One of the most encouraging aspects of this year’s World Biogas Expo was seeing how far the digital journey has come for biogas plants across the sector. The conversations with plant operators about data, AI, and how technology can genuinely improve day-to-day operations reflected a growing maturity in how the industry thinks about these tools.

Working with operators across the sector, one thing has become very clear: every anaerobic digestion plant is at a different stage of its digital journey, and that’s exactly as it should be.

Some organisations have years of high-quality operational data and established digital systems. Others are only beginning to replace spreadsheets or paper logbooks with digital records. Neither position is right or wrong. What matters is taking the next step.

Biogas operators often ask how they can prepare their plant for AI.

Before implementing any AI, the first step is to capture operational data consistently and make it accessible in a digital format.

Digitalisation isn’t an all-or-nothing exercise. Every improvement in data collection creates value. Better reporting leads to better analysis. Better analysis leads to better operational decisions. Over time, that provides the foundation for optimisation and, eventually, AI.

The quality of tomorrow’s AI will depend on the quality of today’s data.

Every feedstock change, laboratory result, maintenance activity and operational decision contributes to a growing body of knowledge about how a plant performs. Organisations that begin capturing that information consistently today will be in a far stronger position to benefit from advanced analytics in the future.

One challenge that became apparent during discussions at the Expo is that “AI” has become an umbrella term for a wide range of technologies.

Different suppliers use it to describe everything from dashboards and trend analysis through to machine learning, optimisation algorithms and large language models. For operators trying to make investment decisions, that can make comparisons difficult.

As technology providers, we have a responsibility to explain these differences clearly.

Simply saying a product uses AI tells an operator very little. We should be explaining what type of model is being used, why it has been chosen, what problem it solves and, just as importantly, where its limitations are.

When operators understand the differences between engineering models, machine learning, optimisation algorithms and generative AI, they are far better equipped to choose technologies that genuinely add value to their business.

Another message reinforced throughout the World Biogas Expo was that successful AI solutions are developed with the industry, not for the industry.

The best digital tools are co-created with operators, process engineers and biologists who understand the realities of running anaerobic digestion plants every day.

Knowledge transfer has to work both ways. Technology companies learn from decades of operational expertise, while operators gain new insights from advances in engineering, data science and artificial intelligence. That collaboration is what turns promising technology into practical solutions that people trust and use.

Digitalisation is most certainly not about replacing operators with algorithms. It’s about giving experienced people better information to support better decision-making in a complex environment.

Whether a plant is introducing digital record keeping for the first time or evaluating advanced optimisation software, every step towards better data management creates value.

The conversations at the World Biogas Expo reinforced that our industry is moving in the right direction. Operators are asking better questions about data, suppliers are developing more capable technologies, and there is a growing recognition that success depends on collaboration rather than technology alone.

At BiofuelAi, we believe our role is to help the industry build the foundations that allow AI to deliver meaningful, measurable improvements in plant performance, profitability and sustainability. This is why we build software with plant operators, not just for them.

Rohit Murali is Director of Customer Success at BiofuelAi. He is passionate about working with biogas plant operators to support digitalisation, data management and the successful adoption of AI-driven optimisation technologies. His focus is helping customers realise practical value from their operational data while ensuring new technologies are deployed in a transparent, collaborative and trusted way.