Efficiency of using individual biogas digesters for processing biowaste of rural households in Ukraine

Abstract Biogas production is a promising area for the development of alternative energy sources in Ukraine and in the world. The aim of this study is to investigate the possibilities of implementing individual biogas digesters in rural households in Ukraine and to determine the energy, economic and environmental benefits of biogas production from organic waste. As part of the study, an analysis of the main characteristics of households in Ukraine was carried out and the prerequisites for organising biogas production by households were determined. Household incomes were analysed, and it was determined that the costs of housing and communal services tend to grow. It was determined that the price of natural gas for the population over the past years has increased by almost 10 times, and thus replacing natural gas with biogas becomes especially relevant. The positive economic and environmental factors of using individual biogas plants in rural areas were characterised, and the theoretically possible potential of biogas production from household waste in Ukraine was calculated. Following this, a number of government measures to promote the proliferation of individual biogas plants were proposed. The economic benefits from the use of biogas were determined, including energy autonomy, the possibility of using organic fertilisers, and additional profit from the sale of surplus products. The ecological effect of using individual biogas plants will include the possibility of recycling organic waste and waste water, thus improving the hygiene situation for individual users. Individual biogas digesters constitute a promising direction in Ukraine in terms of energy (production of biogas) and ecological areas (household waste management and production of organic fertilisers). At present, the sector of individual biogas production from biowaste is not widely spread in Ukraine, due to the lack of state support and insufficient awareness among rural residents about the benefits of biogas technology. In this research we determined the economic efficiency of the construction and operation of an individual biogas plant. Considering the average price of natural gas in Ukraine (229.9 USD per 1000 m3), the use of a biogas plant would save 144.1 USD annually on the purchase of natural gas. Given that the cost of building an individual biogas digester is 825.6 USD, its payback period would be 4.7 years.