Economic Viability of Centralized Biogas Plants: A Case Study for Croatia

Biogas plants are an established and widely used technology in a number of European countries, but their utilization in Croatia is hampered by the state of its agriculture sector. Small farms, often with less than 15 heads of cattle, are common and they are not capable of independently running a biogas plant. For that reason, centralized biogas plants could present a viable option for smaller farms like the ones mostly present in Croatia. The utilization of biogas can have a number of positive effects on the day to day operations of a farm. Biogas plants can reduce the carbon footprint of a farm, help with manure management and additionally, they can provide a source of income to the owner. Since they present a sizeable investment, it is crucial to properly evaluate the feasibility of such investments. The goal of this work is to evaluate and present the impact that the size of the plant, content of manure in the substrate, the transport distance and efficiency have on the economic viability of centralized biogas plants. A case study for Croatia has been created for this purpose. The results will demonstrate the economic viability of larger biogas plants and the high impact transport has on it.