Anaerobic digestion applied to agricultural and livestock operations now represents a concrete opportunity for economic, environmental, and energy-related benefits in the agricultural sector. The European experience shows that biogas is no longer merely an environmental solution; it has established itself as a complementary, structuring activity capable of enhancing the sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness of farms.
Agricultural and livestock operations produce large volumes of livestock effluents, manure, plant residues, and agro-industrial byproducts on a daily basis, which pose significant environmental and logistical challenges. Anaerobic digestion transforms these wastes into a renewable energy resource, producing biogas or biomethane, while addressing effluent management issues and reducing environmental impacts. Countries such as France demonstrate that agriculture can be the main driver of biogas development, with thousands of farms operating their own facilities or cooperatives, generating additional income, local energy, and high-quality organic fertilizers.
The implementation of an anaerobic digestion unit on a crop or livestock farm offers multiple benefits. It allows for diversification of income through the sale of energy—in the form of electricity, heat, or biomethane—or through the reduction of internal energy costs. It adds value to farm waste, transforming environmental liabilities into economic assets, and reduces dependence on mineral fertilizers through the use of digestate, a stable, nutrient-rich organic soil amendment. Furthermore, it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthens the farm’s positive environmental footprint, and increases energy self-sufficiency, thereby mitigating dependence on external sources and the volatility of energy markets.
Anaerobic digestion is a mature, safe, and extensively tested technology that can be adapted to different production scales, ranging from individual “on-farm” units to cooperative models involving multiple farms or solutions integrated with agribusinesses and municipalities. The French experience demonstrates that regulatory predictability and the existence of appropriate incentive mechanisms are key factors for success, instilling confidence in investors and ensuring sustainable returns over the medium and long term.
At the same time, developments in the sector have driven a profound modernization of the equipment used for the management, transportation, and recovery of livestock effluents. In this context, Herculano has kept pace with and anticipated this transformation, adapting its tanker trailers and distribution systems to the new environmental, agronomic, and operational requirements of modern agriculture. The growing emphasis on utilizing the nutrients present in manure and digestate, combined with the restrictions imposed by the Nitrates Directive—which limits the application of livestock-derived nitrogen to 170 kg per hectare per year in vulnerable areas—requires an increasingly efficient and precise use of these resources. The technological solutions developed enable more precise application, reducing losses due to volatilization, minimizing emissions, improving fertilization efficiency, and contributing to more sustainable carbon and nutrient management on farms.
Portugal is exceptionally well-positioned to take advantage of this opportunity, with a significant agricultural and livestock sector, a high availability of residual biomass, and a clear strategic direction outlined in the 2024–2040 Biomethane Action Plan. Biogas can strengthen the competitiveness of the agricultural sector, promote economic development in rural areas, contribute to national energy security, and stimulate the creation of local value chains that generate skilled jobs. At the same time, the integration of biogas production, the agronomic use of digestate, and the use of technologically advanced equipment creates a virtuous ecosystem where environmental sustainability becomes a concrete economic opportunity.
More than just an energy solution, biogas from agricultural sources is a tool for agricultural modernization, regional development, and accelerating the transition to a circular economy. By integrating agricultural production, sustainable waste management, efficient fertilization, and renewable energy, anaerobic digestion positions agricultural operations as key players in the ecological transition, enabling them to generate economic value, strengthen the sector’s competitiveness, and protect the environment and the future of rural communities.
Image 1: Anaerobic Digestion Plant
