• Energy Research

Biogas plays an important role in supporting and ensuring the dairy farming sector remains sustainable. Biogas technology is not only as a method to dispose dairy farming waste but also benefiting economically, socially and environmentally. Biogas technology has been introduced since 1970s and many biogas programmes have been implemented in Indonesia. However compare to other countries like China and India, the dissemination of biogas technology in Indonesia runs quite slowly. There are several factors such as financial, policies and people’s perception hindering biogas use regarding the increase of biogas plants installed in Indonesia. In addition, many installed biogas plants are non-functional due to inadequate maintenance causing users stop to operate biogas plants and influencing potential users to reject adopting the technology. This paper provides an overview of biogas production sustainability which consists of five sustainability dimensions: technical, economic, social, environmental and organizational/institutional sustainability. Understanding the biogas sustainability helps stakeholders to realize that in order to promote biogas technology many sectors must be developed and many institutions must be involved and cooperated. The sustainability of biogas will determine the success of biogas dissemination particularly in dairy farming in the future. 

Abstract Dairy farming continues to grow in Indonesia as a result of high demand of meat and dairy products. On the one hand, dairy farming has the potential benefits for farmers, rural development and national food security. On the other hand, dairy farming generates the amount of waste causing adverse impact on environment. The uptake of biogas technology provides an effective method in managing waste as well producing sustainable energy. In addition, biogas technology has the potential to reduce greenhouse gases emissions due to dairy farming activities. Biogas adoption in dairy farming potentially prevents greenhouse gases emission through manure management and fuel substitution. This paper analysed emission reduction and energy production of 5 biogas digesters which is installed in dairy farming in Pati regency, Indonesia. Results show potential energy from all biogas digesters was estimated 266,286.6 MJ year−1 while greenhouse gases emissions reduction was estimated to be 0.084 GgCO2-eq. year−1 due to biogas utilization. The emission consisted of 0.028 GgCO2-eq.year−1 from manure storage and 0.084 GgCO2-eq.year−1 from fuel replacement. Producing less emission can be an indicator that biogas is a cleaner and more efficient method compared to previous methods used by farmers in managing waste as well as in using fuels.

Even though biogas technology has been introduced in Indonesia since 1990’s and having the potential, the rate of biogas adoption in Indonesia runs slowly. It is important to understand factors encouraging or discouraging potential adopters to build biogas plant. The development of livestock sector especially cattle farming in Indonesia can be seen as the opportunity to increase the rate of biogas adoption. This study investigated the factors affecting households of cattle farmer to adopt or not to adopt biogas technology. A cross-sectional research survey was carried out by using structured questionnaires as the primary tool to collect data from both biogas adopters and non biogas adopters in Pati regency, Indonesia. Socioeconomic characteristic of potential biogas adopters plays an important role to ensure the adoption of biogas technology sustainable. Socioeconomic characteristic regarding having high social status determines individual to adopt biogas relatively earlier than other members of a social system. Having high income and education enables traditional farmers to finance biogas plant by their own money or access aid from the government or other agencies. Among other attributes of innovation, relative advantage of installing biogas plant is the most determinant attribute to speed the rate of biogas adoption. Having biogas plant was perceived as better option and generated more benefits compared to previous technology or method.Article History: Received May 17th 2017; Received in revised form August 5th 2017; Accepted Sept 6th 2017; Available onlineHow to Cite This Article: Wahyudi, J. (2017) The Determinant Factors of Biogas Technology Adoption in Cattle Farming: Evidences from Pati, Indonesia, Int. Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 6(3), 235-240.https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.6.3.235-240