Biogas Sector

The GMI Biogas Subcommittee focuses on building capacity within Partner Countries to leverage common interests across the areas of agriculture, municipal solid waste, and municipal wastewater. These interests include biogas energy use, the types of wastes managed, waste treatment technologies, and the potential for synergistic projects involving input streams from multiple sources. Efforts include developing and promoting tools, policy guidance, and project development resources at the national, state, and city level within Partner Countries.

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GMI Technical Groups

Within the Biogas Sector, GMI maintains active technical groups in the areas of agriculture, municipal solid waste (MSW), and municipal wastewater. These groups provide international leadership to mitigate global methane emissions through the abatement, recovery, and use of methane. They promote collaboration between delegates from Partner Countries and Project Network members to build capacity, develop strategies, and expand opportunities for using methane as a renewable energy resource.

Agriculture

Methane emissions come from livestock enteric fermentation, livestock waste management, rice cultivation, and agricultural waste burning.

Municipal Solid Waste

Municipal solid waste management and treatment activities such as landfilling and anaerobic digestion are sources of methane emissions worldwide.

Municipal Wastewater

Methane is produced when the organic material in municipal wastewater decomposes anaerobically.

Upcoming Events

Biogas

International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) 2024 Waste to Wealth: Solutions for a Sustainable Future

15–18 September 2024, Cape Town, South Africa

The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) invites you to join them for the ISWA2024 Conference in Cape Town, South Africa from 15 to 18 September 2024 taking place for the first time on African soil.  Come and experience Cape Town, South Africa’s beauty, culture, and vibrance. The conference's aim is to establish a lasting legacy by catalyzing the transformation of Africa's abundant resources from waste to wealth, paving the way for sustainable solutions.

Municipal solid waste technical lead Klara Zimmerman from the U.S. EPA will be representing GMI at the ISWA2024 Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. The dates of the GMI-hosted sessions can be found below, as well as in the event programme: Programme – ISWA 2024.

  • 16 September
    • A Framework for Assessing Financial Readiness of Organic Waste Management Projects
    • The Rapid Transformation of Indore to the Cleanest City in India
    • GMI Waste Characterization Handbook: Understanding Municipal Waste Streams to Develop Data-Driven Methane Mitigation Strategies 
  • 17 September
    • Ensuring Bio-CNG Plant Success: Lessons Learned from India’s Biomethane Compressed Natural Gas Projects
  • 18 September
    • Policy Development for Improving Waste Management and Addressing Methane Emissions, featuring lessons learned from South Africa, Mexico, and India

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Biogas

Biogas PowerON 2024

25–26 September 2024, Copenhagen, Denmark

The 6th European Biogas PowerON 2024 Conference will bring together top-level experts from the biogas sector, including end-users across the entire value chain, technology providers, equipment manufacturers, project representatives, market analysts, consultants, research experts, government representatives, business analysts, and others. This two-day event will feature presentations by industry experts and will highlight case studies, providing a comprehensive overview of the biogas sector, new regulations, changing market dynamics, and more.


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Biogas

6th International Conference on Renewable Energy, Resources and Sustainable Technologies

26–27 September 2024, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Coalesce Research Group is hosting the 6th International Conference on Renewable Energy, Resources and Sustainable Technologies, a two-day extravaganza that will be taking place from September 26-27, 2024. This event brings together a diverse array of professionals, researchers, and industry leaders from the energy and technology sectors to explore and discuss the latest trends, innovations, and challenges in the ever-evolving landscape of energy technology with the theme “Shaping the Future: Sustainable Energy and Developments with New Technologies.” 


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Biogas

World Biogas Association Brazil Congress 2024

1 October 2024, Iguazu, Brazil

The Brazil Congress 2024 will bring together stakeholders from across Brazil’s bioenergy sectors to explore strategies to maximize the country’s bioenergy potential, focusing on the role of biogas in creating a resilient and sustainable economy and offer a model for other emerging economies to follow. The event will showcase innovations, promote collaboration, and stimulate investment to support broader bioenergy and net zero targets.


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Biogas

2024 Value of Biogas West Conference

7–9 October 2024, Vancouver, Canada

The 2024 Value of Biogas West is heading back to Vancouver this fall! Complete with two full days of programming, an expanded exhibit space, and more than 10 hours of networking, the conference is regarded as one of Canada’s premier biogas and renewable natural gas conferences. The event is expecting more than 400 industry leaders from sectors including municipal, agricultural, utility, investment, and more. The conference will cover topics such as landfill, waste management and wastewater, product and service technology, government policy, and academia.

