Biogas production stands as a well-established technology with vast potential for generating both electricity and heat. There’s also a growing emphasis on producing biomethane, reflecting the circular economy’s ethos of treating waste as a valuable resource. Greater utilization of biogas facilities could significantly mitigate landfill pollution.
In Serbia, one effective approach to addressing landfill issues involves segregating various waste types for further energy use. This would not only resolve landfill fires, recycling challenges, and sorting inefficiencies but also provide a highly efficient and eco-friendly method of managing organic waste through biogas facilities.
According to Lidija Zelić, director of “Biogas Serbia,” speaking with “Energija Sputnjika,” Serbia annually generates over two million tons of municipal waste, a substantial portion being organic waste. Much of this waste ends up in landfills due to the limited number of sanitary landfills, thereby straining existing facilities incapable of environmentally sound waste disposal. Organic waste includes agricultural by-products, waste from fruit and vegetable processing plants, slaughterhouses, and overall food production. The conversion of organic waste into renewable energy represents a closed-loop process without harmful residuals.
“There’s considerable pressure on overloaded landfills, compounded by the scarcity of sanitary facilities, making biogas plants crucial for managing all organic waste,” stated Lidija Zelić. “While Serbia has waste management laws, their stricter enforcement, particularly in industry, could yield significant benefits. Agricultural residues, termed as such because of their potential for reuse, remain pivotal,” she added.
Early initiatives
“The first set of measures regulating Serbia’s biogas sector emerged in 2009, alongside the enactment of legislation that saw the establishment of the country’s initial three biogas plants, which continue to operate successfully,” explained Zelić.
“The subsequent regulation in 2013 failed to attract investors, resulting in no new biogas plants until 2016, when a more favorable regulatory framework led to the operation of all existing plants under the established tariff system. Presently, Serbia hosts 39 fully operational biogas plants, with an additional 79 in the economic status of preferred producers. This indicates their application for electricity production from biogas under the 2016 regulation,” Zelić clarified.
Raw materials for biogas
“All expired food, industrial waste, organic fractions of municipal waste, and agricultural residues, primarily used at present, constitute biogas raw materials. Only a few facilities process supermarket food waste, employing specialized machinery for sorting and processing,” Zelić outlined.
Environmental and economic benefits
“Biogas production represents the most eco-friendly and cost-effective solution, involving the anaerobic breakdown of organic waste. This process occurs in sealed vessels under controlled conditions, yielding biogas comprising 50-75% methane, CO2, and trace elements, with no harmful emissions. Subsequently, generated biogas is channeled to facilities for electricity and heat production, with all electricity supplied to the grid and biogas operators receiving a set tariff,” detailed Lidija Zelić.
Reducing dependency on natural gas
“Serbia, with its vast agricultural lands covering 65% of the country, could potentially produce 500 megawatts from biogas by utilizing agricultural residues currently contributing to pollution through incineration or inadequate disposal. Converting this biogas to biomethane could meet 50% of Serbia’s natural gas demands, offering strategic benefits for the country’s energy sector while resolving significant environmental issues. Moreover, the resultant high-quality fertilizer from this process is invaluable to farmers,” Zelić emphasized.
Harnessing valuable resources
“Waste, as Lidija Zelić asserts, holds substantial value—a cornerstone principle of the circular economy, exemplified by biogas. By converting waste into electricity, biogas completes a comprehensive cycle, leaving behind only high-quality fertilizer that enhances and supports organic farming,” concluded Zelić.
