Biogas Journal Autumn 2025

German Biogas Association | ZKZ 50073 | www.biogas.org

ENGLISH ISSUE | AUTUMN_2025

The trade magazine

Including reports from

Great Britain

Luxembourg

Ukraine

Botswana

Plant operator plans

electric charging points 6

Climate farming:

direct-sown maize 18

Ukraine: 22 billion m³

per year possible 36

2 BIOGAS Journal Autumn_2025

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EDITORIAL

3

German Biogas

Sector Can Breathe

a Sigh of Relief

Dear Readers,

The German biogas sector has been

under considerable pressure in

recent months. This has particularly

affected biogas plants whose first EEG

(Renewable Energy Act) remuneration

period ends this year. These plants

have been required to reapply for

continued remuneration through the

auction system, with many – even those

supplying local heating networks –

facing the risk of closure.

They can now see light at the end of the

tunnel as the EU Commission approved

the so-called “biomass package” at the

very last minute in mid-September. This

relates to amendments to the Renewable

Energy Act (EEG) of 25 February this

year, the notification of which had

unfortunately taken several months.

As a result, the sector can look forward

to a larger auction volume. This year‘s

autumn tender now offers 813 megawatts

of capacity. Originally, only 363 MW

were planned. The so-called flexibility

premium has also been increased to

€100 per kilowatt of installed capacity.

At the same time, stricter flexibility

requirements for biogas plants are

being introduced, together with a

new remuneration system based on

15-minute operating intervals.

In addition, the connection fee will be

increased by two years to a total of twelve

years. But – and this is a downside – the

tiresome so-called endogenous quantity

control will remain in place. Even so, the

biomass package will pave the way for

the expansion of around 3 gigawatts

of flexible biogas power plant capacity,

which will also help to safeguard existing

heat supplies provided by biogas plants

to many villages and municipalities.

However, due to endogenous quantity

control, there is a risk that some plants

will not be awarded contracts despite

the increased tender volume. This would

be disastrous, particularly for those

facilities expected to supply local heating

networks over the coming winter. To put

it bluntly: no electricity remuneration

means no heat production. Transitional

arrangements should therefore be

created for such plants, as they cannot

participate again until the auction on

1 April 2026. A so-called de minimis

scheme would be helpful in the interim.

“De minimis” means that under EU

law, Member States may grant aid to

commercial operations – which account

for around 90 per cent of biogas plants

– without requiring explicit approval

by the Commission. A simple formal

notification would be enough. The

maximum subsidy per business is limited

to €300,000 within three years. The

federal government should introduce

new federal funding for biogas plants

as quickly as possible for the affected

facilities – without changing the

Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).

One thing is certain: the EEG requires

fundamental reform. The current

framework needs to be replaced with

an electricity volume-based model.

In addition, a long-term perspective

is necessary, with sufficient auction

volume made available each year.

Endogenous volume control must be

abolished. And finally, there is the longstanding

issue of grid connections. The

connection of projects – particularly

those with multiple capacity expansions

– is being delayed unnecessarily. This is

slowing down the provision of flexible

reserve capacity from biogas far more

than is acceptable.

The Biomass Package is currently the

defining topic in Germany’s biogas

sector. However, other issues should

not be overlooked. This issue of BIOGAS

Journal includes, among other features,

a case study on a plant operator who

is planning to install truck charging

stations along a motorway. We showcase

how an agricultural contractor grows

maize using no-till sowing. In addition,

the issue contains country reports

from the United Kingdom, Luxembourg,

Ukraine, and Botswana.

Kind regards,

Martin Bensmann

Editor, BIOGAS Journal

German Biogas Association

(Fachverband Biogas e.V.)

4

ENGLISH ISSUE

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BIOGAS Journal Autumn_2025 5

EDITORIAL

3 German Biogas Sector Can Breathe

a Sigh of Relief

By Dipl.-Ing. agr. (FH) Martin Bensmann

GERMANY

6 Using Biogas: Electricity Instead of Diesel

By Dierk Jensen

12

12 Synthetic Fuel from Biogas

By Dr Martin Frey

Climate Farming

18 As little soil disturbance as necessary –

as efficiently as possible

By Dierk Jensen

COUNTRY REPORTS

Great Britain

24 Straw Won’t Work with sawdust

between one’s ears

By Klaus Sieg

Luxembourg

30 Waiting for a Fresh Start

By Dipl.-Pol. Oliver Ristau

24

Ukraine

36 Around 22 billion cubic meters per

year possible

By Geletukha Georgii, Kucheruk Petro,

Matveev Yuri, Pastukh Anna

Botswana

46 “Biogas is a Benefit to my Life”

By Dipl.-Pol. Oliver Ristau

46

6

ENGLISH ISSUE

Using Biogas:

Electricity Instead

of Diesel

Christian Saul takes an unconventional approach: The biogas plant operator

from Schleswig-Holstein plans to establish an electric charging station for

lorries along the motorway.

Author: Dierk Jensen


The driver of the electric lorry made by Volvo connects the charging

plug to his vehicle.

Electricity or diesel? Both drive systems still come to the Ara biogas

plant. In the future, Saul plans to rely entirely on electric lorries.

Photos: Jörg Böthling

A striking number of olive trees, planted in large containers,

adorn the extensive grounds of Ara Biogas GmbH & Co

KG. Melons thrive in the company’s own greenhouse. You

would think you were in the Mediterranean. But far from it,

the 4.8-megawatt biogas plant is located in the middle of

Schleswig-Holstein, to be more exact in Brokenlande, directly

on the A7 motorway.

The geographical location itself is strategically advantageous

– “there has always been an abundance of biomass here” –

but in the future, it could prove to be a winning ticket. “We

intend to build an electric charging station for lorries right

next to the motorway,” says company founder and managing

director Christian Saul with determination.

28 Charging Points Planned Along the Motorway

The 55-year-old naturally arrives for his appointment in an

electric vehicle, charging it at the company’s own charging

point. In the modest site office, housed in a 20-foot container,

he outlines the project, for which he intends to invest around

20 million euros. “We will install 28 charging columns in a row,”

explains Saul, “allowing lorry drivers to charge their vehicles

simultaneously using the latest charging technology in the

shortest possible time. We are located here on the main axis

between Scandinavia and Central Europe, and it is right here

that the demand for charging electricity will be extremely high

in the future.”

There’s a sparkle in the eyes of the biogas producer as he speaks

about his planned pioneering project, which, at this scale,

certainly is unique. Although there are still many uncertainties

in the future economic equation, Saul is convinced that the

technological shift from diesel to electricity, even in the heavy

goods sector, will happen faster than expected.

For a long time, he had also considered converting his plant to

produce biomethane, but in 2023 “finally decided to abandon

the plan.” From his perspective, the switch to biomethane

could not currently be justified economically due to the high

costs involved. Moreover, he considers the CNG market for

heavy transport as “marginal” – at least in Germany.

However, after a quarter of a century of involvement in renewable

energy, Saul has seen many abrupt changes in direction, so he’s

not entirely ruling out the biomethane ambitions. Should the

price of CO2 rise significantly – whenever that may be – then it

could still become a viable business model.

In any case, an unexpected e-mobility euphoria has taken hold

in the world of truckers. “Take a look at the YouTube videos on

electric trucks and you’ll see what’s happening in that sector

right now,” Saul says with enthusiasm, clearly pleased about

the rapidly shifting perception within the heavy goods scene.

All Major HGV Manufacturers Launch New E-Trucks

Indeed, the IAA Transportation trade fair held in Hanover this

September of 2024 accurately reflected Saul’s assessment:

All the major manufacturers – like Iveco, Volvo, Daimler, DAF

or MAN – are going on the technological offensive with

new electric trucks. Both the range of products on offer

and the level of interest in the new drive technologies were

immense: 1,700 exhibitors from 41 countries showcased their

predominantly electromobility-based innovations to over

145,000 visitors.

Green fingers: Numerous olive trees line

the outdoor areas of the site, which also

houses a nursery.

8

ENGLISH ISSUE

Several car charging stations are located next to the greenhouse.

In turbulent times, despite constant high-level criticisms,

Hildegard Müller, President of the German Association of the

Automotive Industry (VDA), stated in Hanover, almost defiantly

toward policymakers: “We deliver. Our industry is driving the

transformation. The IAA has impressively demonstrated

that our sector is actively advancing the shift towards

climate-neutral and digital solutions through investment

and innovation, and that we have already developed the

products for the many challenges and brought them to market

readiness.”

But at the same time, it also became clear in Hanover,

Müller continued, that “the biggest obstacle to a fast,

successful and nationwide rollout of climate-neutral drives

is the necessary infrastructure – this particularly applies

to charging infrastructure and the pre-emptive expansion

of the grid, as well as to hydrogen filling stations. All the

relevant stakeholders must now be held accountable. A clear

roadmap must be established with regular monitoring and

corresponding opportunities for adjustment. To make decisive

progress here, Berlin and Brussels must now develop and

implement an infrastructure offensive as quickly as possible.”

“I want to build something on

the motorway that everyone is

clamouring for”

Christian Saul

The Managing Director’s Audi e-tron

at the quick charger.

Melons and olive

trees thrive in the

greenhouses of

the horticultural

business thanks to

the waste heat from

the biogas plant.


Photo: Ara Biogas GmbH

Christian Saul’s biogas plant in

Brokenlande has an installed electrical

capacity of 4.8 megawatts.

The biogas plant of ARA Biogas

GmbH at its Brokenlande site, with

the nursery greenhouse in the

bottom left corner.

Statements that undoubtedly add fuel to the fire for someone

like Christian Saul. “I want to build something on the motorway

that everyone is clamouring for,” emphasises the trained

horticulturist and graduate in business administration.

Nevertheless, and this is also part of the truth, only a fraction

of the lorries currently speeding past Brokenlande are actually

powered without diesel.

At this point in time, there would most likely not be any queues

at Saul’s fast charging stations. Yet this pioneer wants to

combine what, in his view, naturally belongs together. In order

to offer haulage companies across the world a long-term low

charging price of around 20 cents per kilowatt hour, he intends

to source wind and solar power from the local area, route it

directly to the biogas plant, and supplement it with flexible

biogas-generated electricity. This will ultimately create an

optimal pricing structure at the charging point.

Saul estimates the share of biogas electricity at no more than

15 per cent; far more important to him, however, is that biogas

production will serve as the central interface for electricity,

storage and pricing. At the same time, they will continue

supplying heat to the greenhouse, municipal buildings in

Brokenlande, and also to facilities in the village of Großenaspe.

Due to the fermentation of residual materials and slurry, and

the associated eligibility under the GHG quota for fuels with

the resulting additional revenue, their share will increase to 60

per cent.

From the fermenter into the truck battery: ARA Biogas GmbH aims

to supply electricity for electric vehicles on a large scale.

Direct Line from Wind and Solar Park to Biogas

Plant and On to the Charging Station

As a result, the use of maize will be significantly reduced, Saul

continues. However, in order to ultimately be able to offer prices

below those of diesel, exemption from the usual grid fees is

essential. “Since we will be laying a direct line from the wind

and solar park to the biogas plant and then on to the charging

station, I don’t see why we should have to pay grid transit fees

in the future.” However, this issue has not yet been definitively

resolved with the grid operator SH Netz.

