Володимир Конончук — 14.08.2025
In recent years, interest in biogas plants has been growing rapidly: more and more agricultural producers, entrepreneurs, and investors see this field as a real opportunity to increase profitability, optimize energy costs, and reduce CO₂ emissions. At the same time, many questions arise. Often, they appear even before the project starts — during the initial planning of a biogas facility, budget assessment, or site selection.
This article is designed specifically for those who:
In this material, we’ve gathered the 10 most common questions we hear from our clients and partners — from “What is a biogas plant?” to “What are the typical operational challenges?”
Each answer is explained in plain language while also providing deep technical and practical context. So, if you don’t want to spend too much time researching the topic, start with these ten answers.
A biogas plant is a complex facility where organic waste is converted into gas and fertilizers. In special bioreactors, under anaerobic conditions (without access to oxygen), fermentation takes place, producing biogas — primarily methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂).
This technology allows enterprises not only to dispose of waste but also to produce electricity from biogas for their own needs or for sale to the grid, or to produce biomethane for sale on the gas market.
The most common feedstock for biogas plants in Ukraine includes manure, poultry litter, corn silage, liquid manure, silage, and sugar beet pulp. This also extends to waste from fruit and vegetable processing, distillery stillage, biomass in the form of grass silage, perennial energy crops (triticale, sorghum), as well as food waste — such as unsold products from stores or the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.
Most often, farmers use biogas from agricultural feedstock, as it provides a stable volume and easy availability. A biogas plant is conveniently built near a farm, allowing direct delivery of feedstock for processing, avoiding the need for stockpiling and long-distance transportation.
It is essential to conduct a laboratory analysis of the feedstock before starting the design stage. Choosing the wrong combination of feedstock types can lead to reduced plant efficiency, which in turn lowers biogas output. Seasonal availability and storage conditions (e.g., apple pulp or vegetable processing waste) must also be taken into account.
The biogas yield depends on the content of dry organic matter. For example, from one ton of manure you can get approximately 20–40 m³ of gas, while corn silage can yield up to 200 m³.
That’s why agribusinesses must carefully plan the payback period of a biogas plant, understanding the real production volumes and the costs of the feedstock itself. Manure may produce a relatively small amount of biogas but can be cheap (or even free in the case of a farm), whereas silage offers high biogas yields but the costs of production and storage may outweigh the benefits — especially during drought periods. It is generally better to focus on readily available feedstock and always calculate whether it is cost-effective to specially harvest or transport it from long distances.
The volume of a biogas reactor can be calculated using the formula:
V = S × HRT.
Where S is the daily volume of feedstock, and HRT is the hydraulic retention time — the time the biomass remains in the reactor.
Alternatively, you can contact us, and we will suggest several reactor options tailored to your biogas plant. After that, we calculate the total area of the facility, including space for the reactor, technical buildings, storage, and emergency zones. For more details, see our article “Calculating the area for a biogas plant.“
Biogas safety regulations define sanitary distances, fire safety requirements, and possible emergency outages. It is essential to ensure access for specialized equipment so that emergency situations can be addressed quickly.
Violating these regulations can result not only in fines but also in a complete shutdown of the plant. That’s why proper facility design and strict compliance with all operational safety rules are critically important.
The efficiency of a biogas plant can be increased by improving the composition of the feedstock (for example, by adding co-substrates or trace elements), ensuring proper mixing, maintaining precise temperature control, and performing regular maintenance on both individual equipment units and the entire facility.
It is also important to train personnel and implement modern automation systems. This helps reduce costs, lower CO₂ emissions, and increase biogas output.
Yes — provided that biogas safety regulations are met. There are specific sanitary setback distances from residential developments to a biogas plant.
If the sanitary protection zone (SPZ) is observed, the plant can operate near residential areas without posing health risks. At the same time, it’s important to engage with local residents and explain how the facility works to avoid negative reactions from those who may not understand what a biogas plant is and fear that a gas-filled reactor, which could explode, is being built nearby. Properly informing the community helps prevent unfavorable feedback during public hearings about your project.
The cost of building a biogas plant depends on its capacity, the type of technology used, and the inclusion of additional systems for feedstock preparation and biogas purification. On average, a turnkey 1 MW plant costs between €3 million and €5 million.
A 3 MW plant designed for combined biomethane and electricity production will require €9 million to €13 million in investment, depending on the level of automation, biogas purification equipment, and the chosen method for electricity sales.
A more detailed cost estimate can be provided after a consultation with our specialist.
Yes — selling biomethane and generating electricity from biogas are the main sources of revenue. Electricity is produced from biogas using cogeneration equipment, while biomethane is obtained after purifying biogas in a membrane system, which ensures the final product meets natural gas quality standards.
It’s also possible to sell raw biogas without upgrading it to biomethane — for example, for use in grain dryers (though the additional cost of retrofitting the dryer for biogas use should be considered). This is a key incentive for bioenergy projects, especially with international support programs, such as those offered by the IFC.
Many agricultural enterprises create closed-loop systems: they use part of the energy for their own needs and sell the rest. This makes the business more stable and resilient to price fluctuations.
Operational challenges for a biogas plant include unpredictable changes in feedstock quality, lack of experienced operators, delays in grid connection, and negligence regarding safety procedures on site (for example, smoking is prohibited, as is using spark-generating tools).
Technical breakdowns can also occur due to cost-cutting on equipment or automation. For this reason, it is always advisable to invest in high-quality equipment, ensure timely scheduled maintenance, or allocate a budget reserve if the first two points are neglected.
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