Development of a calculation tool to determine the technical and economic viability of anaerobic digestion in various livestock production systems: Méthasim

Against a backdrop of growing interest in renewable energy within the agricultural sector, particularly in anaerobic digestion, project studies often highlight the difficulty of achieving economic viability, due to the French feed-in tariffs for electricity generated from agricultural biogas, which have remained low until now. The project, led by AILE, CRAB, IDELE, ITAVI, SOLAGRO and TRAME, and coordinated by IFIP (the French Pig Institute), involved developing a tool to calculate the profitability of an agricultural anaerobic digestion project, applicable to the main livestock sectors (cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits and horses). It enables the technical and economic viability of anaerobic digestion to be calculated, taking into account, in particular, the choice of feedstocks, the digestion process, the cost of purchasing electricity, and so on. Particular attention was paid to methods of utilising thermal energy, given the incentive provided for in the tariff policy. In developing this calculator, the partners drew initially on a basic module jointly developed by Solagro, Aile and Trame, as well as on other models available both in France and abroad. The research carried out as part of this project has enabled the implementation of communication and training initiatives, particularly regarding the essential prerequisites for setting up an anaerobic digestion unit on a livestock farm.