What Is Gobar Gas? All You Need To Know

Gobar Gas the term sounds very familiar, right? This term originated in India, considering that the major source used to create biogas in India is cow dung, popularly known as gobar in India.

Gobar gas is produced through the anaerobic breakdown of cow dung, or gobar, in a biogas plant.

Gobar gas is an eco-friendly solution for the pollution created by widely used fossil fuels. Using Gobar Gas as an alternative not only eradicates the dumping of animal waste and other organic waste into landfills, but also provides a renewable source of energy for cooking, heating, and lighting. It helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on non-renewable energy sources.

‍

Gobar Gas vs. Biogas: What Sets Them Apart?

‍

‍

The process of biogas and gobar gas generation is the same; there are no significant differences between the two apart from the sources of waste they use.

Biogas can be generated from organic waste obtained from multiple sources, be it:

1. Kitchen waste from restaurants, food courts, or supermarkets
2. Biodegradable waste from industrial facilities,
3. Sewage, animal waste (from cows, pigs, birds, and other animals), and even human faecal materials
4. Agricultural waste or agricultural bioproducts like paddy straws and crop residues.

‍

On the other hand, gobar gas strictly refers to the gas that is obtained by the anaerobic digestion of gobar obtained from cattle. Although gobar gas and biogas are not much different, there can be some alteration in the composition of both of these gases. The exact composition depends on the feedstock and the efficiency of the digestion process.

Like biogas, gobar gas can be utilized as a renewable energy source for cooking, heating, lighting, and other applications. While both biogas and gobar gas are derived from organic matter through anaerobic digestion and share similar compositions, gobar gas specifically refers to biogas produced from cattle dung.

In short, all Gobar gas can be called Biogas as well, but not all Biogas can be called Gobar gas.

‍

Process of Gobar Gas Production:

‍

The process of gobar gas production is similar to producing biogas using any other organic material.

• The first step in gobar gas production is the collection of cow dung.
• After that, the collected cow dung is then placed in a biogas digester, where it undergoes anaerobic digestion. This process involves the breakdown of cow dung by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen, leading to the production of gobar gas.
• The produced biogas contains methane (CH4)as the primary component, along with other gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2)and traces of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Before being utilized, the biogas may undergo purification processes to remove impurities and improve its quality.
• Lastly, after purification, biogas, or Gobar gas, can be utilized as a renewable energy source for various applications, including cooking, heating, lighting, and power generation. Itcan be used in conventional gas appliances with minimal modifications.

‍

How can we use Gobar Gas?

‍

Gobar Gas has the same applications as its mate, Biogas, but the uses of the gas might depend on the size of the plant that was used to produce the gas. Yes, the size of the plant alters the use of the gas.

1. If the plant is a small-scale one, the Gobar gas might be generally used to convert waste generated from households, small dairy farms, and small fields to cooking gas. Using gobar gas on a small scale can enable households to be self-sufficient while managing waste with minimal impact on the environment.

• Household Cooking: Small-scale plants are often used to convert gobar from small dairy farms into cooking gas, which serves as a sustainable alternative to traditional cooking fuels like wood or LPG.
• Manure Production: Another by-product of small-scale gobar gas production is nutrient-rich manure, which can be used to fertilize small fields and personal gardens, promoting sustainable agriculture.

2. Similarly, big-scale gobar gas plants are placed in large dairy farms. In this case, the applications of Gobar Gas are broader and more intensive. Here's how Gobar Gas can be utilized in large-scale operations:

• Waste Management: Large-scale Gobar Gas plants can process huge amounts of gobar from farms. This helps mitigate environmental pollution while producing energy and fertilizer.
• Cooking: Gobar Gas when produced on a largescale can replace traditional cooking fuels from communities, hotels, and industries, providing a reliable and sustainable energy source.
• Electricity Generation: Large-scale Gobar Gas plants can also integrate with power generation systems to produce electricity, which can be used for operations or fed back into the grid, contributing to renewable energy production.
• CBG or Bio-CNG Production: Gobar Gas can be upgraded to produce Compressed Biogas (CBG) or Bio-Compressed Natural Gas(Bio-CNG), which can be used as a clean fuel for vehicles, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
• Community Benefits: Establishing large-scale Gobar Gas biogas plants in rural areas or communities with agricultural activities can create employment opportunities, improve sanitation, and provide a sustainable energy source for various needs, benefiting the entire community.

‍

Gobar Gas Advantages:

‍

• Gobar gas, or biogas, is produced from the gobar which is available in abundant amounts making it a renewable energy source.
• The anaerobic digestion process used to produce Gobar gas helps reduce methane emissions from Gobar, mitigating its impact on climate change.
• Gobar gas production helps manage cattle manure or Gobar effectively, reducing pollution that occurs if it is left untreated.
• The by-product of gobar gas production, known as digestate, is rich in nutrients and can be used as organic fertilizer, promoting soil health and reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers.
• Using gobar gas for cooking and heating reduces indoor air pollution compared to traditional fuels like wood or charcoal.

‍

Future Aspects of Development

‍

India has the highest number of cattle in the world. Did you know that? No right?

And do you know what the number is? According to a 2022 stat, it’s more than 308 million. Considering that average cattle produces 10 kg of manure each day!! Do you know how much waste is being generated each day?

“3,80,00,00,000 KGs” - Three Hundred and Eighty Crores kgs

You skipped that number, didn’t you? But that’s the amount of cow manure being generated in India every day, and maybe even more. And that’s equivalent to “6,08,00,000 KGs” – 6 Crores and Eighty Lac kgs

Imagine the impact if we harnessed this resource effectively, a s

taggering “15,20,00,000” - Fifteen Crore Twenty Lakh houses can be connected and can utilise the biogas reducing our reliance on non-renewable energy sources and mitigating harmful emissions.

These figures show that if utilised correctly there is a substantial resource available for Gobar Gas production, and we should focus more on harnessing this waste through Gobar Gas plants. Harnessing this waste will not only help us gain a renewable source of energy but also mitigate the pollution and emissions that come from this waste if it gets dumped directly in land fills without getting treated.

You may ask about traditional methods like cow dung cakes, but do you know how harmful that is for your health? Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen dioxide, Dioxins, and Chlorophenols are the gases generally released on burning cow dung cakes, each of them ready to make your lungs worse if inhaled.

‍

Conclusion:

‍

Adopting gobar gas eradicates waste, saves the environment, provides a renewable source of energy, reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, helps fight climate change, mitigates the odour associated with cow dung, provides growth opportunities to communities, makes sure you don’t harm your health, and much more.

It’s a wonderful source of energy that can be adopted on a large scale to address various environmental and societal challenges we face today. By utilizing Gobar gas, we can transition towards a more sustainable and cleaner energy future while simultaneously addressing waste management issues and promoting rural development.

‍