At least the entrepreneur is already receiving positive feedback

from the Schleswig-Holstein State Ministry for Energy

Left: Electric tanker lorries from Nord-Spedition already come

regularly to the Brokenlande biogas plant site for fast charging.

Right: There is already one lorry charging station, and many more

are planned for the future.

10

ENGLISH ISSUE

Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature

(MEKUN): “The Ministry welcomes the planned construction

of a charging station with 28 charging points on the A7. This

investment will make a significant contribution to the state’s

and the federal government’s efforts to establish a nationwide

charging infrastructure for electromobility.

Particularly at strategically important traffic hubs such as

motorways, infrastructure like that plays a crucial role in

enabling long-distance travel using electric vehicles, thus

accelerating the transition to climate-friendly drives. The

initiative fits seamlessly into the national efforts within the

framework of the Germany Network, which aims to establish

a dense fast-charging network across Germany,” states press

spokeswoman Martina Gremler.

“The project will make a

valuable contribution to the

energy transition”

Joschka Knuth

And State Secretary Joschka Knuth adds: “The project will

make a valuable contribution to the energy transition and to

achieving our climate targets in Schleswig-Holstein. We support

the efforts of operators who are advancing sustainable mobility

in the region.” So, is everything running smoothly? Essentially,

yes – but Christian Saul, based on his own experiences over the

past decades, remains cautious. He is no stranger to bad news.

Be it the failed entry into the CO₂ certificate market or the

former breakdowns of his CHP units, which more than ten years

ago nearly drove him to bankruptcy and led him to become a

founding member of the Biogas Engine Interest Group.

The IPO of REpower AG, which Saul as the responsible employee

of the then-financing Westbank initiated in the early 2000s, was

just as notable. The company was later renamed Senvion and

acquired by Siemens. No doubt there is a lot going on, yet Saul has

PRACTICAL TEST FOR ELECTRIC HGVS:

“THE THING IS RUNNING”

The Volvo FH Electric has been in use at Christian Saul’s biogas

operation for over a year. The battery-powered HGV, with

an electric motor output of 490 kW, transports substrates

into the fermenter and removes the digestate. The lorry’s

six batteries can store 540 kilowatt-hours and are charged

at a 300-kW charging station, powered by biogas electricity,

located directly next to the CHP units of the biogas plant.

In theory, the heavy-duty vehicle can be fully charged in

under two hours; in practice, smaller charging intervals

are chosen, coordinated with the length of the daily routes

driven. Around 190 kilowatt-hours are on board after 45

minutes – which is sufficient for most routes. The lorry’s

range is 250 kilometres, according to Saul; the manufacturer

claims it is 300 kilometres. In winter, performance drops

somewhat – instead of 1.1 kilowatt-hours per kilometre, the

vehicle consumes 1.5 kilowatt-hours, which somewhat limits

the range, but: “The thing is running. We’re satisfied.”

Meanwhile, charging technology is developing rapidly: 1,000

kW will soon be the standard. Moreover, the so-called Mega

Charging System (MCS), with a capacity of 3.5 megawatts, is

on the rise, with between six and ten units planned for the

lorry charging station at the A7 motorway. The acquisition

of the Volvo FH Electric is not cheap. The purchase price is

€350,000 – around €230,000 more than the conventional

version.

However, electric HGV entrepreneur Saul received 80 percent

of the additional costs through federal funding from the

Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM). Apart

from the fact that green electricity is already cheaper per

kilometre than diesel, Saul points in particular to a much

more significant cost-saving effect in the heavy goods sector

with electric drives: Electric trucks will not be subject to any

toll charges at all until 2025; after that, toll charges will be

around 90 percent lower than for diesel engines. “A major

cost advantage of electricity over diesel,” Saul calculates.

Text: Dierk Jensen

From biomass, waste and slurry comes

biogas, and from gas, electricity, which then

flows directly into electromobility.

“Legoland” is not far from Brokenlande: Large concrete blocks

separate the storage areas for separated digestate solids.


remained in the market. His corporate network now employs 25

people, and in addition to the Brokenlande site, there are three

other operational locations in which Ara is involved. Around 35

million kilowatt hours of electricity are generated each year in

Brokenlande alone, generating around seven million euros in a

“normal year” thanks to successful marketing by Wemag

“It’s worth it,” Saul states, making no secret of the fact that

extraordinary profits were made after the war began in Ukraine.

For Saul, this is no reason to sit back and do nothing. Instead,

he now wants to use these surpluses to make his biogas

production sustainable for the future as an integral control unit

between wind, water and solar energy.

In keeping with the motto: “If you’re transporting slurry, don’t

spread just any old rubbish”, as seen on one of the lorries

arriving at the Ara premises. Incidentally, one of the company’s

own lorries is already electrically powered, although it cost

nearly twice as much as a conventional model. But as the

saying goes: Those who come too late are punished by life.

The Managing Director Christian Saul charges his Audi e-tron at

the company’s own fast-charging point using electricity generated

from biogas.

Author

Dierk Jensen

Freelance Journalist

Bundesstr. 76 · 20144 Hamburg ∙ Germany

00 49 1 72/453 45 47

dierk. jensen@gmx.de

www.dierkjensen.de

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12

ENGLISH ISSUE

Synthetic Fuel from Biogas

In Jülich, Synhelion AG produces renewable kerosene at a pilot plant. The world‘s first

industrial solar fuel plant has commenced operations under the project name of “DAWN”

in Jülich, near Aachen. The facility generates synthetic fuel using sunlight. Biogas serves

as the source of carbon – offering the biogas sector a promising new perspective.

BIOGAS Journal spoke with CEO and co-founder Dr. Gianluca Ambrosetti about the

development.

Author: Dr Martin Frey

The transport sector has so far remained a largely untapped

market for renewable energy. Due to the massive use of

fossil fuels, CO2 emissions continue to rise. Fifteen percent

of current emissions come from the transport sector alone.

Fuels based on renewable sources can help to remedy this

situation. Currently, around 15 per cent of global emissions

stem from the transport sector alone. Renewable-based fuels

offer a viable solution here. The required synthesis gases could

help close the carbon cycle, thereby contributing to a carbonneutral

transport sector.

The Swiss company Synhelion has set itself the ambitious goal

of enabling sustainable mobility. It is a spin-off of the Swiss

Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), where decades

of leading-edge research laid the foundation for a process

that has the potential to revolutionise aviation. Synhelion was

founded in 2016 by scientist Dr. Gianluca Ambrosetti, who is

now one of the company’s two CEOs. Shortly afterwards, Dr.

Philipp Furler joined as his partner.

As part of his research work at ETH Zurich, Furler had initially

already produced fuel from CO2 and water in the laboratory in

Photos: Synhelion AG

In the yellow container, the solar crude oil

produced by the Synhelion process is filled

into barrels. The solar tower can be seen in

the background, with sunlight concentrated

onto its summit by an array of mirrors.


2014. A demonstration plant followed in Zurich in 2019, and in

that same year the process was applied on a larger scale in

Madrid. In 2020, Synhelion announced a world record when its

self-developed receiver delivered high-temperature process

heat of 1,550 degrees Celsius. Today, the Synhelion team

consists of around 50 employees and is preparing to expand

even further.

Renewable Fuel from CO2, CH4, and H₂O

The company has developed a process that uses solar thermal

energy to produce synthetic fuels. Carbon dioxide, biomethane,

and water are first converted into synthesis gas (2 H2 + CO),

which can then be transformed into petrol, diesel, kerosene, or

methanol using the Fischer–Tropsch process – a “gas-to-liquid”

technology first patented in 1925. Potential carbon sources

include biomass, recycled CO2 from industrial processes, or

CO2 captured directly from the atmosphere. In the latter case,

the carbon dioxide is extracted from ambient air using a CO2

capture system known as Direct Air Capture (DAC).

In Jülich, concentrated sunlight is generated using a 1,500

square-metre mirror field with 218 trackable individual

mirrors, known as heliostats. The 600 kilowatts of solar

thermal power is directed onto a 20-metre-high tower, at

the top of which is a solar receiver that generates steam at a

temperature of over 1,500 degrees Celsius (°C). This steam is

fed into a thermochemical reactor to produce synthesis gas

from the raw materials. The steam, which is still 500 °C hot,

is then returned to the receiver. A heat storage unit enables

the process to continue around the clock, even when the sun

is not shining.

Jülich: Utilising an Existing Mirror Field

The site in Jülich offers Synhelion optimal conditions to

demonstrate its concept at an industrial scale. For the past 15

years, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) has operated a solar

mirror field at this location, where experiments are carried

out on two solar towers. In one of these towers, the so-called

Multifocus Tower, Synhelion was able to test its solar synthesis

gas production in 2021 and 2022. Just a few kilometres away,

the company has now built its own facility, specifically adapted

to meet the requirements of the Synhelion process.

For the time being, solar fuel production at the site will be

conducted in demonstration batches. The facility is capable of

producing several thousand litres of sustainable fuel annually –

including renewable kerosene, diesel, or petrol. The renewable

kerosene is also referred to as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

The quantity produced corresponds approximately to the fuel

consumption of a single medium-haul passenger flight.

To enable significantly higher production volumes, larger-scale

facilities will be necessary – located in regions with greater

solar yield. Germany is generally only suitable for pilot or

demonstration plants, as the technology depends on a high

number of hours of direct sunlight. In this regard, countries

such as Spain are far more suitable.

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14

ENGLISH ISSUE

Technical procedure

The four innovative developments

from Synhelion

-Heliostat

-Solar-Receiver

-thermochemical reactor

-thermal heat storage unit

Solar radiation

Receiver

Steam (~500°C)

to the receiver

Reactor

Supply of CO2, H2O, CH4

Heat storage

TOWER CHAMBER

Syngas

Mirror field/Heliostat

The solar radiation is

reflected by a field of

mirrors (heliostats)

and concentrated on

the receiver.

The receiver converts

solar energy into

high-temperature

process heat.

The generated heat is fed

into the thermochemical

reactor, which converts

CO2, water and methane

into synthesis gas – a

mixture of H2 and CO2.

The synthesis gas is

then processed into

fuels such as petrol,

kerosene or diesel

using the ‘gas-toliquid’

process.

To enable continuous

operation of the

plant, part of the heat

generated is stored

in a thermal energy

storage system.

Diagram: Synhelion AG

The Synhelion process comprises the mirror field along with the components installed in the tower chamber:

The solar receiver, the thermochemical reactor, and the thermal energy storage system

The Process as a New Opportunity for the Biogas Sector

A reliable carbon source is essential for the process: “For

the DAWN demonstration plant in Jülich, we source RED IIcertified

raw biogas from local suppliers,” explains Dr. Gianluca

Ambrosetti, co-founder and co-CEO of Synhelion. Ambrosetti

holds a PhD in Physics/Nanotechnology from EPFL Lausanne

and has held various roles in the solar industry.

The biogas used is produced via anaerobic digestion of

agricultural residues and waste materials. According to

Ambrosetti, it is delivered in compressed form as biomethane

and bio-CO2. However, the carbon input can also be sourced

from biogas derived from production waste in the paper

industry, from CO2 emissions in the cement sector, or through

Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology.

