Mitigation Strategies. The Biodigester Program in Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract

In Mexico, slurry and manure management of farm animals generates 19 % of the total methane emitted into the environment; pig production emits 19 % of that volume and pig production in Yucatan 5.8 %. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a program in Yucatan was set up to install biodigesters in pig farms to capture methane. An incentive for pig farmers to participate in the program was the possibility to produce electricity. This research demonstrates that most biodigesters in Yucatan have not been well managed and that, given the current conditions of the electric power market, the initial investment is never recovered. The program does manages to reduce methane emissions but, due to the characteristics of the soil and the aquifer, neglects the possibility of water pollution and loss of biodiversity, resulting in a major environmental problem.