Germany Contemplates Biogas Rather Than Russian Natural Gas
Is it possible to replace around half of natural gas imports from Russia with Biogas from Germany, and thereby dramatically reduce Germany's dependency on Russian energy?
This is the question resonating around Germany and other European countries nowadays, as Vladimir Putin's Russia continues its War of Aggression on the Ukraine.
Within 5 - 10 years it will be possible to double the production of Biogas in Germany, says the German Professional Association of Biogas in Freising, just outside of Munich. But to reach this level the Association will require a clear signal from Berlin that Biogas plants are desired, maintains Claudius da Costa Gomez, the Director of the Association. Moreover the approval process has to quicken. If these two steps were to be taken in earnest the Biogas sector could ramp up and produce 20 percent more biogas than presently, estimates da Costa Gomez.
In order to do this the bureaucrats have to rethink the capping of the plants which currently prevents the plants from operating with full power. The other advantage of changing capping rules is that inventory of corn and liquid manure, which feeds the bacteria, would be consumed faster.