Feasibility of Bioenergy Utilization for Sustainable Agriculture: A Case Study on Biomethanation and Ethanol Production in Thailand

Abstract

The feasibility of bioenergy utilization for sustainable agriculture in Asian economies was evaluated by investigating several plants in Thailand, analyzing their flow of mass, energy, and money, and evaluating the sustainability of the process. Five plants in total for biomethanation and ethanol production were studied, and the following conclusions were obtained. The two technologies investigated in this study, namely small-scale biomethanation from cattle manure and kitchen waste, and large-scale ethanol production from agricultural crops, are both effective for improving the farmers' living standard. They can also be effective in terms of sustainable agriculture since they lead to reduced use of fossil fuel in rural areas. With regard to a small-scale biomethanation plant, the key point to success is its simplicity. On the other hand, detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) calculation is needed for ethanol production. The LCA effectiveness of ethanol production is still a controversial matter throughout the world and reauires further detailed study. Reduction in biodiversity, e.g., the number of species in the environment, is to be prevented when a new crop is introduced. What is important for disseminating these technologies are farmers' accessibility to biomass utilization or collection sites and education, e.g., providing the farmers with proper information on the technologies.