Biogas Initiative for Agriculture

While the Serbian government does support biogas technology, the current policy framework is not appropriate for implementation on small and medium-sized farms. Thus, only manure from large agricultural operations is treated in biogas plants. However, the bulk of manure production from livestock in Serbia occurs on small and medium-sized farms. To significantly mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock farming, it is necessary to advance implementation of biogas technology on small and medium-sized farms.

To achieve this, the project focused on knowledge and technology transfer. The Serbian project partner organised trainings for state authorities, professional associations, and farmers as well as meetings for key stakeholder groups, policy makers and investors from Germany and Serbia. Furthermore, it investigated manure GHG mitigation potentials and defined the prerequisites for sustainable technology implementation. Together, the project partners ensured the production and dissemination of information material for experts and the public. Thus, they promoted awareness and acceptance of biogas technology. The German partner organised a study tour for Serbian stakeholders to successful small biogas facilities in Germany. Additionally, it provided trainings for personnel in relevant ministries to adapt policy measures, for professional associations to give skilled feedback to state authorities, and for farmers to successfully implement biogas technology.

• The project was able to contribute to avoiding the potential of around 45,000 tonnes of CO2eq emissions per year in Serbia in the future if manure from small to medium-sized farms were to be processed in small biogas plants.
• The project trained farmers, government representatives, biogas and animal husbandry experts to spread the idea of small-scale biogas plants and their importance in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• The project promoted the exchange between biogas experts, farmers and public representatives from Serbia and Germany on small-scale biogas plants, which was reinforced by visits to two biogas plants in Germany and showed steps towards the realisation of this technological concept.