According to Ambrosetti, Synhelion’s process presents a

promising new opportunity for the biogas sector: “As the

technology scales up, demand for biogas will also increase,

which calls for early planning,” he notes. For the Jülich facility,

Synhelion is still open to collaborating with further partners

from the biogas industry.

The reason for using biogas as the primary carbon source at this

stage is straightforward: “Since CO2 from Direct Air Capture is

currently still very costly, we will initially continue to work with

RED II-certified raw biogas.” Another noteworthy point, in his

opinion, is the significantly higher carbon efficiency achieved

“As the technology scales up, the

demand for biogas will also increase”

Dr. Gianluca Ambrosetti, co-founder

and co-CEO of Synhelion

by combining solar heat with biomass – far exceeding that of

other methods for producing sustainable fuels. “This means

we can generate two to three times more fuel from the same

amount of biomass,” he adds

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16

ENGLISH ISSUE

A total of 218 mirrors

concentrate direct sunlight

onto a 20-metre-high tower,

at the top of which are located

a solar receiver and the

thermochemical reactor.

The sunlight is focused onto a single point and directed into the

receiver located behind it, where process steam at approximately

1,500 °C is generated. This steam supplies the reforming process used

to produce synthesis gas.

High Investment Requirements for Further Expansion

In addition to the technological challenges, financing has also

been a crucial factor in the project’s development. To date,

Synhelion has raised around €70 million in capital. The cost of

building the facility in Jülich, which took a year and a half to

complete, is in the low double-digit million range, of which €3.9

million euros was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic

Affairs and Climate Protection. For further expansion, the

company is once again seeking new investors.

The solar aviation fuel is now set to be introduced to the market.

To this end, Synhelion has established a strategic partnership

with the Lufthansa Group and its subsidiary, Swiss International

Air Lines (SWISS). SWISS is Synhelion’s first customer for

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). In return, the airline partners

have committed to supporting the commercialisation of the fuel.

The Swiss automotive group AMAG is also among Synhelion’s

key customers. Notable investors include the Italian oil

company Eni and the engineering firm SMS group. Synhelion

also receives public funding from Germany, Switzerland, and

the United States.

EU Aims to Promote Sustainable Fuels

The process holds enormous potential: So far, fuel from

sustainable sources has played a negligible role in the global

aircraft fleet, accounting for only 0.2 per cent of the total.

However, starting next year, an EU mandate will require at

least 2 per cent of the kerosene used in aircraft departing from

EU airports to consist of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This

regulatory shift is creating growing pressure to act.

In subsequent years, the proportion of green aviation fuels

is set to increase further, which is likely to present strong

commercial opportunities for companies such as Synhelion.

Compared with aviation fuels produced using solar or windbased

electricity, Synhelion believes its solar-thermal process

has a competitive edge. As CEO Philipp Furler explained to the

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “This will be the most costeffective

sustainable aviation fuel.” The key advantage lies in

the reduced number of energy conversion steps in the solarthermal

process, which results in lower overall energy losses.

So time is of the essence. The next step will be to construct

the first commercial-scale plant, expected to begin operations

in 2025 with a production capacity of 1,000 tonnes per year. By

2033, Synhelion plans to scale up to one million tonnes annually.

By 2040, the company aims to further expand its capacity to

cover around half of Europe’s total SAF demand. By then, the

target price per litre of fuel is projected to be between €1 and

€2 – bringing it close to parity with conventional kerosene,

which currently costs just under €1 per litre.

Further information at: www.synhelion.com

Author

Dr. Martin Frey

Specialized Journalist

Specialist Agency Frey - Communication for Renewable Energies

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0049 6131/619278-0

mf@agenturfrey.de

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18

ENGLISH ISSUE

Climate Farming

As little soil disturbance as necessary –

as efficiently as possible

Just south of Lüneburg begins the Lüneburg Heath – a region characterised by

sandy and loamy-sandy soils with arable indices ranging from 20 to 60. Despite

being stony in places, it offers good conditions for arable farming. However, with

average annual precipitation of only around 630 millimetres, many arable farmers

in the area now rely on irrigation systems. Lars-Wilhelm Funk is one of those

farmers, irrigating 90 per cent of his 330-hectare arable land.

Author: Dierk Jensen

He has not used a plough on his farm for the last 25 years. The

crop rotation is relatively broad, comprising wheat, oilseed

rape, barley, sugar beet, grain maize and legumes. He places

particular emphasis on alternating between leaf and cereal

crops. Funk’s true passion, however, lies not so much in the

crops themselves, but in agricultural machinery – a passion

that is reflected in the name of the company he founded in

2007: LWF AgroTec GmbH & Co KG. The name combines the

initials of his own name with his strong affinity for technology.

His enterprise includes his own agricultural operation, Hof

Funk, as well as acting as the official representative for the

French agricultural machinery manufacturer Agrisem. At the

end of 2023, Funk founded Agrisem Deutschland together

with the French company. At Agritechnica in Hanover, he

announced his intention to “further accelerate the brand’s

development in Germany.” His promise: Not only to sell

agricultural machinery – and specifically no-till technology –

but also to offer sound, practice-oriented service backed by

his own hands-on experience.

The 43-year-old farmer has been using Agrisem’s Strip-till

technology on his own fields for more than four years. This was

again the case this spring – during the first days of May, to be

more exact – when, after a prolonged period of rain, a brief, dry

period of around 14 days finally started in northern Germany.

In wet springs, the time slots for fieldwork are extremely

short. Although this is also a challenge for no-till farmers

like Lars-Wilhelm Funk, they manage well with their

technique.

Photos: Dierk Jensen


Jannis Wolf checks to make sure that the coulters are set correctly.

Top: The STRIPCAT II element: Cutting, clearing, loosening and

reconsolidating.

The clearing wheels of the AGRISEM STRIPCAT II are pneumatically

controlled, which is essential for creating a fine seedbed.

Sowing in Strip-Till Rows

During this short space of time, spring fieldwork – including

maize sowing – had to be carried out at high capacity. On this

sunny May evening, Funk is working at a rapid pace with his

Chief seed drill, planting maize into a weed-free field cleared

by a glyphosate application. The seed rows had just been

prepared with the Strip-Cat II immediately prior to drilling.

“Yes, glyphosate is an indispensable all-round tool for us,”

says Funk, energetically jumping down from the cab of his

240-horsepower Fendt tractor, which pulls the 6-metre wide,

twelve-row drill. He walks along a sown row, exposes the

seedbed with his hands and digs down to the seed depth.

The red grain lies perfectly placed in the soil, the next one lies

exactly 20 centimetres further along the row.

“You see, it can hardly be done more precisely,” says Funk,

drawing attention to the ridges between the rows, where a

thin layer of crop residues from the previous crop provides

erosion protection. Looking at the overall picture, he openly

speaks in favour of the much-maligned active ingredient

glyphosate. Rather than getting caught up in the debate

about pros and cons, he prefers to point to the very small

amounts of the controversial herbicide that he ultimately

uses with the Strip-till method.

Of course, if it worked just as well without agrochemicals,

he’d be on board. But – well, ifs and buts. He does respect

organic farming, but from the perspective of sustainable

climate protection in agriculture, he simply does not find

the high level of mechanical intervention required for soil

cultivation – ploughing, hoeing, harrowing, and cultivating –

very convincing.

20

ENGLISH ISSUE

Jannis Wolf: Trained farmer and product expert for AGRISEM’s

German sales division.

The FurrowForce closing system on the AGRISEM CHIEF.

Minimally Invasive Soil Disturbance

From his perspective, the minimally invasive approach is the

great strength of the Strip-till method, which is focused on soil

conservation. For him, it is simply a form of local soil cultivation

in which only the seed row is worked rather than the entire

field. This makes it particularly well-suited to row crops such

as maize, sunflowers, oilseed rape, soya beans or sugar beet.

The spaces between the rows remain completely untouched,

allowing the soil and soil life to be left undisturbed. A major

advantage of this is that root structures in the upper soil

layers are not damaged, meaning moisture is retained. This

offers crops additional moisture reserves, which is particularly

valuable during extended periods of drought stress, which in

the Lüneburg Heath region have occurred repeatedly in recent

years. In the face of climate change and increasingly frequent

extreme weather events, such reserves are becoming more

and more important and are not typically preserved through

conventional tillage.

On this sunny and nearly windless May evening, with the

blades of the nearby wind turbines at a standstill, Funk

appears thoroughly satisfied. In the first step, the Strip-Cat II

made by the manufacturer Agrisem, pulled by a 360 hp tractor,

created a fine and homogeneous seedbed that provided ideal

conditions for subsequent drilling: The fertiliser – 21 kilograms

of nitrogen and 51 kilograms of phosphorus per hectare – was

precisely placed at the target depth of 15 centimetres, with 20

centimetres being the maximum depth possible.

More than Half of the Soil Remains Untouched

With row spacing of 50 centimetres and a working strip

width of 20 centimetres, a full 3.60 metres of the field remain

uncultivated. This means that more than half of the soil is left

undisturbed. The near-perfect seedbed, despite the presence

of some stones, is achieved through a number of technical

features: robust cutting discs open the soil, while the clearing

stars – pneumatically controlled at pressures of around 3 bar

and arranged in a parallelogram configuration – comb or clear

the remaining straw from the seedbed.

At the same time, sufficient soil loosening down to a depth

of 25 centimetres is made possible thanks to hydraulically

guided tines, and a final ridge formation is achieved using

a pressurised packer with flexible pressure settings and

adjustable side discs. Finally, a pneumatic pressure control

system for the finger rollers – allowing each working element

to be individually loaded and unloaded – ensures that the soil

is adequately reconsolidated and crumbled.

There is no doubt that a great deal of technical ingenuity has

gone into the Strip-Cat II, which delivers impressively precise

results in the field. Fuel consumption for the 6-metre-wide

Strip-till implement is around 6 litres of diesel per hectare.

In addition to injecting fertiliser, liquid manure can also be

applied with pinpoint accuracy.

Lars-Wilhelm Funk is a strong

advocate of Strip-Till.


The precision seeder in operation: Over 250 HP is required

to pull the Agrisem eight-row drill.

Above: Detail: The CHIEF Wilger

Ballflow-Kit.

Middle: In the foreground, the air bellow of

the STRIPCAT II.

Bottom: The air bellows on the STRIPCAT II

are adjusted via a control panel.

22

ENGLISH ISSUE

Image series left: Sophisticated

technology that has proven itself:

Precise placement of individual seeds

is guaranteed, same as the accurately

measured and ideally positioned

fertilisation.

Expanding the Sales Network

In order to introduce the functionality and high efficiency of

the Strip-Cat II within no-till arable farming to a wider audience

of farmers and biogas producers across Germany, Funk is

gradually expanding the Agrisem Deutschland sales network.

For this purpose, he has hired committed sales representatives

to cover the North, South, West and East regions and is still

actively seeking motivated new team members.