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Biogas

The World Biogas Association India Congress 2024

23–24 October 2024, New Delhi, India

The World Biogas Association will be hosting the second India Congress in New Delhi on 23-24 October 2024, seeking to build on the firm foundations established at the inaugural high-level India Congress 2023, which established India’s potential and ambition for biogas and the benefits of pursuing an aggressive growth strategy. This year, the India Congress will focus on detailing a framework to enable the rapid scaling of the biogas industry in the region.


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Biogas

2nd International Conference and Expo on Biofuels and Bioenergy

14–15 November 2024, London, United Kingdom

The 2nd International Conference & Expo on Biofuels and Bioenergy will take place on 14-15 November 2024 in London, United Kingdom, with the theme “Endorsing New Developments in Biofuels and Bioenergy for a Better Environment”. Leading delegates, scientists, researchers, scholars, professors, and energy experts will take part in this conference and expo to witness various scientific discussions and bestow future improvement in the field of Biofuels. 

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View GMI Calendar

Recent Events

 NameDateLocationSectorLink
Biogas International Conference on Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas 22–23 July 2024 Berlin, Germany Biogas View Details
Biogas International Conference on Biogas Science and Technologies 12 July–9 August 2024 Ottawa, Canada Biogas View Details
Biogas The World Biogas Expo 10–11 July 2024 Birmingham, United Kingdom Biogas View Details
Biogas The World Biogas Summit 10–11 July 2024 Birmingham, United Kingdom Biogas View Details
Biogas International Zero Waste Cities Conference and the Methane Action and Environmental Justice Summit 2–5 July 2024 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Biogas, MSW View Details
Biogas GMI Biogas Subcommittee Workshop Series: Source Segregation of Waste: Key to Methane Reduction from the Waste Sector 26 June 2024 Webinar Biogas View Details
Biogas Reducing Emissions of Climate Super-Pollutants – Globally and in the UK 25 June 2024 Virtual Biogas, Oil and Gas View Details
Biogas International Biogas Congress and Expo 18–19 June 2024 Brussels, Belgium Biogas View Details
Biogas Deep Dive: Manure and Methane - What should we do with it? 16 May 2024 Bristol, United Kingdom Biogas, Agriculture View Details
Biogas GMI Biogas Subcommittee Workshop Series: Understanding Your Waste Stream to Develop Methane Reduction Strategies 16 May 2024 Webinar Biogas View Details

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Biogas Subcommittee

Subcommittee Co-chairs

Godfred Fiifi Boadi, Co-Chair
Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources
Ghana

Matt Hamilton, Co-Chair
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
Canada

Subcommittee Members

Representatives from 38 countries participate in the Biogas Subcommittee.

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Project Network

Hundreds of Project Network members support methane abatement projects in the biogas sector.

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Biogas Subcommittee Statement of Purpose
Biogas Subcommittee Statement of Purpose

Tell Us Your Story

Learn how you can showcase your efforts to reduce methane emissions in the biogas sector through the Global Methane Challenge.

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Connect, Contribute, and Stay in Touch

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Featured Tools

Check out these featured tools.

View all biogas resources

Biogas Toolkit (U.S. EPA) (2020)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Biogas Toolkit serves as a centralized knowledge hub for biogas project stakeholders. The toolkit is designed to allow stakeholders to search and browse for information and resources that meet their specific project needs. The toolkit includes information and resources compiled from across several EPA programs, including AgSTAR, the Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP), and GMI.

Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET) (2020)

SWEET is a free Excel tool created by the Waste Initiative. SWEET helps users scope emissions sources such as waste collection and transportation, open burning, landfill gas collection systems, organic waste management projects, waste handling equipment (e.g., bulldozers), and waste incineration facilities. It estimates waste sector emissions including methane, black carbon, and several other pollutants. It also evaluates emissions reduction benefits of multiple alternative waste management scenarios.

OrganEcs (2016)

OrganEcs aims to help local decision makers in their first evaluation of different treatment options (e.g., composting options and/or anaerobic digestion options). OrganEcs helps users determine the economic feasibility of waste management scenarios by calculating tipping fees, sales of products (e.g., organic compost), and the internal rate of return. OrganEcs use requires expert support.

