Publication Date
Spring 2026
Abstract
Capturing fugitive methane from slurry lagoons offers the potential to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce a usable renewable energy source. One of the main factors affecting methane production is temperature, with studies showing that colder climates generally produce less methane than warmer regions. This study explores the influence of temperature on methane production in slurry lagoons under Icelandic conditions and evaluates the extent to which geothermal heating could optimize the system. A comparative analysis was conducted between a baseline Icelandic slurry lagoon and a geothermally heated lagoon, using a case study farm in northwest Iceland. Historical air temperature data and nine days of slurry temperature measurements were analyzed. The feasibility of geothermal heating was assessed using heat transfer calculations and methane production was estimated using a methane production model combined with an Arrhenius-type temperature function. Results showed that ambient air temperature near the case study farm remained consistently cold throughout the year, hovering around 0 ºC to 8 ºC. During the nine-day measurement period in April, slurry temperature remained stable around 2.59 ºC, while air temperature fluctuated daily between −2.96 °C to 24.06 °C. Heat balance calculations indicated that the geothermal bleed could provide 188 kW of thermal energy, whereas only 13 kW was required to heat the incoming slurry to optimized conditions. The Arrhenius analysis showed that methane production increases exponentially with temperature, with the baseline lagoon producing an estimated 1,300 m3 of CH4 per year and the heated lagoon producing an estimated 46,000 m3 of CH4 per year. The results indicate that temperature significantly influences methane production in slurry lagoons, and geothermal waste heat could be used to substantially improve biogas yield, allowing farmers to produce their own renewable energy.
Disciplines
Environmental Sciences
Recommended Citation
Foley, Hannah, "The Influence of Temperature on Methane Production in Slurry Lagoons Under Icelandic Conditions and the Potential of Geothermal Heating for Process Optimization" (2026). Iceland: Climate Change and The Arctic. 10.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/icc2/10