ABSTRACT
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a widely accepted technique for energy generation from biodegradable waste through the breakdown of organic matter present via a series of biochemical reactions. Biogas is generated out of this process, which can be further utilized as an energy source to mitigate energy requirements. In addition, AD produces clean energy at a low cost with proper waste utilization that controls greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In pursuit of clean energy sources, scientists around the world have focused their attention on biogas technology, which has excelled due to its efficiency in converting organic matter into biogas, which is considered to be the next generation of energy carriers. This chapter provides in-depth insights into the AD technology and its operation factors, including pH, temperature, organic loading, C/N ratio, moisture content and co-digestion as well as the metabolism involved in this process. Further, the major challenges emerging in the process and the recent advancements in this field are also presented and discussed.
