Wiktor Ignaciuk

The chapter presents the hitherto unrecognized issue of information asymmetry and trust in the agricultural biogas generation chain. The analysis of the characteristics of the processes taking place in the agricultural biogas sector showed that the problem of information asymmetry is particularly significant in the relationship between biogas plants and substrate suppliers. Biogas plant managers purchasing biogas substrates have limited ability to assess the quality of the substrate; hence, they must rely on trust from suppliers. An alternative to trust is conducting detailed biochemical analyses, which would generate additional transaction costs. The study of four cases of Polish agricultural biogas plants showed that biogas producers can cope with the problem of information asymmetry mainly through long-term cooperation with suppliers. A comparison of the level of trust toward different actors in the biogas sector showed that biogas producers trust participants in the supply chain (including biomass suppliers) more than other actors fulfilling a role in the sector (e.g., state institutions). This is likely because the links in the chain can be influenced in some way by biogas producers, while this is much more difficult with regard to the other actors.

The challenges related to climate policy and the energy crisis caused the search for alternative ways of obtaining energy, one of the essential tasks faced by scientists and political decision-makers. Recently, much attention has been paid to biomethane, which is perceived as a substitute for natural gas. Compared to the traditional combustion of biogas in cogeneration units (CHP), upgrading it to the form of biomethane can bring both environmental benefits (reduction in GHG emissions) and economic benefits (higher efficiency of energy use contained in biomass). The purpose of this review was a comprehensive assessment of the conditions and opportunities for developing the biomethane sector in the EU in the face of challenges generated by the energy and climate crisis. The article reviews the condition of the biomethane market in the European Union, focusing on such issues as biomethane production technologies, current and future supply and demand for biomethane, and biomethane production costs with particular emphasis on upgrading processes and financial support systems used in the EU countries. The review showed that the market situation in biomethane production has recently begun to change rapidly. However, the share of biomethane in meeting the needs for natural gas remains small. Moreover, the available expert studies indicate a significant development potential, which is desirable because of the need to increase energy security and environmental and economic reasons. However, this will require organizing the legal environment and creating a transparent system of incentives.

The aim of the study was to assess the current development of the agricultural biogas industry in Poland and to indicate the key factors determining the possibility of popularizing this category of renewable energy in the coming years. The article is based on secondary data. The study uses...