In Germany alone, more than 6,000 biogas plants generate electricity, heat and steam, and for several years they have also produced fuel.

Biogas is a particularly versatile renewable energy source. Its potential is just being discovered in Germany.

Residual material – organic waste from the food industry, slurry and dung from agriculture or biological waste and sewage sludge from cities and municipalities – as well as energy crops such as maize, grass, cereals, sugar beet and lots of other renewable substrates can be used in a biogas plant.

Various microorganisms decompose the biomass into biogas in several steps under anaerobic conditions. The microorganisms digest the carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and lime remain largely unchanged in this process.

Biogas is a gas mixture, the composition of which essentially depends on the feedstock materials. The most important components of biogas are methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen, but also water vapour and traces of hydrogen, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide.

Among all the renewable energy sources, biogas is by far the most versatile.

Biogas:

• can produce electricity, heat and steam in CHP stations (combined heat and power stations).
• is a regional product, also in terms of value creation.
• can be stored, even over periods of days and weeks.
• can be transported.
• can be processed into a product of natural gas quality and be fed into the natural gas distribution system.
• brings about independence.