Potential and Possibilities of Biogas Production from Agricultural Raw Materials in Lithuania

The analysis of energy potential and feasibilities of biogas production from agricultural raw materials in Lithuania is presented in the work. The possibilities of biogas production from manure of animal and poultry bred in large farms and energy plants, which presently are cultivated and used for feeding. Statistical data about the number of animal and poultry breeding in large farms of Lithuania together with the area of cultivated maize, perennial grasses and fodder beet have been used. It is determined that anaerobic digestion of manure obtained from large farms would give aprox. 72 mill. m(3) of biogas that is equal to 430 GWh per year. Using 30 thous. ha. of land for energy plants (maize, perennial grasses and fodder beet) in Lithuania the biogas production will be 90 mill. m3 and the energy value -520 mill. kWh. The best possibilities for biogas production have Siauliai (aprox. 179 GWh), Kaunas (163 GWh), Panevezys (128 GWh) and Marijampole (120 GWh) counties where are quite high density of large animal and poultry farms and favourable conditions for cultivation of energy plants suitable for biogas production.