LAUSR

The present investigation examines the use of biochar as a catalyst to enhance biogas generation. The effects of biochar on biogas production using different mass concentrations of biochar with cattle dung for hydraulic retention time (HRT) 60 days were evaluated. In comparison to a controlled treatment, adding 10 g/L of biochar per kg of cattle dung increases methane content, and biogas yield by 35.17% and 21.53%, respectively. Experimental results confirmed the use of biochar as a catalyst in biomethanation process. Hence, using 1 ton of biochar as a catalyst for generating 2000 m3 of biogas on a large scale will give significant results. This large amount of biochar will not only help in managing 3.3 tons of surplus crop residue but also produces 100 tons of digested slurry, which can help in saving 6.5 ton CO2 equivalent and 99,243.5 MJ of energy if it replaces the equivalent inorganic fertilizer. Further, it will reduce global warming potential (GWP) to 2.125 tons CO2. Biochar has proven itself to be a sustainable and low-cost catalyst for enhancing biogas production; adopting new technology is somewhat difficult due to the existence of a gap between researchers and policymakers.