Biogas Energy

Our fuel cells turn potent greenhouse gas into clean energy. Learn how biogas energy generation can harness the power of waste.

What is Biogas?

Biogas is a valuable byproduct of decomposing organic waste, typically generated from agricultural, municipal, and industrial sources. When organic matter decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen), it produces a mixture of gases, primarily methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), along with small amounts of other gases. If left untreated, biogas acts as a dangerous pollutant, with methane causing the most concern due to its high global warming potential. Harnessing biogas for energy can significantly reduce methane emissions on farms and other waste-producing facilities, turning a potent greenhouse gas into a renewable energy source.

What is Methane?

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas generated from the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste. It traps heat in the atmosphere much more efficiently than carbon dioxide, with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) over 25 times greater. This makes methane a key contributor to global emissions and climate change. In agricultural settings, reducing methane on farms is crucial for mitigating environmental impact and improving air quality.

How is Methane from Waste Addressed?

Addressing methane emissions from waste involves several traditional methods:

1. Venting: Releasing methane directly into the atmosphere, which exacerbates greenhouse gas effects.
2. Flaring: Burning methane to convert it into less harmful carbon dioxide, although this still contributes to CO2 emissions.
3. Combustion through an Engine: Utilizing methane as a fuel for engines to generate electricity or heat, reducing methane emissions.
4. Pipeline Injection: Treating and purifying biogas to meet pipeline quality standards for injection into natural gas pipelines, a capital-intensive but effective method.

By implementing these methods, especially in agricultural settings, significant strides can be made in reducing methane emissions from farms. This not only helps in managing waste more sustainably but also in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Why Energy Efficiency Matters

Harnessing the power of waste to generate useful energy is an important tool towards achieving a net zero future. A biogas generator that can convert this waste to electricity at the highest efficiency possible ensures that we’re making the greatest contribution towards decarbonization. The Bloom Energy Server converts waste to electricity 40% more efficiently than combustion-based alternatives.

The Bloom Energy Experience: Biogas and Renewable Energy at Scale

Bloom Energy has been at the forefront of the energy transition since its inception, working to offer better alternatives to energy generation and delivery for nearly two decades. The versatility of our core solid oxide platform creates distinct advantages that enable applications across the entire energy value chain.

In operating our global fleet, Bloom has developed significant technical insights generating over 800 billion cell hours in the field. Our costs to manufacture have decreased dramatically, allowing a significant expansion of technological capabilities, increasing stack lifetimes and improving system efficiencies.

Our experience as a developer of fuel cell projects, in addition to our role as an OEM, provides us with the skill sets required to engage customers with turnkey solutions, develop model and finance portfolios, deliver competitive projects and consistently target mutually profitable opportunities for ourselves and our customers.

As we continue to innovate, we are deeply confident in our ability to leverage our scale, experience, continued cost improvements and core efficiency advantages to deliver the greatest value and provide the solutions needed to propel our customers towards a better energy future.