Rice husk as renewable energy for biogas production from biomass: prospect and challenges

Greenhouse gas emissions go hand in hand with fossil energy consumption. The use of fossil energy has increased sharply in the past 15 years. Biogas is one of renewable energy derived from biomass that can overcome greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the generation of organic solid waste. Some materials with high lignin content are good substrates to increase biogas production. Rice husk is a potential material to be used as a biogas substrate and it is quite abundant in Indonesia. However, its utilization for full scale operation has not been maximized. This review article will discuss the potential of rice husks as substrates and prospects in their implementation including various characteristics, influence factors to optimize and up-scale the biogas production. Further research is needed to increase biogas production and overcome existing obstacles