All subjects
Biogas

Global interest in using biowaste for energy

Generating energy from biogenic wastes is gaining global significance for both developing countries as well as industrial nations. As Munich hosts IFAT, the world’s leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management, at least 200 of the over 3 100 exhibitors are presenting products and services in the areas of biogas plants, substrate and gas treatment, gas utilisation or digestate treatment – including the German Biogas Association.

Great expectations as visitors come from all over the world to IFAT in Munich. The German Biogas Association has groups visiting from numerous countries wanting to tap into anaerobic digestion (AD) knowhow (photo courtesy Messe München).

The IFAT represents the two future markets for the utilisation of biogas: the fermentation of biogenic wastes and the international interest in biogas technology, which has increased strongly. Our staff give lectures from Serbia to Thailand to Chile, and we have groups visiting from South Africa, China, Egypt and Ukraine, explained Dr Claudius da Costa Gomez, CEO of the German Biogas Association.

Both for the Association and for its member companies, foreign business is playing a greater role da Costa Gomez reports. In addition to the energy aspect, the significance of nutrient management with biogas plants is increasing noticeably, on a global scale. Various delegations from all over the world have announced that they will be visiting the German Biogas Association at IFAT.

The European Commission (EC) estimates that, in the European Union (EU) alone, nearly five million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are currently prevented each year by fermenting biowastes. The calculations, based on the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), assume that fossil fuels are replaced by climate-friendly biomethane.

With consistent collection and production of energy, and with the appropriate framework conditions, this value could, the Association says, quadruple as soon as 2020 – to 21.6 million tonnes of avoided GHG emissions.

The Association has a shared stand together with a number of member companies and the Indian Biogas Association (IBA). The IBA and the German Biogas Association have been cooperating for nearly three years in the context of a chamber and association partnership.

Of course, as Europe’s largest biogas association, we are truly pleased with the global increase in interest in the utilisation of biogas. However, at the same time, we need a stable domestic market that is also sustainable into the future so that research and development can continue, da Costa Gomez emphasized.

But currently, little is happening in Germany. Apart from small manure-based plants and waste fermentation plants, since 2017 new construction has come nearly to a halt.

For this reason, da Costa Gomez is demanding a clear statement from German policymakers regarding the renewable energy source biogas as well as stable and long-term framework conditions to strengthen the domestic market, which will enable the important foreign business.

Most read on Bioenergy International

Get the latest news about Bioenergy

Subscribe for free to our newsletter
Sending request
I accept that Bioenergy International stores and handles my information.
Read more about our integritypolicy here