Assessment of the amount of greenhouse gases in biogas production in Latvia

Abstract

The provision of energy, its availability and sufficiency at economically justified costs are the issues of economic growth, life quality, and security for any country. The factor of life quality and security is closely related to a clean environment that does not threaten human health. One of the indicators for assessing the surrounding environment is emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). GHGs play a significant role in the energy sector, including producing energy from agricultural crops. Agriculture is a significant producer of greenhouse gases, therefore, if advancing towards sustainable development, it is important to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases both in agriculture and in the entire national economy. Not only production of greenhouse gases, but also their reduction through photosynthesis is specific to agriculture. By successfully managing the factors causing the greenhouse gas effect, it is possible to substantially reduce emissions of harmful gases, especially if energy is produced from renewable sources. The aim of the present paper is to calculate a GHG balance and compare it with the amount of CO2 absorbed through photosynthesis as well as a fossil fuel comparator.