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 64-76.
    8. Yong, Zihan & Dong, Yulin & Zhang, Xu & Tan, Tianwei, 2015. "Anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and straw for biogas production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 527-530.
    9. Przemysław Seruga & Małgorzata Krzywonos & Emilia den Boer & Łukasz Niedźwiecki & Agnieszka Urbanowska & Halina Pawlak-Kruczek, 2022. "Anaerobic Digestion as a Component of Circular Bioeconomy—Case Study Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    10. Li, Dong & Huang, Xianbo & Wang, Qingjing & Yuan, Yuexiang & Yan, Zhiying & Li, Zhidong & Huang, Yajun & Liu, Xiaofeng, 2016. "Kinetics of methane production and hydrolysis in anaerobic digestion of corn stover," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 1-9.
    11. Cheng, F. & Brewer, C.E., 2021. "Conversion of protein-rich lignocellulosic wastes to bio-energy: Review and recommendations for hydrolysis + fermentation and anaerobic digestion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    12. Jing Hou & Bo Hou, 2019. "Farmers’ Adoption of Low-Carbon Agriculture in China: An Extended Theory of the Planned Behavior Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-20, March.
    13. Khan, M.Z. & Nizami, A.S. & Rehan, M. & Ouda, O.K.M. & Sultana, S. & Ismail, I.M. & Shahzad, K., 2017. "Microbial electrolysis cells for hydrogen production and urban wastewater treatment: A case study of Saudi Arabia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 410-420.
    14. Alessandro Chiumenti & Andrea Pezzuolo & Davide Boscaro & Francesco da Borso, 2019. "Exploitation of Mowed Grass from Green Areas by Means of Anaerobic Digestion: Effects of Grass Conservation Methods (Drying and Ensiling) on Biogas and Biomethane Yield," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-11, August.
    15. Li, Demao & Tang, Ruohao & Yu, Liang & Chen, Limei & Chen, Shulin & Xu, Song & Gao, Feng, 2020. "Effects of increasing organic loading rates on reactor performance and the methanogenic community in a new pilot upflow solid reactor for continuously processing food waste," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 420-429.
    16. Qian Li & Jingjing Wang & Xiaoyang Wang & Yubin Wang, 2022. "The Impact of Training on Beef Cattle Farmers’ Installation of Biogas Digesters," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, April.
    17. Alessandro Chiumenti & Davide Boscaro & Francesco Da Borso & Luigi Sartori & Andrea Pezzuolo, 2018. "Biogas from Fresh Spring and Summer Grass: Effect of the Harvesting Period," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-13, June.
    18. Ashton, Lisa, 2022. "A framework for promoting natural climate solutions in the agriculture sector," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    19. Giovanni Ferrari & Andrea Pezzuolo & Abdul-Sattar Nizami & Francesco Marinello, 2020. "Bibliometric Analysis of Trends in Biomass for Bioenergy Research," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-21, July.
    20. Adam Wąs & Piotr Sulewski & Vitaliy Krupin & Nazariy Popadynets & Agata Malak-Rawlikowska & Magdalena Szymańska & Iryna Skorokhod & Marcin Wysokiński, 2020. "The Potential of Agricultural Biogas Production in Ukraine—Impact on GHG Emissions and Energy Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-20, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:5:p:2612-:d:508362. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.