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Biogas secures sustainable Swedish energy and food production
Last changed: 04 June 2024
Sweden has great potential in terms of increasing domestic biogas production. Increasing production could contribute to a sustainable food system and enhance food and renewable energy security. This policy brief provides a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening Swedish biogas and biofertiliser production, while highlighting the need for cross-sectoral coordination.
Biogas is a storable form of energy that is continuously produced from organic residues generated by society and agriculture. It contains methane and carbon dioxide and can be used directly for electricity and heat production. Alternatively, methane can be separated for use as fuel for vehicles and agricultural machinery, while the carbon dioxide can be extracted for carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) purposes. Biogas production also generates biofertiliser that serves as an excellent source of plant nutrition. By substituting mineral fertilisers with biofertiliser, we can reduce the need for imported mineral fertilisers and reintroduce vital nutrients to agricultural soil. Additionally, we contribute to increasing soil carbon storage and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from Sweden’s food production.
Sweden currently produces 2.3 TWh of biogas, but there is significant untapped potential. Sweden’s biogas production could increase to 7–10 TWh in a matter of years by increasing the sorting of food waste and greater use of organic waste streams that are currently overlooked (especially animal manure and crops that do not compete with food production). Biogas production could enable farms to replace fossil fuels in agricultural machinery or become self-sufficient in electricity and heating. Additionally, biofertiliser could cover a significant portion of the agricultural nitrogen and phosphorus needs.
This policy brief is a cooperation between researchers at SLU and Linköping University. All of them are also associated with Biogas Solutions Research Center (BSRC).