A Preliminary Evaluation of Biogas Generation from Cattle Manure at Caño Fistola Farm of the Colombian Caribbean

This research addresses the evaluation of the potential for biogas production from bovine manure on a rural property located in Ponedera, Atlántico, Colombia. Initially, the materials necessary for constructing the biodigester and the amounts of substrate necessary to experiment were defined. The biodigester was built and the experiment was implemented. Biogas measurements were carried out for 10 days after 20 days of filling the biodigester. The estimation of biogas's theoretical and experimental production was carried out, considering different parameters and methodologies. The results showed that the biogas production potential of the Caño Fistola farm (150 head of empty cattle) was 3,685 m³ per year, equivalent to 17,319.5 kWh of energy per year and 1,695.1 kg of LPG. To provide the minimum consumption of the farm (approximately 200 kWh per month, 2,400 kWh per year) only implementing 3 biodigesters and 23 heads of empty cattle would be sufficient. These results highlight the potential of the application of low-cost batch anaerobic biodigesters in obtaining biogas to achieve energy self-sufficiency in rural properties. In addition, they contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7) Affordable and Clean Energy, and (SDG 13) Climate Action