From Waste to Resource: How Biogas Can Revolutionize Organic Waste Management in Chile
With this proposal, crucial for the management of these biodegradable organic waste, Chile has the opportunity to reduce its dependence on landfills, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and move towards an even more sustainable energy matrix.
In recent years, both societal and institutional interest in waste treatment and reduction has increased considerably. However, much of the discussion revolves around plastics and other artificial materials, while organic waste is little talked about. This is where models from developed countries take the lead, transforming this type of waste into renewable energy and reusable resources. Their mechanism? Biogas plants.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, organic waste accounts for at least 50% of the trash generated in Chile. Although there are small-scale methods like composting, the state is emphatic in stating that large-scale measures are required to improve waste utilization.
It is there that biogas, a technology that converts organic waste into clean energy through anaerobic digestion, presents itself as an effective solution, in terms both of waste management and renewable energy generation. Matías Errázuriz, CEO of Genera4, a leading company in the country in the construction and management of biogas plants, explains that "in Chile, we are at a key point to accelerate the transition to the use of biogas as a tool to reduce dependence on landfills, and at the same time, contribute to meeting commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions".
What are biogas plants?
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Biogas plants are facilities that valorize biodegradable organic waste through an anaerobic digestion process, where microorganisms decompose organic matter in the absence of oxygen. The result is biogas, a methane-rich mixture that can be used to generate electricity, heat, or be converted into biomethane, a renewable natural gas that can be injected into gas networks. In addition, the process transforms the waste into a product known as digestate, which is a biofertilizer that can be used to fertilize agricultural and forest soils and improve degraded soils.
Unlike landfills, which are significant sources of uncontrolled methane emissions and cause environmental issues and bad odors, biogas plants capture and utilize the methane produced during the biodegradation of organic waste, preventing its release into the environment. Furthermore, they occupy less space and the process is carried out in closed, controlled systems that prevent odor emissions, significantly reducing the impact on nearby communities compared to other solutions.
Errázuriz adds that biogas plants not only help to reduce emissions, but they also transform an environmental problem, such as organic waste, into an economic and energy opportunity. It is a technology that can coexist without problems with communities, since our plants operate with hermetic systems that do not generate odors and have very strict safety standards.
International Impact
The success of biogas has been demonstrated in countries like Germany, which has over 10,000 of these plants generating an installed capacity of almost 5 GW of electricity, enough to supply millions of households. Similarly, in Sweden, biogas plays a crucial role in replacing fossil fuels, where up to 50% of the natural gas used domestically and for transportation in the country has been replaced by biomethane.
As of today, the World Biogas Association (WBA) estimates that there are about 132 thousand plants of this type on the planet. However, if the number reaches one million by 2030, according to the commitments of the European Union and the growth rate of other countries, it is estimated that this type of organic waste reuse could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 12%.
"A single medium-scale biogas plant could produce enough energy to supply more than 5,000 homes, and the biomethane produced could be a source of renewable natural gas," explains the CEO of Genera4. "Chile has the potential to replicate the success of Germany and Sweden and move towards a greener energy matrix with biogas as the main player," he concludes.