Objective:

To identify the leading Mexican states in milk production with potential for biogas production and to assess the profitability of biodigester-motogenerator systems.

Methodology:

The biogas potential, electric power potential and CO2eq reduction for dairy farming in Mexico were calculated and the Baca's investment project methodology was used to perform a thorough financial analysis of five proposed dairy barn sizes.

Results:

Mexico could produce 1,649.5 million cubic meters of biogas per year, which would translate into 2,327.3 GWh of electricity per year, enough to supply more than one million inhabitants and it is estimated to offset 10,044 Mt of CO2eq emissions per year. Moreover, the larger stables, housing more than 2,000 head of cattle, achieve a faster investment recovery than their smaller counterparts.

Limitations:

The study considers the number of dairy cows per federal entity, since information is only available on the total number of stables in Mexico, but not by entity, which limits the specificity of the results.

Conclusions:

The implementation of biodigester-motogenerator systems is presented as a viable, profitable, and sustainable strategy, aligning energy needs with environmental care in Mexico.

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