BiogasGPT – knowledge for impact

The project aims to strengthen expertise within Sweden’s biogas sector and increase the climate benefits of biogas systems. We will develop BiogasGPT – a digital knowledge platform that connects research with practical operations. The platform will make it easier to apply new research in biogas production while also feeding practical experience back into academia. BiogasGPT is primarily aimed at farmers, advisors, biogas producers, and the next generation of biogas actors.

The knowledge base builds on the handbook Microbiology of the Biogas Process (Schnürer and Jarvis, 2017), developed in collaboration with Avfall Sverige. The handbook summarizes research on anaerobic digestion, the degradation of organic material without oxygen to produce biogas. It also describes process microbiology, process evaluation, and troubleshooting. In the first phase of the project, we will update the knowledge base through a systematic literature review to incorporate the latest research findings and scientific advances.

The next step is to develop BiogasGPT in collaboration with Örebro universitet. The tool will be based on a so-called RAG system (Retrieval-Augmented Generation). The system stores information in a vector database and retrieves relevant knowledge based on users’ questions.

In the final phase of the project, we will test the tool together with the project’s reference group: Hushållningssällskapet and its network of affiliated farmers, as well as Tekniska Verken, Gasum, and St1 Biokraft. The reference group contributes expertise in advisory services and biogas plant operations. Together, we will identify knowledge gaps and improve the tool. We will also investigate how user data can support better education, advisory services, and the continued development of BiogasGPT.

Photo: Kylee Alons, Unsplash