The common message and unifying theme among all sales staff

and advisors is Strip-tillage or Strip-till, which is still a relatively

new soil cultivation method in Europe. It aims to combine the

benefits of conventional tillage (yield stability) with those of

direct seeding (erosion protection). The technique originates

from practices developed in the USA, where it has long been

used successfully in maize cultivation.

The dead plant material from the previous crop left on the soil

surface also provides protection against drying out. Despite

this, it is estimated that currently only 30 Strip-Till units from

Agrisem – each costing €120,000 – are in use across Germany.

The number of CHIEF seed drills in operation is even lower,

with only 15 machines currently carrying out soil-conserving

work between the Rhine and the Oder.

“We’re Selling a Concept”

Lars-Wilhelm Funk

Precise and efficient work pattern following

maize drilling with the Stripcat II and CHIEF.


09 – 11 December 2025

Nuremberg, Germany

“We’re not just selling machines. We’re selling a concept,”

emphasises Funk, outlining his philosophy in the presence

of employee Jannis Wolf, who is responsible for agricultural

operations at Hof Funk. “We are collecting experience on

our own land. We’re fully aware of the challenges presented

by varying conditions,” says the 26-year-old qualified

farmer.

He highlights the importance of details using tyres as an

example. In addition to the dual wheels on the towing

tractor, the tyres on the Strip-Cat are precisely positioned

to run exactly between the ridges. Furthermore, Wolf and

Funk are keen to point out the climate-friendly arguments

in favour of conservation tillage practices.

Because aside from the benefits for the soil and the crops

grown on it, improved carbon management also leads

to lower emissions in arable farming. The savings start

with reduced fuel consumption, continue through lower

fertiliser and crop protection inputs, and extend to the

cultivation of summer cover crops – the latter being a wellknown

method for carbon sequestration. All of these are

aspects that speak clearly in favour of the arable farming

philosophy followed by Funk and his team.

Author

Dierk Jensen


Bundesstr. 76 · 20144 Hamburg ∙ Germany

00 49 1 72/453 45 47

dierk. jensen@gmx.de

www.dierkjensen.de

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24

ENGLISH ISSUE

Cambridge

Great Britain

Straw Won’t Work with

sawdust between one’s ears

Producing biogas exclusively from straw is a real challenge. An agricultural entrepreneur

in the UK is mastering it with an industrial-scale plant, designed and built by Agraferm

from Germany.

Author: Klaus Sieg


A new Stonehenge made of straw? Or perhaps an Aztec

temple complex? Whatever the comparison, the impressive

giants standing in a green field beside the country road are

certainly impressive. Over 20,000 straw bales stacked into

the blue sky. Just a few metres away stands the next giant

structure: the Mepal biogas complex in Cambridge, one of the

largest on the British Isles.

Parts I to III of the plant comprise twelve digesters – four with a

volume of 3,300 cubic metres and eight with 5,800 cubic metres

– as well as eight secondary digesters, each with a capacity of

5,000 cubic metres. Total volume: 100,000 cubic metres. Soon,

in addition to generating 17 megawatts of electricity, a total of

5,100 cubic metres of biomethane per hour will also be fed into

the grid. That’s impressive!

At the time it was built, the Mepal I biogas plant was one of the largest

in the world.

Multiple Gas Grid Connection Points

“Mepal I was commissioned ten years ago and, at that time,

was one of the largest biogas plants in the world,” says

Markus Ott, Senior Product Manager at Agraferm GmbH & BTA

International GmbH. Mepal I produces electrical energy, heat,

and biomethane. Mepal II has been feeding biomethane into

the UK grid since last year. Mepal III is under construction and

will also be connected this year. The output is already so high

that gas has to be fed in at multiple grid connection points.

Agraferm has designed, planned and built all three plants for

the operator Pretoria Energy Ltd.

The route across the site passes gas pipelines with a diameter

of 40 centimetres and a flare almost the size of a lighthouse.

In addition to the industrial scale of Mepal, it is above all the

feedstock that is exceptional. Mepal I initially operated with

sugar beet and maize; however, part of this was replaced by

cereal straw. The two new plants run exclusively on cereal straw.

This explains the huge stack of straw bales on the surrounding

fields. Each plant requires an annual amount of 90,000 tonnes

of straw for mono-operation.

Does the feedstock provide an alternative to energy crops,

slurry, or other organic waste? Depending on the region,

straw may be either in surplus or in short supply. So it can be

inexpensive – but not necessarily. Since straw does not contain

many nutrients, the digestate from the biogas plant does not

count much in terms offertiliser regulations.

Compared to maize silage, wheat straw contains only half as

much nitrogen. Straw also has a high dry matter content, so

it requires less storage volume after fermentation. However,

more process water must be used during digestion. The gas

yield from straw, depending on pre-treatment, is approximately

70 per cent that of maize silage.

The processing and commercialisation of CO₂ is widespread in the

United Kingdom.

One of the external straw storage sites is visible from a long way off.

Photos: Martin Egbert

Feedstock with up to 15 Per Cent DM

Straw presents a challenge in terms of logistics, processing,

fermenters, pumps, pipelines and agitators, and thus especially

for the plant manufacturer. How can such solid input material

be handled effectively without diluting it more and more with

water, and without the need to build ever larger digesters? “We

make sure that the substrate can be processed at a very thick

consistency, with up to 15 per cent dry matter content.”

Markus Ott climbs the steel ladder up to one of the digesters.

It stands 11 metres tall. The roof is a solid concrete slab,

The paddle mixers designed by Agraferm operate at low revolutions,

saving energy and reducing wear.

26

ENGLISH ISSUE

Only Mepal I generates electrical power via generators.

making it walkable and providing a sturdy mount for the

agitators. “We designed vertical paddle agitators ourselves.

They stir at low rotational speeds – eight to nine revolutions

per minute,” explains Ott. Stirring gently in a laminar flow

instead of agitating turbulently saves energy and reduces

wear, although it also means that each digester needs seven

agitators. However, they do not all run simultaneously.

Sensors monitor the motors, the fill level of the digester, and the

viscosity of the substrate, allowing for largely automated control

of the agitators. Agraferm has long worked on speed-controlled

agitators. These allow adjustments when the feedstock changes

– for example, when coarser straw of lower quality makes the

mixture especially viscous. More heavily weathered straw has a

higher fibre content. On the other hand, it is cheaper, as it is no

longer suitable for use as bedding, for instance.

The transport of liquefied CO₂ is carried out using dedicated tankers.

Even though the hall is open, the operator prefers not to reveal details

of the straw pre-treatment process.

A waxy protective layer and dense fibre structure make breaking down

straw a technical challenge.

No Floating Layers

On the way back down, Markus Ott stops at the round

inspection window. The substrate is thick, almost firm enough

to cut. “Nothing floats, but it’s wet.” Ott nods with satisfaction.

Agraferm systems accurately measure, calculate, and regulate

the proportion of dry matter that can still be mixed and

mobilised. Sensors also monitor pressure.

Due to the size of the digester and the viscosity of the

substrate, the raw gas must overcome a high pressure to rise.

However, it is essential to prevent the formation of any dead

zones within the digester. “In the past, people mocked us for

this level of precision, calling us academics,” Ott recalls. But

with a feedstock like straw, this precision pays off.

The many access points for flushing and sampling throughout

the plant are a direct response to this requirement. The Mepal

facility also features a built-in level of redundancy. Three pumps

are available for two digesters, in case one fails. The feed

system is also secured in the same way. One unit stands on

either side of each digester in the row. This setup allows four

digesters to be supplied and safeguarded using five feeding

systems. “In a plant like this, a day without raw gas from the

main fermenter costs a lot of money,” Ott explains – which is

why the effort is worthwhile.

Straw: Degradation Rate Over 90 Percent

Straw typically remains in the digesters for just under 50 days,

with 25 to 30 of those days spent in the first stage, where over

80 percent of the feedstock is already broken down. In the end,

the results are impressive, with a degradation rate of 93 to

94 percent. Depending on the total retention time, this yields

between 280 and 300 normal cubic metres (Nm³) of methane

per kilogram of organic dry matter.

This is also thanks to the pre-treatment of the straw. The hall

dedicated to this process is at least 100 metres long. Forklifts

feed straw bales into the shredding unit. Access to the interior

of the hall is restricted – it’s considered a trade secret. Operator

Steven Ripley has further developed the pre-treatment process

and monitors it using numerous cameras. Straw is considered

one of the most difficult feedstock to break down. Cellulose

and hemicellulose are shielded by a waxy coating, a dense

fibrous structure, and lignin. While ensiling aids in breaking

them down, it is not sufficient on its own.


Straw can be shredded or cut, crushed

or ground. In any case, water is required

to allow it to swell and to bind the dust.

The more thoroughly the structure is

broken down, the better. “However, the

effort must be proportionate to the

increase in methane yield,” Ott points

out. Agraferm operates a dedicated

straw line at another biogas site in

England, equipped with a hammer mill

and an extruder featuring two counterrotating

screws that break down the

straw using pressure and heat. Here,

effort and benefit are carefully balanced.

Not exactly small either, like Mepal II, the third plant is designed exclusively to produce

biomethane for injection into the grid

The size of the gas flares illustrates the scale

of the facility.

The cladding has not been installed yet, ongoing

work on one of the digesters at Mepal III.

Straw Pre-Treatment with

Steam and Pressure

“We work with steam and pressure,”

Steven Ripley eventually reveals.

“Thanks to the five combined heat

and power units from 2G in Mepal I,

we have the electricity and heat for it,

so it’s not that expensive for us.” The

route to the operator and main owner

of the Mepal biogas plant leads past

fields of deep black soil and drainage

ditches over which white seagulls glide

in the brisk wind.

The tower of the mighty cathedral of Ely

is visible on the horizon. Lorries loaded

with straw pass by in the opposite

direction. The small town of Chatteris

begins with a cricket pitch with neatly

trimmed grass. It was in Chatteris that

Steven Ripley built his first biogas plant,

also by Agraferm.

Large potato crates are stacked in the

yard of his company. Lorries manoeuvre

back and forth. Ripley trades in potatoes.

He cultivates them on 600 hectares,

producing 30,000 tonnes per year for

crisps and chips factories. He is

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28

ENGLISH ISSUE

A broad-shouldered man of action: Self-made

entrepreneur Steven Ripley.

Still in shell construction: The concrete roofs of the digesters at Mepal III are clearly visible.

therefore well-versed in transporting large volumes of biomass.

To procure straw for Mepal I to III, he founded a new company

specifically for this purpose, purchasing the straw unprocessed

straight from the field within a 50-kilometre radius.

“We bale it ourselves, so we get it much cheaper than the usual

market price of around 70 to 80 euros per tonne.” Behind his

small desk, the self-made man looks like a boxer just before

the attack. His energy fills the room. Ten employees work

in Ripley’s potato business. Pretoria Energy Ltd, his biogas

company, now employs 137 people. To realise a project the

size of Mepal, he sold 35 percent of the company to the Swiss

oil trading firm Mercuria Energy Group. His long-time business

partner holds ten percent.

The figures roll off his tongue like gunfire. He is less specific

when it comes to questions about the income from his biogas

plants. He feeds biomethane into the grid under a feed-in tariff,

supplies filling stations with it, sells certificates for the use of

the residual material straw, and trades in green CO₂ – evidenced

by the tankers at the Pentair gas upgrading unit in Mepal.

