References

485

According to the recently published European Biogas Association Biogas Report,

[62], there are already more than 17 000 biogas plants in Europe and this number

is continuing to grow making biogas-based electricity a high share of the electric

power in Europe. Most of the AD plants in Europe process food crops, which are

rich in glucose, xylose, mannose, arabinose, proteins, and lipids (e.g. maize, sugar

beet, etc.), as feedstocks. However, the EU biofuel policy does not encourage their

further use due to the negative impacts of crop-based biofuels on food production

and land use [63]. Accordingly, lignocellulosic feedstocks, which are not involved in

food production, provide more sustainable substrates for AD [64]. The biogas sector

also has a pivotal role to play in repositioning the EU to thrive in a low-carbon future,

and this kind of technical knowledge has to be shared at the European level. The

implementation of biogas projects in many regions of Europe is required to spur the

green economy.

31.6

Conclusion

Although the AD technology has been operationally demonstrated, there are knowl-

edge gaps in the interaction between the microbial species and the operational

parameters. A deeper understanding of the trophic species activities will allow the

improvement of the AD technology as research studies have shown that anaerobic

digestion performance is reliant on the dynamics of methanogens. The complex

and widespread range of trophic species remains an issue of biotechnological

applications. In addition, biogas projects are complex and require the involvement

of many stakeholders as well as a supportive legislative and economic frame. Biogas

production is a green technology, providing quantifiable benefits for the agricultural

and energy sector, and a competitive solution in GHG reduction. Thus, sustainable

engineering and biology have introduced novel concepts that can improve the AD

performance and therefore promote new practices on environmental and economic

development.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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