Sustainable biogas application in energy sector

Abstract

Although European Union has set a target for all Member States that by 2050 the share of renewable energy sources has to achieve at least 55% in gross final energy consumption, it is necessary to assess the conditions under which such a policy is sustainable. The use of biogas in energy sector is one of the possible solutions. Transport sector consumed 30.1 % of the energy resources (2018) in Latvia and given that it is the largest and the agricultural sector is the second largest sector responsible for GHG emissions in Latvia, this study uses Latvian data to examine the optimal solutions for increasing the share of renewable energy in the transport sector, balancing it with a sustainable strategy for the agricultural sector. This study focuses on the impacts and effectivity of biogas application in autotransport. The study examined the case of biogas used in cogeneration plant and electricity produced in cogeneration for autotransport versus the conversion of biogas into biomethane for the use of autotransport. The results obtained not only suggest the most efficient solutions for the use of biogas in the future, but also indicate environmental, economic and social aspects.