Abstract:

Continuous growth in global energy demand, depletion of fossil resources and climate change concerns associated with fossil fuel combustion have increased the motivation on utilization of renewable energy sources. Utilization of renewable sources is vital in Turkey as the country highly depends on imported energy. Biogas is a renewable energy resource produced from decomposing organic waste under anaerobic conditions. Production of biogas from organic wastes such as animal manure is advantageous to contribute renewable energy production and waste management strategies for health and environmental protection. In this study, the animal manure based biogas energy potential of the Mediterranean Region of Turkey is determined. The region is composed of eight provinces including Antalya, Burdur, Isparta, Mersin, Adana, Hatay, Osmaniye and Kahramanmaraş. The results revealed that Mediterranean Region has 183 Mm 3 annual biogas potential corresponding to 0.08 MTOE/year energy generation capacity. Co-digestion of agricultural residues can contribute to about 0.208 MTOE/year energy generation. It is determined that biogas production can contribute reduction of carbon footprint by 1.7 million tons of annual CO 2 emissions. Mersin Province has shown the highest biogas potential in the region.

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