“You’ve got to juggle the different income sources creatively,

and the industry has to produce as green as possible in the

future,” Ripley believes. He sees us off with a firm handshake.

His operation with straw seems to offer opportunities for both.

After the rain comes sunshine again, creating a striking reflection of

the Mepal II secondary digester in the puddles.

AUTHOR

Klaus Sieg


Rothestr. 66 · 22655 Hamburg · Germany

00 49 1 71 6 39 42 62

klaus@siegtext.de

www.siegtext.de

Constantly in motion: The wheel loader feeding the plant with

pretreated straw.


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30

ENGLISH ISSUE

Luxembourg

Waiting for

a Fresh Start

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg wants to revitalise

the biogas sector by increasing feed-in tariffs. In

particular, the fermentation of manure is expected to

gain momentum. However, some biogas plant operators

have already admitted defeat. And setbacks are even

looming in the area of biomethane.

Luxembourg

Author: Dipl.-Pol. Oliver Ristau

The farmer Paul Wagner must fully renew his plant in order to continue receiving feed-in tariffs in the future.

Lush pastures, steep hillsides, and well-kept villages: Luxembourg

is reminiscent of Switzerland. Outside the capital, the steel

industry region, and the historic castles, agriculture dominates

this small EU member state. This is also true in Niederfeulen,

a village nestled in the Luxembourg Ardennes in the canton

of Diekirch. The village has a school, a new sports centre, a

few guesthouses, and several farms with cattle. One of these

livestock farms is run by the Wagner family, who also operate a

combined heat and power (CHP) biogas plant.

Paul, the son, is the president of Luxemburger Biogasvereenegung,

the national association for biogas and biomethane. “My father

built the plant 16 years ago under a feed-in tariff contract, which

is now running out,” he explains during a visit to the family

home. “In order to secure a new contract, I decided to get more

actively involved and really delve into the subject. That’s how my

commitment to the association also came about.”

Biogas Sector in Luxembourg Poised for a Comeback

Efforts like those of the Wagner family are more crucial than ever,

as most of the biogas plants in the Grand Duchy, such as their

150-kilowatt (kW) plant, are nearing the end of their subsidy

periods. And because a follow-up solution has been a long time

Photos: Oliver Ristau


coming – at least until mid-May 2024 – no new systems have

been added in recent years. In spring 2024, there are just over

20 biogas plants in operation in Luxembourg. Back in 2018, there

were 26, of which 23 were combined heat and power (CHP) units,

supplying a total electrical output of 9.87 megawatts (MW).

According to Biogasvereenegung, these plants generated 67.1

gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, accounting for around 10

percent of Luxembourg’s renewable electricity production, or

roughly 1 percent of the total national electricity consumption.

In addition to power, the plants produced 90.7 GWh of thermal

energy as a by-product, with approximately one third – 27.4 GWh

– supplied to external consumers.

The industry is now working towards a revival. In May 2020, the

Luxembourg government introduced an integrated National

Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for the 2021-2030 period, as

part of EU-wide climate commitments. Under this plan, gross

biogas production is targeted to rise to 330 GWh by 2030,

primarily by unlocking the potential of slurry and manure.

Paul Wagner aims to primarily digest slurry and manure. To do so, the

mixture must not be too dry.

New Incentives: Small-Scale Plants and Higher Manure Bonus

The framework is also already known. Future feed-in tariffs will

be tiered according to plant capacity. For installations between

0.5 and 2.5 megawatts (MW), the tariff is set to rise to 16.2

cents per kilowatt-hour (previously 12 cents). Plants in the 200

to 500 kW range will receive 18.8 cents, those between 100 and

200 kW will earn 20.8 cents, and a newly introduced smallscale

category, covering plants below 100 kW, will be eligible

for 26.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Previously, plants up to 150 kW

received 17 cents.

There will also be a significant increase in the manure bonus.

While operators previously received a flat rate of 2 cents per

kilowatt-hour (kWh) regardless of the amount of manure used,

the new model scales with usage:

At 70% manure input, the bonus remains at 2 cents.

For every additional 5% manure content, the bonus

increases by 1 cent.

At 80%, operators receive 4 cents, and at 90% or more, the

maximum bonus of 6 cents per kWh applies.

These new tariffs are intended to apply retroactively from 2023.

However, the legislation has yet to be passed. The package was

negotiated between the industry and the government back in

2022 and has already been reviewed and approved under EU

state aid rules. According to Wagner, feedback from Brussels

was positive. “It’s been with the Council of State for final review

since November 2023,” says the association president. He

remains hopeful that the law will finally come into force in the

coming months. However, Wagner also admits: “We can’t afford

to wait that long. We need to invest now.” That is because

securing a follow-up tariff requires the plant’s technical

equipment to be completely replaced.

“To qualify for a new contract, we have to replace all the major

components. Even if the engine was installed just a year ago,

it has to be new, unless its installation was registered at least

two years before the end of the current contract.” Only a few

components, such as manure pipes embedded in barn flooring,

are exempted. “But not all of this makes sense,” Wagner points

out. “If my mixer is still working perfectly well, there’s no good

reason to replace it.”

Alongside 70 percent slurry and manure, Biogas Association President

Wagner also feeds grass silage into his digesters.

Heat Bonus Set to Increase

Heat from the Wagners’ biogas CHP unit is in demand locally. So

far, their district heating grid supplies the family’s own farmhouse,

a neighbouring property, a new housing development with ten

flats, several apartments, and a motorcycle shop. In addition,

in 2024 the municipality has expressed interest in connecting

the new sports centre, and the local school is also considering

switching from natural gas to Wagner’s renewable heat. To

meet this growing demand, Wagner is expanding the existing

woodchip boiler from 150 to 300 kW as a complementary and

backup system to the biogas engine.

Up to now, the woodchip system automatically activated

whenever the water buffer temperature dropped below 50

degrees Celsius. In the future, three buffer storage tanks will

ensure that biogas heat is used as fully as possible, improving

both energy efficiency and economic viability. That is because

operators only qualify for the state-guaranteed heat bonus

if they use at least 50 percent of the heat generated by the

biogas CHP system. Currently, the heat bonus stands at €30

per megawatt-hour and is set to increase to €50 for new and

upgraded plants under the forthcoming legislation. However,

this applies exclusively to heat from biogas CHP. If, in Wagner’s

case, woodchip heat exceeds the 50 percent threshold, no

bonus is paid.

32

ENGLISH ISSUE

The Biogas un der Atert cooperative has been feeding electricity into

the grid for 20 years. Now it needs a complete overhaul, which will cost

€6 to €7 million.

Tankers collect the fermented manure and apply it to the fields.

Wagner’s digesters are fed with over 70 percent livestock

manure. Additional feedstocks include maize, green waste,

cereal residues and stale bread. The Luxembourg government

aims to boost the use of livestock manure by focusing on

small-scale plants and offering a manure bonus. The plan is to

almost quadruple the use of agricultural waste to reach one

million tonnes annually.

Energy crops are still permitted under the current regulations.

The cultivated area currently used for maize and similar crops

– 1,400 hectares – may even grow slightly under the new

framework. Beyond that, the government intends to increase

the use of organic household waste as a feedstock.

By renewing their plants, some operators in Luxembourg are

opting to downsize to a smaller output category in order to

benefit from higher tariffs linked to increased manure content.

Wagner cites an example of one plant that reduced its capacity

from 300 kW to 100 kW in 2023. Contrary to the past, that

facility no longer uses maize at all.

Residual Tariff for Existing Plants

Older biogas plants, whose feed-in tariffs expire after 15 or 20

years, are not left entirely without support. Grid operator Creos

offers a so-called residual tariff for a further ten years –set at

10.8 cents per kWh for plants up to 500 kW, and 9.8 cents for

larger units. These rates are expected to increase by 2.0 and 1.5

cents respectively, depending on plant size.

However, these tariffs alone are insufficient to ensure

economic viability. Those currently investing are relying on the

government’s commitment to apply the forthcoming regulatory

changes retroactively as promised. That includes the owners

of the “Biogas un der Atert” cooperative plant on the outskirts

of Redingen, around a 30-minute drive from Niederfeulen. The

group is currently investing €6 million to modernise the facility.

The large-scale plant previously benefited from a 20-year feedin

tariff scheme, which expired in September 2023. Since then,

the operators have only been able to feed electricity into the grid

at the residual rate of 9.8 cents per kWh, plus a 2-cent manure

bonus. “At those prices, it’s simply not viable to operate the

plant,” says Christian Hahn, chairman of the board and president

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of the Luxembourg Chamber of Agriculture. The balance sheet

after 20 years is also poor: “At the end of the day, we are still

carrying debts of around one million euros into the new project.”

For the farmers involved in the system, it is not primarily about

earning money, but about having a solution for slurry and manure.

Farms that don’t need to maintain their own storage facilities

save on costs. Another advantage: if the community drives the

fermented manure to the fields and not each individual.

Hoping to Break Even

Hahn now hopes that with the new investment and the expansion

of the digester volume by 3,000 to 11,000 cubic metres, the

project will reach break-even after 15 years of operation. The

manure and heat bonuses will play a crucial role. “We want to

replace energy crops in order to reach 90 percent manure. And

we’re expanding the heat grid, which already supplies the school,

swimming pool and sports hall. We have further requests.”

However, the difficult economic situation has also weakened

the unity of the original 26 members. Only half are now

participating in the renewal. Some former members have

turned their backs on biogas production altogether, like the

farmer Emil Kieffer, who criticised the lack of political support

in an interview with Biogas Journal.

Another member has chosen to strike out on his own. The

dairy farmer Jean Leyder from Redingen is planning to build

his own 100-kW plant, in light of the new feed-in tariffs.

“Small-scale plants are becoming very profitable,” he says

during a visit to his farm, explaining his decision to go solo.

“60 to 70 kW would be sufficient for my needs, but the

investment is almost the same as for 100 kW.”

Moreover, the cooperation did not always run smoothly – for

example, the transport of manure from his farm to the communal

plant five kilometres away. He plans to use the heat for his

house, barns, and for drying grain. That way, he also hopes to

exceed the 50 percent threshold required to qualify for the heat

bonus. On the other side of the road, there is a commercial area

with potential customers. “But the cost of a heat grid would be

too high.” So, for now, he is sticking to the planned on-farm

The dairy farmer Jean Leyder plans to generate electricity and heat

from his farm’s manure in future.

The Bakona Manager Luc Watgen points to impurities found in the

biowaste.

34

ENGLISH ISSUE

grid, which will cost a six-figure sum. Incidentally, consuming the

electricity himself would not be worthwhile, says Leyder. “If I did

that, I would only receive the market price for what I feed in.” The

project is not one with which he could get rich. But it is a good

way of recovering energy from residual materials.

No Certificates for Biomethane

Luc Watgen shares a similar view as the manager of Bakona, a

waste utilisation and biomethane production company based

in Itzig, a town located just 20 minutes by car from the capital.

The route there is marked by steep climbs. So, it is appropriate

that Luxembourg’s former Tour de France winner Andy Schleck

runs a specialist racing bike store in Itzig.

