Biogas production is governed by strict regulations and requires precautions. The levels of danger and potential risks of fire and explosion related to biogas are of the same order, or even lower, than those related to the storage of natural gas and oil. A methanization unit is therefore no more dangerous than a gas station .

As a potentially explosive mixture, biogas requires precautions, but few accidents related to its storage have occurred in France. From 1992 to 2017, 18 cases of fire and 15 cases of explosion were recorded in France by the Ministry of the Environment, with few consequences for local populations and the environment. The risks mainly concern personnel working on methanization sites.

The sites are equipped with gas detectors, fire extinguishers and an access route for firefighters. They are also equipped with a biogas destruction device (e.g. a flare).

The risks of ammonia release into the air or water pollution linked to digestate are controlled by strict rules:

• digestate storage pits are covered and ventilated if necessary;
• the agronomic and sanitary quality of the digestate is checked before spreading;
• spreading respects the isolation distances from watercourses and homes;
• spreading respects minimum deadlines before the return of livestock to the spread plots (meadows);
• spreading is carried out using techniques that limit ammonia emissions.