Contact/s:
Kristina Anderback
kristina.anderback@agrovast.se
Farmer-owned Biogas Plant – More than 100 Farmers Collaborate to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Create Circular Nutrient Flows
Sweden
Sweden, Boreal (Southern Boreal)
1. Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
2. Improved nutrient recycling and manure management
3. Farmer cooperation and joint ownership
Thematic Areas
Production System/s
Summary for Practicioners on the Main Finding(s)/Innovative solution(s)
Living Lab Sweden demonstrates how more than 100 farmers can jointly own and develop a large-scale biogas plant processing approximately 400,000 tonnes of manure annually. The plant is currently under construction and is scheduled to commence production in November 2026.
Instead of selling manure to international energy companies, the farmers retain local ownership, control and value creation. Anaerobic digestion, converts manure into liquefied biogas and a nutrient-rich digestate that is returned to arable land, creating a circular nutrient cycle.
The initiative strengthens farm sustainability and resilience. Partly as the higher nutrient value of digestate reduces dependence on fossil-based mineral fertilizer. The farmer collaboration also provides a platform for continued joint action to improve local resource flows and efficiency.
Key success factors include a non-profit farmers’ association, access to public project funding, committed farmer leaders, early trust building, and seeking internal and external expertise in governance, management and daily operations.
The greatest challenge is not technology but building an organization where farmers are willing to invest, collaborate, and make decisions together. Before investing in shared infrastructure, it is therefore essential to establish clear governance, decision-making rules and farmer commitment, while deliberately building trust among those involved.
Summary for Practicioners in Native Language
Living Lab Sweden visar hur fler än 100 lantbrukare gemensamt kan äga och utveckla en storskalig biogasanläggning som årligen hanterar cirka 400 000 ton gödsel. Anläggningen är för närvarande under uppförande och planeras att tas i drift i november 2026.
I stället för att sälja gödseln till internationella energibolag behåller lantbrukarna det lokala ägandet, kontrollen och värdeskapandet. Genom anaerob rötning omvandlas gödseln till flytande biogas och en näringsrik rötrest som återförs till åkermarken, vilket skapar ett cirkulärt näringsflöde.
Additional Information
Facilitating elements
- A clear shared vision and common goals among participating farmers.
- Strong local engagement and a farmer-led initiative.
- Early development of trust and social capital among stakeholders.
- An organisational model combining a jointly owned company (commercial operation of the biogas plant) with a non-profit farmers’ association (for farmer participation, dialogue and capacity building).
- Favourable market conditions, with sufficient demand and committed buyers for the produced biogas.
- Access to public funding and private capital to support both the infrastructure investment and farmer collaboration and development.
- Access to relevant expertise in areas such as legal matters, finance, technology and project management.
Obstacles and challenges
- High investment costs and a long development and construction period before the biogas plant becomes operational.
- Complex governance and decision-making processes when balancing individual farmer interests with shared goals among many co-owners.
- The need for long-term agreements on manure supply and digestate handling.
- Complex permitting processes and regulatory requirements.
- Building trust and a common understanding among many stakeholders takes time and requires continuous dialogue.
Messages to end-users
- Invest in the organisation before investing in shared infrastructure. Establish clear governance and decision-making rules, build trust and farmer commitment, and develop shared goals.
- Make use of the knowledge and expertise available within the group and complement it with external expertise when needed.
Additional Dissemination and Communication Materal(s)
@FarmDemo YouTube Video: Reducing methane emission with biogas plants