Biogas Wastewater Assessment Technology Tool (BioWATT) (2016)

The Biogas Wastewater Assessment Technology Tool (BioWATT) provides a quick and preliminary assessment of wastewater-to-energy projects. Through BioWATT, users can receive a specific summary of their biogas production estimates for various wastewater-to-energy technologies, electricity generation potential from the produced biogas, greenhouse gas savings associated with biogas-generated electricity, and more.

International Best Practices Guide for Landfill Gas Energy Projects (2012)

Global Methane Initiative’s (GMI) International Best Practices Guide for Landfill Gas Energy Projects provides a broad overview of the development process for LFGE projects in international settings and presents the technological, economic and political considerations that typically affect the success of LFGE projects. The goal of the guide is to encourage environmentally and economically sound LFGE projects by connecting stakeholders with available information, tools and services. The guide is not intended to provide a step-by-step protocol for project development.

Central and Eastern Europe Landfill Gas Model

The Model can be used to estimate landfill gas generation rates from SWD sites, and potential landfill gas recovery rates for disposal sites that have, or plan to have, gas collection and control systems and are located in Central or Eastern European countries. The Model also may be used for SWD sites in other countries which experience similar site conditions and climate, and have waste composition data.

User Manual

Colombia Landfill Gas Model

The Model can be used to estimate landfill gas generation rates from landfills, and potential landfill gas recovery rates for landfills that have, or plan to have, gas collection and control systems in Colombia.

User Manual

Spanish Version: Colombia Landfill Gas Model and User Manual

Recent Resources

For a complete list of available biogas resources, including technical documents, presentations, and tools, please visit the resources page.

View all biogas resources

Market Opportunities for Anaerobic Digestion of Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes in India (2020)

The report on the Market Opportunities for Anaerobic Digestion of Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes in India will help inform project developers, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders about the potential for biogas capture and use in India. The report estimates biogas production and emission reduction potential from India’s largest agricultural sectors, and it includes an overview of the uses of biogas and digestate, current biogas policies, technology options, and business models relevant for India.

Scaling Sludge Mountains: Breaking Down Barriers for Chinese Cities to Turn Sludge Waste into Energy (2019)

The Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum (CEF) produced this sludge scoping report for the U.S. EPA and the Global Methane Initiative. The report describes drivers that created mountains of municipal sludge, introduces key political and research entities involved in sludge regulation in China, reviews obstacles in adoption of anaerobic digestion, provides a case study of the challenges facing sludge-to-energy projects, and highlights opportunities for U.S. government, cities, and companies to engage with Chinese government agencies.

Naucalpan, Mexico Waste Characterization Study (2019)

In March 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – as a lead partner in the Waste Initiative – conducted a waste characterization study at the municipality’s transfer station. The study indicated that approximately 69% of the waste handled at the transfer station could be recycled or otherwise diverted from the landfill, and that more than half of the waste could be used as feedstock in composting or anaerobic digestion projects. The municipality is using the results of the study to inform decision making about the project design and procurement options.

From Farm to Table to Energy: Co-digesting China’s Urban Food Waste in Wastewater Treatment Plants (2019)

Prepared by the Wilson’s Center China Environment Forum with assistance provided by GMI, the report highlights food waste trends in Chinese cities and assesses the possibilities of redirecting food waste to municipal wastewater (MWW) and sludge-to-energy (StE) plants. This report also highlights some specific gaps that GMI and other organizations could help fill and potential Chinese partners to engage with to highlight the environmental and economic benefits of co-digestion.

Biogas Done Right - Introduction (2019)

Jorge Hilbert explains and introduces the importance of biogas in the agricultural sector, while additionally explaining biogas’s potential for increasing future energy efficiency and technological sustainability.

Using Animal Manure as a Resource (2019)

Anaerobic digestion, or AD, is the biological process that breaks down biological materials like compost or manure into biogas. Livestock manure accounts for 3 percent of man-made methane emissions globally. Methane, when captured and stored, can be used to generate electricity and heat, or it can be processed into natural gas fuel. By capturing the biogas, we are also preventing the release of methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases, to the atmosphere.

Methane Mitigation Matters: Climate Change (2015)

Methane is a prevalent manmade greenhouse gas that traps 28 times more heat than carbon dioxide (CO2). Reducing methane emissions by recovering and using methane as a clean energy source offers many benefits for the environment and local communities. This video highlights the many ways that reducing methane can benefit the environment and local communities.