Biogas Application Options within Milk Dairy Cooperatives in Thailand: Case Study Tambon Ban Kor, Khon Kaen

By means of a case study conducted within a milk dairy cooperative in Tambon Ban Kor, a district in Khon Kaen Province, this paper analyze opportunities for implementing a biogas development ‘hub’ in Thailand for achieving bio-economic and environmental benefits within a local rural community. Options for collecting manure and other types of relevant biomass residues within the area are identified. Manure and biomass residues are thus suggested treated in a multi-purpose & centralized biogas plant - the first in Thailand - established in connection to the dairy company, owned by the dairy cooperative, etc. The biogas plant substitutes the use of fossil fuels, and surplus electricity can be exported to the power grid and provide extra income. Local crop farmers and ago-industries could benefit economically from sale of biomass residues to the energy plant. The environment will benefit from e.g. reduced GHG emissions and better manure handling practices, which limits pollution of nitrogen to recipients. Suggestions are provided of how to retrofit the stables to facilitate manure collection, storage and transport to the biogas plant. Which type of biogas plant to implement, financial issues, and potentials for disseminating such biogas development ‘hub’ to other parts of Thailand, are assessed.