Table 2 Drivers and constraints in agricultural biogas production
Drivers | Constraints | |
|---|---|---|
Political factors | • Temporary rise in investment subsidies • Energy and climate policy support RE production | • Complicated subsidy system • Discontinuous policy instruments • Ambiguous policy targets |
Environmental factors | • Nutrient recycling and RE production regarded as important • Emissions reductions on farms | • Emissions reductions will not benefit the agricultural sector • Climate discourse may feel exhausting |
Social factors | • Farmers find biogas technology interesting • Positive experiences of farm-scale plants • Improved future operation conditions on the farm | • The added workload of operating a biogas plant • The role of an energy system actor feels too distant |
Technical and economic factors | • Increased prices for energy and fertilisers • Additional income from feedstock or gas sales | • Poor profitability of food production • Challenges to securing funding for the investment • Production not located near potential consumption areas |
Value chains | • Farmers are interested in collective biogas plants | • Limited examples of larger biogas value chains |