Navigating both the physical and political terrain in Luxembourg

is also proving to be challenging for Bakona. Despite repeated

interventions by the company, the government has so far

refused to increase the current remuneration rate of €90 per

normal cubic metre of biomethane, Watgen reports. This is

despite the fact that Bakona also needs to completely renew

its biomethane facility.

“We will no longer be remunerated in 2026 and will have to

replace all rotating parts,” he says. “That means an investment

of €6 to €7 million. The current tariff simply isn’t enough,” he

criticises. “We would need €140 per cubic metre instead.” One

of the reasons, he adds, is the inability to monetise the green

attributes of the gas. “CO₂ valorisation would be crucial. But

Luxembourg has yet to establish any regulatory framework for

this,” Watgen explains.

A Conglomeration of Waste

Bakona processes the very types of feedstocks the government

intends to prioritise in future – biowaste. The company handles

a true mix of residual materials. These include organic waste

collected from households in surrounding municipalities, as

well as food waste from restaurants and industrial kitchens.

More complex, however, are the waste streams prepared by

third-party waste management companies and delivered in

green bins by municipal waste collection services. While these

bins do contain organic matter, they also include glass, paper,

and cardboard.

In one of Bakona’s processing halls, Watgen points to a heap

full of impurities like that, with plastic bags, yoghurt pots and

cardboard sticking out. These materials are first mechanically

cleaned to remove all non-recoverable fractions, which are then

picked up and sent to waste incineration plants. Bakona receives

a waste processing fee for this service, which includes cleaning

the emptied bins before they are returned to the municipalities.

The remaining energy-rich biomass at Bakona is hygienised

at 70 degrees Celsius for one hour before being fed into the

digesters, where it is mixed with additional residual materials.

Any remaining output from the biowaste/contaminant fraction

undergoes a second round of processing. “We want to recover

as much waste as possible,” says Watgen. “At our peak, we

reached 75 percent recovery. On average, we’re closer to 65

percent.” Additional feedstocks include cereal residues, as

well as grass and maize silage from the company’s own farm.

Bakona is owned by a farmer, Jean-Pierre Nau, who also feeds

agricultural residues from his operations into the 1.3 MW plant.

Bakona Manager Luc Watgen presents components of the gas upgrading

system.

Biomethane producer Bakona primarily uses urban residual waste to

generate its biogas.

The resulting biogas is upgraded to methane using pressurised

water scrubbing and fed into the natural gas grid, which serves

the capital region. The plant produces 350 normal cubic metres

of methane per hour. Watgen also sees potential in upgrading

biomethane to bio-LNG: “With the GHG quota, it would be

profitable.”

However, the investment case remains uncertain, and it is not

yet clear whether Bakona will move forward with the renewal.

There are only two other biomethane plants in the country, one

of which is reportedly facing insolvency. Whether the revival of

biogas utilisation in Luxembourg will truly take hold remains

to be seen.

Biogas also plays only a limited role in Luxembourg’s industrial

sector. So far, only the steelmaker ArcelorMittal has announced

plans to replace natural gas with on-site produced biomethane

at its Rodange site. The project was originally expected to

materialise in 2023, but as of mid-2024, it had still not been

implemented. The company declined to provide a status

update.

AUTHOR

Dipl.-Pol. Oliver Ristau

Editorial and Communications

Sternstr. 106 · 20357 Hamburg ∙ Germany

00 49 40 38 61 58 22

ristau@publiconsult.de

www.oliver-ristau.de


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36

ENGLISH ISSUE

Gals agro biogas plant in the Chernihiv region

with 6.9 MW installed electrical capacity,

including biogas upgrading to biomethane

with 3 million Nm³ CH4 annual capacity.

Ukraine

Around 22 billion

cubic meters per year possible

Kiew

Despite the lack of a specific energy policy target for biogas and biomethane, there is considerable

untapped potential for large-scale implementation of biogas and biomethane projects in Ukraine.

The country possesses the largest agricultural area in Europe and a strong agricultural base. There is

a high concentration of large and medium-sized farms. This means that the structure of agriculture is

favorable for biogas and biomethane production.

Authors: Geletukha Georgii, Kucheruk Petro, Matveev Yuri, Pastukh Anna

In 2020 (the last year with available statistics before the war),

renewables accounted for 9.2% of Ukraine’s gross final energy

consumption: 13.9% in electricity, 9.3% in heating, and 2.5% in

mobility. According to the recently approved National Plan on

Energy and Climate, the general target for 2030 is to reach 27%

renewable energy sources in final energy consumption, 25% in

electricity, 35% in heating, and 14% in transport.

Despite the lack of a specific target for biogas and biomethane,

there is considerable untapped potential for the widespread

implementation of biogas and biomethane projects in Ukraine.

Ukraine holds the largest share of agricultural land in Europe,

one of the highest levels of agricultural land per capita, and

a developed agricultural industry. There is a significant share

of large- and medium-sized agricultural enterprises. It means

that the structure of agriculture is favourable for biogas and

biomethane production.

The Ukrainian Gas Transmission System (GTS) is connected to

the European one, potentially enabling biomethane and other

renewable gases to be physically or virtually delivered from Ukraine

to European countries. Currently, natural gas transit to Europe via

Ukraine‘s GTS is declining. Therefore, it is crucial to maximise the

utilisation of the Ukrainian GTS through domestically produced

natural gas and alternative renewable gases.

There is a long history of using compressed natural gas (CNG)

as a motor fuel for buses and heavy vehicles. More than

200,000 vehicles have been running on CNG, and the country

has a reasonably good network with about 300 CNG filling

stations distributed all over the country.

Using biomethane as a motor fuel is an excellent opportunity

for agricultural producers to obtain their own energy source

through waste and secondary products of their own origin.

Biomethane should be used not only in road transport, but also


in water and rail transport, and not only in compressed (CBG),

but also in liquefied (LBG) form. So far, there are no examples

of biomethane being used for transportation in Ukraine, either

on its own or blended with natural gas.

Potential for biogas and biomethane production in Ukraine

The Ukrainian biogas sector has potential in terms of both

the availability of raw materials and the demand for biogas.

According to UABIO‘s recent estimation, the total energy

potential of biogas/biomethane production in Ukraine is 21.8

billion cubic meters (bcm) CH 4

/year (18.7 mill toe/year).

Potential feedstock includes animal breeding waste (manure,

litter), harvesting agricultural crop residues, food industry byproducts,

the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and

wastewater, energy crops, cover crops, and woody biomass for

thermal gasification (see Table 1).

Characteristics of Ukrainian agriculture and common

types of Ukrainian agricultural biogas plants

The total number of biogas plants constructed in Ukraine

within the last 20 years is 87. Most of them hold a licence from

the Ukrainian Regulator for electricity generation and sell it

under the feed-in (“green”) tariff scheme. The total number

of projects in 2023 with “green” tariffs was 68, with a total

installed electrical capacity of 135 MW. However, about a third

of them were not in operation.

A total of 580 GWh of electricity was generated from biogas and

landfill gas (LFG) in 2023. Forty-five active projects produced

electricity under the “green” tariff scheme. These include 20

agricultural biogas plants. The installed capacity of individual

projects ranged from 125 kWe to 26.1 MWe. Additionally, some

small projects produced electricity without “green” tariffs,

and at least two projects produced only heat for their own

and industry needs. At the same time, there were 25 active

LFG recovery systems, all of which were used for electricity

Table 1: Potential for biogas and biomethane production in Ukraine (by UABIO)

Feedstock type

production. Several biogas units operate as a part of industrial

wastewater treatment systems, primarily at breweries, where

biogas is utilised for heat production.

Despite the limited number of implemented biogas projects,

they cover a wide range of industries and different types of

feedstock. Ukrainian biogas plants are constructed at pig,

cattle and poultry farms, sugar plants, breweries, and food

production enterprises, using a wide diversity of feedstocks

such as pig and cattle manure, poultry litter, maize and sugar

sorghum silage, sugar beet pulp (SBP) and molasses, food

processing by-products, and industrial wastewater.

According to UABIO’s estimation, 2,001,948 tonnes (by raw

mass) of feedstocks were used to produce biogas in Ukraine

in 2022, of which 51% were industrial wastes, mainly SBP.

Agriculture residues and energy crops combined made up

46% of the feedstocks. This estimation does not cover LFG

originating from landfilled municipal solid waste (MSW).

Examples of technologies in use

MHP (Myronivskyi Khliboproduct)

The Ukrainian company Myronivskyi Khliboproduct (MHP)

is Europe‘s largest poultry and meat producer. It owns and

operates two large biogas plants that primarily process waste

from poultry farms. The first plant was commissioned at the

Oril-Lider poultry farm in the Dnipropetrovsk region in 2013.

The installed electric capacity is 5.7 MW. The plant processes

200 tonnes of poultry manure per day. Additional feedstock is

maize silage (60 tonnes/day).

The main components of the plant are 10 horizontal digesters,

each with a volume of 3,500 m 3 . A gas recirculation mixing

system is used instead of conventional mechanical stirrers.

Electricity is produced by five Jenbacher CHP units; heat is

used to meet the poultry farm’s needs. The company‘s second

biogas plant was commissioned at the Vinnytsya poultry farm

in the Vinnytsya region in 2017. The installed electric capacity is

12 MW. The plant processes 450 tonnes

Potential,

bcm/year

Biogas from animal waste 0,9

Biogas from agricultural crops harvest residues 5,2

Biogas from food processing industry by-products 0,7

Biogas from municipal solid waste (MSW) 0,5

Biogas from municipal wastewater treatment plants 0,1

Energy crops: biogas from corn silage (from 1 million hectares) 3,8

Biogas from cover crops (20% of arable land) 9,8

Biogas from thermal gasification of solid biomass (10%) 1,0

TOTAL BIOGAS/BIOMETHANE, bcm CH4/year 21,8

of chicken manure per day, with the

addition of maize silage. It consists of 12

big horizontal digesters with a volume

of 8,200 m 3 each.

The distance from the biogas plant

to the poultry farm is 10 kilometres.

Biogas is supplied via a dedicated

biogas pipeline. Electricity is generated

adjacent to the meat production

facilities by six 2 MWe Caterpillar CHP

units. Heat and steam (13 bar) are used

to meet the technological needs of

chicken meat processing.

The company has already installed

biogas upgrading facilities at both

locations to supply biomethane directly

to the local gas distribution system (GDS)

or to produce bio-LNG. MHP actively

participates in the Horizon Europe

project BIOMETHAVERSE, demonstrating

in-situ biological methanation through

the injection of green hydrogen.

38

ENGLISH ISSUE

Gals-Agro LLC

The Gals-Agro group comprises several agricultural enterprises,

sugar factories, and livestock farms. The companies are

engaged in sugar production, cattle, pig and poultry breeding,

horticulture, and bioethanol production. Since 2016, the

company has built four biogas plants for electricity production,

with a total installed capacity of 14.7 MW in northern Ukraine

(Chernihiv and Kyiv regions).

