IN ASSOCIATION WITH
AD 2010: POWERING THE WAY FORWARD
BBiogas:iogas: A A GGermanerman
ssuccess storuccess story
Accustomed to being ‘the dirty man of Europe’ the UK is no
stranger to looking to Europe for examples of how to get it right.
Here The German Biogas Association looks back at how the
German biogas industry first got started. Are there lessons for us?
B
IOGAS AS a source of energy is “green“ electricity from solar, wind and
not a recent invention – neither biomass sources and pay the prescribed
in Germany nor anywhere else compensation. The revised Renewable
in the world. First attempts at Energies Act (EEG) enacted in April 2000
burning marsh gas were made as early as adjusted the amount of compensation in such
in the 18th century. Biogas was of particular a way that the operation of biogas plants
interest to German consumers especially at can earn the owner a profit. The amount of
the end of World War II, when the country was compensation is calculated on the basis of
cut off from energy imports and had to rely the type of gas produced and the efficiency of
largely on indigenous sources of electricity the plant. In addition to a fixed base rate, the
and heat. law provides for a number of bonuses – such
Biogas fell back into oblivion after the as for the input of energy crops, the use of products, such as corn or sunflowers, sugar
end of World War II and the new economic heat from cogeneration units or for modern beet or cereal crops, again promised to earn
growth period. Natural oil rose to become the technologies. farmers a profit when the bonus system for
Number One energy source. Speculations Unlike the quota model, the Feeding Act energy crops was adopted after the first
concerning alternative sources were running does not lay down a maximum quantity of amendment of the Renewable Energies Act
rampant in connection with the oil crisis at electricity from renewable sources. There is in 2004. In 2009, about 500,000 hectares
the beginning of the 1970s. About a hundred no upper limit. Meanwhile, the Feeding Act (roughly four per cent) of the arable land were
biogas plants were built and operated by has come to stay. The EEG has become a planted to energy crops for conversion in
idealists in the farming sector mainly of big export and is copied in over 20 European biogas plants.
southern Germany by the end of the 1980s. countries today. The German biogas industry experienced
The scene for the large-scale use of Most biogas plants in Germany are of a unique boom in the years following the
biogas was set 19 years ago, with the farming origin. Many farmers adoption of the bonus for renewable primary
adoption of the Electricity Feeding Act in operate their plants either in products. In 2006 alone, a total of 850 new
1991. Since that year, network operators addition to cattle farming or biogas plants went on stream in Germany.
in Germany are obliged to accept, have completely turned The very big advantage of biogas is its
to energy production diversity: it can be used to produce
and ceased farming. electricity, heat and fuel (there
The cultivation is one pure biogas-filling-
of renewable station in the northern
primary
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