ABSTRACT
The Institute for Agricultural, Environmental and Energy Engineering (ILUET) adapted biogas technology to the
digestion of farmyard manure. Standardised guidelines on the building and operation of agricultural biogas plants
guarantee a cost effective building and a safe operation. Co-digestion of non-agricultural organic wastes is
regulated, as well. This helps to enhance the implementation of biogas technology on farms. With anaerobic
digestion of farmyard manure, a biogas yield of 320 m3 (t VS)-1 was achieved. In Austria, biogas production from
agricultural manures and organic wastes can reduce CO2 emissions by 3.2 Mio t CO2 per year. Anaerobic digestion
not only gives renewable energy, but also improves the fertilising qualities of manure and thus is a way of manure
treatment that offers the possibility for an environmentally friendly manure management.