Multiple benefit assessment and suitable operation mechanism of medium- and large-scale biogas projects for cooking fuel in rural Gansu, China

Medium- and large-scale biogas projects (MLBPs) are a new pathway to provide clean cooking fuel for households. Based on field surveys of nine biogas plants in western rural China, their multiple benefits were assessed through monetization of their environmental and social benefits. The results showed that only two plants had weak economic feasibility, but all projects were feasible in practice if economic, social, and environmental benefits were considered together, and their investment could be recouped within 15 years. Compared with consumption of the original cooking fuels, one household consuming 275 m(3) of biogas can reduce GHG emissions by about 2.0 t CO2 equivalent some pollutants annually. These emissions reduction effects are worth 320 CNY. Replacing conventional cooking fuel with biogas can bring significant health benefits for residents. The multiple benefits of MLBPs are shared by three stakeholders, and the construction and operation cost should be allocated among the stakeholders (the biogas plant, biogas users and government). The partially competitive market is a suitable operating mechanism for MLBPs. The government should continue to support the construction of MLBPs to increase purchase of environmental benefits.

Automated summary

Research shows that medium- and large-scale biogas projects have strong feasibility in practice, providing clean cooking fuel for rural households and bringing environmental and social benefits. By monetizing these benefits, the multiple advantages of the projects can be effectively evaluated. The government, biogas plants, and users should share the construction and operation costs, and a partially competitive market is a suitable mechanism for operating MLBPs.