biogaspartner – a joint initiative.

Introduction.
There are many good reasons for biomethane.
one of the most efficient ways of using biomass for energy production
is the generation of biogas. Innovative technologies are
available on the market, allowing biogas to be upgraded to natural
gas quality – also called “biomethane” or “bio-natural gas”
– and to be fed into the natural gas grid. This process enables the
replacement of conventional natural gas in many areas, thus
representing an important contribution to climate protection.
Currently, about 30 plants feed biomethane into the natural
gas grid in Germany. several other projects are currently being
planned or constructed, with a clear growth trend.
This brochure provides an overview on the various stages
along the value chain of biomethane, from its production to its
4 B I o G a s P a r T n E r – a j o I n T I n I T I a T I v E
applications as well as on political parameters and the market
development of biogas injection in Germany and Europe. The
key virtues and versatility of biomethane are presented in brief
in the following.
Active.climate.protection..
Biomethane extracted from biomass can replace fossil-based
natural gas. It can in this way abate the emissions from greenhouse
gases, and thus achieve an important contribution to
a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy economy.
natural energy sources like biomethane release only as much
Co as is absorbed from the atmosphere by plants as they
2
mature. Thereby, the ideal circumstances for climate-neutral
energy consumption become conceivable.
Reduced.import.dependency.
some 97 percent of Germany’s oil and over 80 percent of the
country’s natural gas is imported. Biomethane, on the other
hand, is created from indigenous, renewable resources and
organic waste products. Legitimate prognoses project a sufficient
amount of resources for biomethane to supply 10 percent
of Germany’s demand for natural gas by 2030. These calculations
take into consideration Germany’s overall energy goals
for the future. This approach would allow the country to import
less natural gas, and to significantly increase energy security
simultaneously.