Unlocking the energy recovery potential from sustainable management of bio-resources based on GIS analysis: Case study in Hanoi, Vietnam

Abstract

Pig production has greatly contributed to economic development in Vietnam. However, the lack of appropriate management of large amounts of pig manure has caused serious adverse environmental impacts including GHG emissions. To address this challenge, this study explored the potential of biogas production from manure in Hanoi. Through the use of GIS suitability analysis, cluster analysis, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique, the study first analyzed the spatial distribution of pig farms, identified optimal locations for biogas plants, and evaluated potential benefits of introducing biogas production to satisfy the electricity demand and reduce GHG emissions. The results show that it is possible to optimally install two biogas plants with a capacity of more than 1 MW and three with a capacity of more than 250 kW, meeting 1.75% and 0.76% of the electricity demand of Son Tay and Thach That respectively. The study estimated that the implementation of the three proposed scenarios would reduce GHG emissions by 84,777 tons of CO2 eq/year compared to the current situation or baseline scenario. The results open a great opportunity to address local energy security with renewable energy and reduce GHG emissions effectively.