Understanding upscaling and stagnation of farm-based biogas production in Sweden through transitional and farming logics.

Biogas has recently attracted increased attention as an energy carrier in the Swedish agricultural sector. After a few years of growth, the agricultural biogas sector has now plateaued and few new plants have been established in recent years. This paper aims to understand the upscaling and stagnation of farm-based biogas in Sweden using interviews with key stakeholders and document studies. Through a combination of concepts used in socio-technical transition and large technical systems literature, the paper takes stock of national developments with a particular focus on three case regions. With an appreciation of regional contexts and different actor logics driving biogas development, the results present different growth patterns, stagnation factors and possible pathways for future upscaling. The paper concludes with a discussion on the future of the Swedish agricultural biogas sector. • Through interviews and document studies this paper analyses the upscaling and stagnation of farm-based biogas in Sweden. • Farm based biogas have experienced an upscaling in different localities, followed by a period of stagnation. • Possible pathways for future upscaling of biogas production are shaped by farming logics and sustainable transition patterns. • National and regional political engagement is critical for farm-based biogas to play a key sustainability transition role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]