The company’s largest biogas plant has been operating in the

Chernihiv region since 2018. The installed electric capacity

is 6.9 MWe (2.4 MWe initially, with an additional 4.5 MWe

after retrofitting in 2022). Gals-Agro employs a standard

technical solution for agricultural biogas plants. That includes

continuously stirred multistage horizontal digesters from

reinforced concrete with double gas storage membranes. Main

feedstock types include manure, SBP, molasses, agricultural

residues, and maize silage. Jenbacher IC-engines are used to

generate electricity.

That plant can be considered the first Ukrainian biomethane

facility. For this purpose, a membrane module for upgrading

biogas to natural gas quality was installed in 2023.

Gals-Agro already supplies biomethane to the local gas distribution

grid system. In June, Gals-Agro successfully carried out its first

export of domestically produced biomethane. The company

exported nearly 73,000 cubic meters of biomethane, which had

been stored in Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities (UGS),

through the gas transmission system into Hungary. The buyer of

the biomethane was the German energy company Uniper.

Another Gals-Agro biogas plant in the Chernihiv region with 1.2

+ 2.7 MW of installed electrical capacity was put into operation

in 2019. Electricity is fed into the grid, and heat is supplied to

the Gals-Agro pig farm. Feedstocks include pig manure and

Figure 1: Monthly electricity production from biogas for

projects under the “green” tariff scheme (NEURC data)

maize silage with some additions of molasses.

Yuzefo-Mykolayivska Biogas Company LLC (YMB)

The first stage of the biogas YMB complex (3.2 MW) was put

into operation in 2019 in the Vinnytsya region adjacent to the

local sugar plant. The complex was designed using Dutch

technology from the ADVERIO Company. The technical solution

includes 2 industrial-type digesters with a height of 21 m and

a volume of 8,000 m³, and an agricultural-type secondary

digester with a height of 10.5 m and a volume of 4,000 m 3 .

The second stage of project development covers 5.2 MW

of electrical capacity and will include biogas upgrading to

biomethane using an amine scrubber. Feedstocks include SBP

and maize silage. A recent development involves using wheat

straw for biogas production. Before AD treatment, the straw is

crushed and hydrolysed in a separate reactor.

Teofipol Energy Company

To date, the largest Ukrainian biogas installation is located at

the Teofipol sugar plant in the Khmelnytskiy region. The first

stage of 5.1 MW was commissioned in 2017. It consists of four

primary and two secondary horizontal digesters with a volume

of 3,800 m 3 each. The second stage of 10.5 MW was completed

in 2018. It includes four primary digesters of 3,200 m 3 each and

two secondary digesters of 5,000 m 3 . Altogether, four stages

with a total installed electrical capacity of 26.1 MW have been

implemented.

The plant uses different feedstocks for biogas production,

including SBP, maize silage, pig manure, and straw. SBP was

the primary feedstock for the first stage, maize silage was

mainly used in the second stage, and wheat straw is planned

to be used as feedstock for biogas production in the third and

fourth stages. For this purpose, steam explosion will be used

as a pre-treatment method for straw. It should be noted that

the projects described above produced 314 GWh of electricity

in 2023. That is 54% of the total amount of electricity produced

by Ukrainian biogas plants under the “green” tariff scheme.

The impact of the war on the biogas sector

Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, 17,000 MW

of Ukrainian power generation have remained under occupation,

of which 6,000 MW belong to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power

plant (NPP). In addition, starting in March 2024, another 9,000

MW were damaged or completely destroyed on the controlled

territory of Ukraine. As a result of these losses, Ukraine‘s energy

system has become critically deficient throughout the day in all

seasons and can no longer balance itself.

At the moment, the deficit of power-generating capacity in

Ukraine is about 9,000 MW. As a result, in July 2024, electricity

was available for not more than 50% of the hours in a day in

Ukraine. The destroyed or occupied facilities include:

90% of coal and gas capacities,

70% of wind farms,

50% of hydropower plants,

30% of solar PV plants,

5% of biogas and biomass plants.

Thus, bioenergy has demonstrated the greatest resilience

to military invasion compared with other conventional and

renewable energy facilities, owing to its inherent decentralisation

and relatively uniform distribution across the country.

Figure 1 shows the monthly production of electricity from

biogas in the period from 2020 to 2023, based on data from the

National Regulator of Ukraine. It is clear that during the two years

preceding the war, Ukraine’s biogas sector demonstrated steady

growth in electricity production. Thus, electricity production

from biogas reached 553.2 GWh in 2021, almost 22% higher than


Gals-Agro biogas plant in the Chernihiv region with an installed electrical capacity of 1.2 + 2.7 MW.

in the previous year. Just before the war, in December 2021 and

January 2022, monthly biogas production in Ukraine reached

maximum values of 53.6 and 55.0 GWh, respectively.

After the start of the full-scale military invasion, electricity

production fell below 40 GWh for three months, followed by

stabilisation until the end of 2022. Overall, production declined

by approximately 30 percent.

Due to hostilities, biogas production was halted in at least two

agricultural biogas plants in the eastern and southern regions

of the country (Kherson and Donetsk regions), as well as at two

landfill gas recovery systems at MSW landfills. The total loss of

installed electrical capacity was approximately 5 to 7 MW or 5%.

Despite no additional biogas capacity being installed in 2023,

electricity production showed positive growth, exceeding prewar

production levels by 5%.

Biogas industry for decentralised

electricity generation and load regulation

Most Ukrainian biogas plants were built to produce electricity

for sale under a feed-in (“green”) tariff. Those plants usually

operate in the basic mode for 24 hours a day and do not

participate in the regulation of the electric grid load. Despite

the biogas sector showing 5% growth compared with 2021,

the share of electricity from biogas in Ukraine remains

relatively small. In total, about 8,000 GWh of green electricity

was produced in Ukraine in 2023, mainly by solar photovoltaic

and wind power plants.

Under wartime conditions, centralised energy has proved

vulnerable to attacks by the Russian Federation. Therefore, in

2022-2023, Ukraine lost a significant share of its coal generation

at large power plants. Currently, the development of decentralised

generation, including biogas plants, is particularly relevant. In

2024, the government of Ukraine approved the Strategy for

Development of Distributed Generation in Ukraine, setting a target

of up to 1,000 MW of distributed generation in 2024, including

renewable energy, and a further 4,000 MW in 2025.

In addition to supporting energy decentralisation, biogas can

also be used to balance the electrical grid – a relatively new

concept for Ukraine. To make this possible, pricing regulations

in the electricity market need to be revised. From a technical

perspective, existing biogas plants need to be upgraded,

including the installation of additional gas holders and an

increase in electrical generation capacity.

Prospects for biomethane production

Biogas can be used for more than combined heat and power

production. Most of it can be upgraded to biomethane, which

is expected to become an important export product for

Ukraine to European countries. Currently, there is great interest

in producing biomethane from large Ukrainian agricultural

companies that have sufficient amounts of their own raw

materials.

The Gals-Agro company produced Ukraine’s first biomethane in

March 2023, using one of its four biogas plants. The feedstock

for biomethane production includes SBP, maize straw, and

agricultural residues. The biogas upgrading technology is based on

membranes. The plant’s annual capacity is 3 mcm of biomethane.

The second biomethane plant was built in Ukraine in 2024. It

is a plant of the VITAGRO group of companies located in the

Khmelnytskiy region. Feedstock for biomethane production

includes agricultural residues (straw and other harvest

materials) and livestock waste (cattle manure and

40

ENGLISH ISSUE

Yuzefo-Mykolayivska biogas plant, with an

installed electrical capacity of 5.2 MW.

poultry litter). The biogas upgrading technology, designed by

Bright Renewables of the Dutch HOST Energy Holding, is used.

As with Gals-Agro’s first plant, the annual capacity here is 3

mcm. Biomethane is injected into the GDS.

The company‘s investments in the project implementation

amounted to almost 6 million euros. Despite the war, the

company decided to invest in the plant, believing that

biomethane has strong development potential in Ukraine.

During implementation of the project, the company created

about 50 temporary and 15 permanent jobs. Investment

projects like that have a significant multiplier effect on the

country‘s economy, as they provide work for other companies

and small and medium-sized businesses, ranging from the

production of construction materials to service activities.

At least seven biomethane projects are expected to be

operational by the end of 2025 (Table 2). These projects belong

to the aforementioned Teofipol energy company, Gals-Agro

LLC, Yuzefo-Mykolaivska biogas company, and MHP. Except for

one VITAGRO project, all are based on existing biogas plants.

Given favourable conditions, biomethane production in Ukraine

is expected to reach 250 mcm by 2027. The most optimistic

projections foresee production of one billion cubic meters

(bcm) of biomethane by 2030. This ambitious goal depends

on the cessation of military invasion in Ukraine, further

emphasising the importance of a peaceful environment for

growth. Biomethane is expected to become a significant

export commodity in Ukraine‘s trade with European countries.

The new biogas production would be based particularly on the

utilisation of agricultural by-products, with new technologies

and feedstocks also playing a role. That may include thermal

gasification of lignocellulose from agriculture and forestry, as

well as a power-to-gas process. In energy systems with a large

share of renewable energy sources, excess electricity could

potentially be used to produce hydrogen via water electrolysis,

followed by methanation of the hydrogen with carbon dioxide

captured during biogas upgrading to biomethane.

Legislation for biogas/biomethane production –

Feed-in tariff for electricity production from biogas

Since 1 January 2024, biogas producers in Ukraine have been

able to obtain a feed-in (“green”) tariff for new installations

as an incentive for electricity production from biogas. This

tariff is available to businesses generating electricity from the

following types of biogas:

1. Biogas produced from biomass as a result of biological

decomposition.

2. Biogas produced by biomass gasification.

3. Biogas produced from biomass as a component of

industrial or household waste. The feed-in tariff will remain

in force until the end of 2029.

The feed-in tariff equals 12.39 euro cents/kWh (excluding VAT),

and it is a fixed minimum for businesses, private households

and consumers, including energy cooperatives. The feed-in

tariff paid to producers is converted into the national currency

on a quarterly basis at the average official exchange rate

set by the National Bank of Ukraine. The National Regulator

establishes, reviews and terminates the feed-in tariff.

The Guaranteed Buyer (a state-owned enterprise) fulfills the

state‘s obligation to purchase all electricity generated from

renewable energy sources at the established feed-in tariff

as part of its special duties. In turn, the Guaranteed Buyer

receives compensation from the transmission system operator

(Ukrenergo) for services that increase the share of electricity

generated from renewable energy sources.

The cost of supporting renewable energy producers is included in

Ukrenergo‘s electricity transmission tariff. However, as this tariff

is set at a level to cover the total cost of electricity generated

from renewable sources under the feed-in tariff, and in view of

the consequences of the full-scale aggression of the Russian

Federation against Ukraine, payments by the Guaranteed Buyer

to producers under the feed-in tariff are not being made in full.

Economic necessity of higher feed-in tariffs

After its introduction in 2013, the feed-in tariff played a vital role

in developing the biogas sector by providing increased payments

to producers. Today however, higher tariffs are needed to ensure

the economic attractiveness of electricity production from

biogas. In this regard, producers are looking for alternative ways

to improve the economic efficiency of biogas projects.

