“Germany speed” is still missing
The expansion of biogas plants is not making progress
September 27, 2023, 3:15 p.m
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In the energy crisis, Germany is desperately looking for alternative sources. Biogas is one possibility. Germany is the leader in Europe here – still. Because the expansion of the facilities is not making progress. Association representatives see hurdles instead of the “Germany pace” proclaimed by Chancellor Scholz.
The expansion of biogas and biomethane plants in Germany is stagnating despite the energy crisis. The trade association now expects “a noticeable decline in new systems and newly installed capacity” this year. Association president Horst Seide complained that “too many legal obstacles and slow approval processes were hindering the urgently needed expansion”. Little of the announced “Germany pace” can be felt here.
Because more and more old plants are being shut down, the number of biogas plants is expected to only increase by 33 to 9,909 this year. The work-relevant output is expected to fall slightly to 3,829 megawatts (MW), and the energy generated will increase slightly to 92 terawatt hours. That corresponds mathematically to around 11 percent of German natural gas consumption, said managing director Manuel Maciejczyk in Freising.
The growth potential is actually enormous – doubling biogas production to 140 terawatt hours is possible without having to grow more energy crops: “Manure, organic waste and agricultural by-products still have a lot of energy potential,” said Seide. This source of electricity and heat is climate-friendly, technically sophisticated and needs to be more closely integrated into the energy policy discussion. “All we need to fully exploit this potential is a reliable and long-term framework.”
According to the association, the leader in biogas is Bavaria with 2,707 systems and 1,458 MW of output, followed by Lower Saxony with 1,691 systems and 1,360 MW of output. Bavaria is also at the forefront when it comes to expansion. The industry represents around 50,000 jobs and over 13 billion euros in sales in Germany. The companies are world market leaders and export their technology to over 120 countries, but need a functioning domestic market to do so, said Maciejczyk. Germany currently accounts for almost half of the amount of biogas produced in the EU – but the trend is falling because other countries are pushing ahead with expansion. The EU Commission wants to increase biomethane production tenfold by 2030.
In a biogas plant, plant and animal waste products ferment without oxygen, usually producing methane and CO2. Both can then be converted into electricity by combustion in combined heat and power plants or refined and fed into the gas network.