Abstract
There has been a conflicting issue in rural China that whether or not encouraging the development of medium–large-scale biogas plants (MLBPs) to reduce household biogas digesters (HBDs) will be better for China in the long run. In this study, we investigate the difference between HBD users and MLBP users and the factors that affect the biogas use of these two user types on the basis of a survey of 1125 households in four provinces in China. The results indicate that compared to HBD users, MLBP users have a higher ratio (29%) of biogas use, obtain a higher subsidy-to-cost ratio (25%), and present a more positive evaluation of biogas service (3%). For HBD users, installation years and service evaluation are significant predictors of biogas use. For MLBP users, in addition to installation years and service, the subsidy-to-cost ratio affects biogas use negatively, and the biogas price is a key constraint for biogas use. These results provide valuable insights into the future development of biogas energy in rural China and guidance for the development of biogas in similar countries worldwide.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Source: Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China, National Rural Biogas Development Plan between 2016 and 2020, Beijing, China, 2017.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the People’s Republic of China, 2016 China Statistical Yearbook, Beijing, China, 2016.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China, National Rural Biogas Development Plan between 2016 and 2020, Beijing, China, 2017.
Data on temperature for the sample area comes from Meteorological Bureau of the four provinces.
Data on village size comes from the statistics of the sample villages.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of the People’s Republic of China, 2016 China Statistical Yearbook, Beijing, China, 2016.
References
Bruun S, Jensen LS, Sommer S (2014) Small-scale household biogas digesters: an option for global warming mitigation or a potential climate bomb? Renew Sust Energ Rev 33:736–741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.02.033
Chen Y, Yang G, Sweeney S, Feng Y (2010) Household biogas use in rural China: a study of opportunities and constraints. Renew Sust Energ Rev 14:545–549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2009.07.019
Chen Q, Yang H, Liu T, Zhang L (2016) Household biomass energy choice and its policy implications on improving rural livelihoods in Sichuan, China. Energy Policy 93:291–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.03.016
Cheng S, Li Z, Mang HP, Huba EM (2013) A review of prefabricated biogas digesters in China. Renew Sust Energ Rev 28:738–748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.08.030
Cheng S, Li Z, Mang HP, Huba EM, Gao R, Wang X (2014) Development and application of prefabricated biogas digesters in developing countries. Renew Sust Energ Rev 34:387–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.03.035
Deng Y, Xu J, Liu Y, Mancl K (2014) Biogas as a sustainable energy source in China: regional development strategy application and decision making. Renew Sust Energ Rev 35:294–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.04.031
Fen C, Gao Y, Wei L, Fenwu L, Wuping Z, Yushan B, Xiaomei L (2017) Maximal methane potential of different animal manures collected in northwest region of China. Int J Agric Biol 10:202–208. https://doi.org/10.3965/j.ijabe.20171001.2469
Gosens J, Lu Y, He G, Bluemling B, Beckers TA (2013) Sustainability effects of household-scale biogas in rural China. Energy Policy 54:273–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.11.032
Gu L, Zhang YX, Wang JZ, Chen G, Battye H (2016) Where is the future of China’s biogas? Review, forecast, and policy implications. Pet Sci 13(3):604–624. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12182-016-0105-6
Hao X, Shen F (2006) Evaluation on the composite benefit of household biogas digesters. Renew Energy 2:4–6 en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-NCNY200602002.htm
Kapoor R, Ghosh P, Kumar M, Vijay VK (2019) Evaluation of biogas upgrading technologies and future perspectives: a review. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 26(12):11631–11661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s1135
Li C, Liao Y, Wen X, Wang Y, Yang F (2015) The development and countermeasures of household biogas in northwest grain for green project areas of China. Renew Sust Energ Rev 44:835–846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.01.027
Liu W, Spaargaren G, Heerink N, Mol AP, Wang C (2013a) Energy consumption practices of rural households in north China: basic characteristics and potential for low carbon development. Energy Policy 55:128–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.11.031
Liu W, Wang C, Mol AP (2013b) Rural public acceptance of renewable energy deployment: the case of Shandong in China. Appl Energy 102:1187–1196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.06.057
Martínez-Ruano JA, Caballero-Galván AS, Restrepo-Serna DL, Cardona CA (2018) Techno-economic and environmental assessment of biogas production from banana peel (Musa paradisiaca) in a biorefinery concept. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 25:35971–35980. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356
Qu W, Tu Q, Bluemling B (2013) Which factors are effective for farmers’ biogas use?—evidence from a large-scale survey in China. Energy Policy 63:26–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.019
Rasheed R, Khan N, Yasar A, Su Y Tabinda AB (2016a) Design and cost-benefit analysis of a novel anaerobic industrial bioenergy plant in Pakistan. Renew Energy 90:242–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.01.008
Rasheed R, Yasar A, Tabinda AB, Khan N, Su Y, Afzaal M (2016b) Techno-economic impacts of innovative commercial industrial scale bioenergy plant in Pakistan. Pak J Agric Sci 53:647–652. https://doi.org/10.21162/PAKJAS/16.4782
Song Z, Zhang C, Yang G, Feng Y, Ren G, Han X (2014) Comparison of biogas development from households and medium and large-scale biogas plants in rural China. Renew Sust Energ Rev 33:204–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.01.084
Sun D, Bai J, Qiu H, Cai Y (2014) Impact of government subsidies on household biogas use in rural China. Energy Policy 73:748–756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.06.009
Thu CTT, Cuong PH, Van Chao N, Trach NX, Sommer SG (2012) Manure management practices on biogas and non-biogas pig farms in developing countries—using livestock farms in Vietnam as an example. J Clean Prod 27:64–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.01.006
Wang X, Lu X, Yang G, Feng Y, Ren G, Han X (2016a) Development process and probable future transformations of rural biogas in China. Renew Sust Energ Rev 55:703–712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.09.097
Wang C, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Pang M (2016b) Alternative policies to subsidize rural household biogas digesters. Energy Policy 93:187–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.03.007
Xia Z (2013) Domestic biogas in a changing China: can biogas still meet the energy needs of China’s rural households. London, International Institute for Environment and Development. http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/16553IIED.pdf. Accessed 12 Aug 2017
Yousuf A, Sultana S, Monir MU, Karim A, Rahmaddulla SRB (2017) Social business models for empowering the biogas technology. Energy Sources Part B Econ Plann Policy 12(2):99–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/15567249.2016.1255677
Zhang B, Chen B (2017) Sustainability accounting of a household biogas project based on energy. Appl Energy 194:819–831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.05.141
Zhang R, Wei T, Glomsrød S, Shi Q (2014) Bioenergy consumption in rural China: evidence from a survey in three provinces. Energy Policy 75:136–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.08.036
Zhang T., Yang Y, Xie, D (2015) Insights into the production potential and trends of China's rural biogas. Int J Energy Res 39: 1068–1082. https://doi.org/10.1002/er.3311
Funding
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 71663028 and 71963021), Jiangxi Science Planning Fund Program (Grant No. 19GL10), and 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center (JXDSSDMAAI).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible editor: Ta Yeong Wu
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, X., Tu, M. & Liu, W. Household biogas digesters or medium–large-scale biogas plants: a conflicting issue in rural China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 32919–32927 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06426-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06426-x