ABSTRACT
Agriculture-based products or byproducts are increasingly used on a daily basis throughout the world because they are environmentally friendly, safe to use and can be sustainably developed. Waste product from agriculture, commonly termed “agro-waste product”, is becoming increasingly utilized in the production of bioenergy, which is an inexpensive alternative to the conventional petroleum-derived product. Bioenergy products provide major opportunities to reduce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, to improve the efficiency with which energy is used and to enable the transition to alternative sources of energy and materials; however, this requires the sustainable use of biomass for the production of biomaterials, heat, power and transport. Bioenergy production from agro-waste and residues from agricultural processes are still underutilized as low-value energy sources. Agricultural waste is commonly disposed of or subjected to traditional waste management methods, such as landfilling, composting or anaerobic digestion. The use of agricultural waste and residue materials in biogas production represents an ecologically friendly and a substantially higher-value alternative to the petroleum-derived product as well as helping to reduce the emission of fossil gases. This chapter describes how agricultural waste and residues can be utilized in biogas production.
