Biogas is a renewable energy source that is produced from the fermentation of biomass such as sugar beet, straw or liquid manure. Biogas can be converted directly into electricity and heat or refined into biomethane and fed into the natural gas grid. The advantage of biomethane is that it is climate-neutral and has the same properties as fossil natural gas. But why does biogas not yet play a major role in heat supply in Germany? The SWR programme "Grünes Gas: Was ist dran am Biogas?" from 17 November 2022 explores this question and shows the potential and limitations of biogas.

Moderator Sarah Schommer visits a biogas plant in Anklam that produces biogas and biomethane from sugar beet. It is one of the few plants in Germany that is connected to the natural gas grid. Most biogas plants only use the biogas regionally converted into electricity and heat. The reasons for this are the high costs of refining it into biomethane and the lack of connections to the gas grid. In addition, the production of biogas is expensive and requires a lot of land.

Experts from the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ) and the Wuppertal Institute see biogas as a sustainable and efficient addition to the energy mix. Biogas can fulfil its role optimally if more residual materials such as straw, liquid manure or biowaste are used that do not compete with food. They also argue in favour of better integration of biogas into the energy system, for example by linking the electricity and heating markets or by using biogas as a fuel for vehicles. In a study, the experts conclude that half of the electricity generated from natural gas can be replaced by biogas. In addition, the capacity utilisation of biogas was legally limited. These political barriers only opened up in September 2022 with the 3rd amendment to the Energy Security Act.

Biogas can be a green alternative to fossil natural gas, but there are still many challenges to overcome. The EU has drawn up a biomethane action plan to increase the production of biomethane tenfold by 2030. Whether this succeeds also depends on politics, consumers and producers.

SWR programme from 17.11.2023:

Wärmewende oder Gänsehaut? - SWR Wissen. www.swr.de/wissen/odysso/biogas-aus-zuckerrueben-ueber-potentiale-und-grenzen-100.html