One option is participation in renewable energy


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auctions. These auctions are a new way of determining which

businesses are eligible to receive support for producing

electricity from renewable energy sources in Ukraine. In

August 2024, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine announced

pilot auctions to allocate the 2024 support quota. A total of

11 MW were allocated to other types of alternative energy

sources (including biogas and biomass).

The government has set the maximum bid price in the 2024

renewable energy auction at 12 euro cents/kWh for alternative

energy sources such as biogas and biomass, which is lower

than the current feed-in tariff. However, the last auction, which

was held on 12 May 2025 and allocated 47 MW for hydro and

bioenergy projects, highlighted the urgent need to revise the

participation conditions, in particular to increase the maximum

auction price for biogas projects. The current cap of 12 euro

cents/kWh does not ensure the financial viability of electricity

generation projects based on biogas.

Electricity: Tender in force until the end of 2029

Auctions are held through the electronic trading system in

accordance with the procedure approved by the Ukrainian

government. The Guaranteed Buyer is responsible for

organising and conducting the auctions, which will be held

until 31 December 2029. However, the support period is 12

years from the month following submission of confirming the

commissioning of the facility. For biogas electricity producers,

participation in auctions may be attractive, as support for

winners is provided for 12 years, whereas the feed-in tariff is

valid only until 2029.

Another option is to sell renewable electricity directly to the

market using a feed-in premium mechanism. Under the feedin-premium

mechanism, introduced in 2024, producers with

feed-in-tariff leave the guaranteed buyer‘s balancing group and

can sell their electricity on the market on their own or under an

agreement with a trader, while Ukrenergo covers the difference

between this price and the feed-in-tariff. The compensation is

calculated using a complex formula that shows the difference

between the weighted average price index on the day-ahead

market over the last two months or the average price index on

the Ukrainian Energy Exchange for the same period, and the

producer‘s feed-in tariff.

Ukrainian Biomethane Register

Biomethane production is one of Ukraine’s priorities in its

commitment to accession to the European Union and to

ensuring its energy security. In 2023, the European Union

and Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a

Strategic Partnership covering biomethane, hydrogen and

other synthetic gases to expand their ongoing cooperation and

accelerate the deployment and use of renewable gases.

The memorandum has focused on green energy transition and

decarbonisation of the energy sectors in both countries, as

well as promoting the production and trade of biomethane and

other renewable gases. This partnership is crucial for enabling

Ukraine to increase domestic biomethane production and to

becoming an exporter of biomethane to the EU, in line with its

2030 target of 35 bcm of annual biomethane production. The

first regulation governing biomethane production in Ukraine

UABIO IS A PROMOTER OF

UKRAINE‘S BIOGAS/

BIOMETHANE MARKET

Bioenergy Association of Ukraine (UABIO) is a non-governmental

organisation dedicated to promoting bioenergy in

Ukraine. It was founded in 2013 and brings together leading

bioenergy companies and experts to support the sustainable

development of bioenergy in Ukraine.

The purpose of UABio‘s activity is to create a common

platform for cooperation in Ukraine‘s bioenergy market,

provide favorable business conditions, accelerate the

sustainable growth of bioenergy, and drive the transition

to renewable energy through advocacy, research and

collaboration in Ukraine.

The UABIO focuses on the following tasks:

●

●

●

●

Advocacy for the bioenergy interests of its members. It

includes participation in the development of national

and regional policies to support the growth of bioenergy

and align with EU standards. It also covers drafting

legislation, state and industry standards, energy

strategies, etc. As a result, UABIO members engage and

collaborate with government and business stakeholders

that influence the market and decision-making.

Market monitoring by collecting information on key

indicators of the biogas/biomethane market in Ukraine

and abroad. Consequently, members gain access to exclusive,

reliable information on global sector practices,

experience, and professional standards.

Expert assessment and research. UABIO’s experts

provide professional consultancy and develop feasibility

studies for the construction of biogas/biomethane

plants, biomass boilers, etc. UABIO also effectively

participates in European and international research

initiatives to foster innovation and drive cutting-edge

bioenergy/biogas technologies through industry

partnerships.

Informational support through organising public

events, conferences, and working meetings. UABIO also

promotes its members‘ businesses through its website,

social media channels and news digest.

The Bioenergy Association of Ukraine currently has over 60

members, including biogas (biomethane) plant operators,

agricultural and energy companies, technology providers,

bioenergy experts and research institutions. UABIO is a

member of the World Bioenergy Association, the European

Biogas Association, Bioenergy Europe, and Global 100 RE

Ukraine, which ensures constant cooperation with international

partners. UABIO is always open to cooperation and

welcomes new members.


Table 2: Biomethane projects planned for launch in Ukraine in 2025.

Company

Region

Capacity, mcm/

year

NG grid connection

Sustainability

certificate

Gals-Agro LLC Chernihiv 3.0 GDS ISCC

VITAGRO group of companies Khmelnytskiy 3.0 GDS ISCC

"Teofipol Energy Company" LLC Khmelnytskiy 56.0 GTS ISCC

Gals-Agro LLC Kyiv 3.0 GDS

Yuzefo-Mykolaivska biogas company Vinnytsya 11.0 Bio LNG

MHP Vinnytsya 24.0 Bio LNG ISCC

MHP Dnipropetrovsk 11.0 GDS ISCC

TOTAL 111.0

was adopted in October 2021. The Law of Ukraine on the

Development of Biomethane Production defined biomethane

as biogas that meets the requirements set out in legal acts

for natural gas to be injected into the gas grids or used as

motor fuel. The law also established the legal basis for

creating a biomethane register in Ukraine, designed to record

the volume of biomethane injected into gas grids and to issue

guarantees of biomethane origin.

The State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Savings

(SAEE) is responsible for maintaining the biomethane register.

To obtain a guarantee of origin, a biomethane producer must

have an account in the register and enter monthly information

on the volume of biomethane injected into gas networks, the

raw materials used for its production, and other information.

Within five business days, the SAEE shall form and provide the

producer with a guarantee of biomethane origin free of charge.

If a biomethane producer intends to sell a specific volume

of biomethane, the guarantee of origin for that volume is

transferred to the buyer. Accordingly, the guarantee of the

biomethane origin may be transferred, divided and cancelled.

Simultaneously with the cancellation of the guarantee of

biomethane origin, a certificate of biomethane origin is issued,

confirming that biomethane was used to produce energy.

The Ukrainian government has already adopted the

procedure for its operation, but the biomethane register is

not functioning yet because Ukraine is trying to launch the

register while simultaneously connecting it to the register

to the European Union database and ensuring guarantees of

origin issued in Ukraine are recognised in the EU. A bilateral

agreement on mutual recognition of guarantees of origin

between Ukraine and the European Union is required, and its

signing can take some time.

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ENGLISH ISSUE

Several Resolutions of the Regulator (NEURC) have been

adopted to facilitate access for biomethane production

facilities to gas networks in order to implement the Law on

the Development of Biomethane Production. In particular, the

requirements for oxygen content in biomethane injected into

natural gas networks have been revised. The mole fraction of

oxygen in natural gas supplied to the gas transmission system is

now set at no more than 0.2%, and for gas distribution systems,

no more than 1%. The NEURC also envisaged a procedure

for connecting biomethane production facilities to the gas

transmission system via the gas distribution system (including

preconditions for reverse gas flow between systems); however,

this scheme has not been implemented in practice so far.

Law on biomethane export. Next steps for regulations

As of 4 March 2022, following the onset of the full-scale

invasion, Ukraine introduced a zero-export quota for natural

gas of Ukrainian origin and, in fact, a ban on natural gas exports.

As biomethane is analogous to natural gas, Energy Customs of

Ukraine classified biomethane injected into the grids as natural

gas, thereby extending the export ban to biomethane. The Law

on Customs Clearance of Biomethane was adopted to address

this issue and enable the export of biomethane from Ukraine.

The adoption of this law in 2024 legally opened the door

to biomethane exports. Biomethane can now be exported

through Ukraine‘s gas transmission system via interconnectors

with EU countries which include Poland, Slovakia, and others.

According to the law, customs control and clearance of

biomethane are carried out in the same manner as for natural gas.

However, as there is a ban on natural gas exports, a biomethane

seller must provide additional documents confirming that the

product being exported is indeed biomethane. In particular, a

standard periodic customs declaration must be submitted for

export, containing the account number of the biomethane

producer in the biomethane register. The declaration must also

contain information on the guarantee of origin for the relevant

volume of biomethane. Thus, the law stipulates that, to export

biomethane, a producer must have an account in the register

and provide a guarantee of the origin of biomethane during

customs clearance.

However, as mentioned above, the biomethane register is

not yet operational in Ukraine. Accordingly, the law stipulates

that, until the register is connected to the EU database and

the EU recognises the guarantees of origin issued in Ukraine,

biomethane transported across Ukraine’s customs border may

be cleared without providing the producer’s account number in

the biomethane register.

However, producers must submit other documentation

confirming the sustainable origin of the biomethane. In particular,

this includes a certificate of compliance with sustainability criteria

(issued by voluntary certification schemes) for the producer,

as well as proof of sustainability for the relevant volumes of

biomethane. Biomethane must also be stored in underground

storage facilities for at least one month prior to export to prevent

imbalances and avoid actual natural gas exports.

To implement the adopted law on the customs clearance of

biomethane, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine amended its

relevant order to clarify the applicable customs procedures.

KVP PROJECT BETWEEN GBA AND UABIO

Since December 2023, UABIO has been participating in the

Chamber and Association Partnerships Project in cooperation

with the German Biogas Association. The joint goal of the

German and Ukrainian associations is to strengthen the companies

in the Ukrainian biogas sector and thereby promote the

expansion of renewable energies.

To achieve these objectives, the German Biogas Association

supports UABIO in areas such as developing professional

management structures, improving working processes,

defining the strategic direction of the association, recruiting

new members, developing services, advocacy, public relations

and networking.

Planned actions and activities include organising or participating

in sector events, establishing partnerships, developing

advocacy and business strategies, and launching initiatives

that encourage active member participation.

The project also includes training for UABIO staff and

members on biogas-related and association topics through

workshops and seminars, as well as promoting interaction

between German and Ukrainian biogas companies.

AUTHORS

Georgii Geletukha

Head of the Board of Directors of UABIO

Director of the Center for Scientific Technology „Biomass“ LLC

Head of Department of the Institute of

Technical Thermophysics of NAS of Ukraine

Petro Kucheruk

Expert Consultant

UABIOTechnologies, Economy and Ecology

of Biogas Production in the Agro-Industrial Complex

Yuri Matveev

UABIO Scientist,

Institute of Technical Termophysics of the NAS of Ukraine

Anna Pastukh

Attorney at Law UABIO

Secretary of the Board

Bioenergy Association of Ukraine (UABIO)

2-A Great Kapnist Street 116 • 03057 Kiev

+38 (097) 780-38-58

info@uabio.org

https://uabio.org/en


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85x118_Biogasjournal_EN.indd 1 22.09.25 13:25

46

ENGLISH ISSUE

Botswana

“Biogas is a

Benefit to my Life”

Gaborone

Botswana is a biodiversity hotspot, renowned for its abundance of wildlife. Balancing

the needs of local communities with those of migrating animals is essential to ensure

this remains the case. Unlocking the country‘s biogas potential should contribute to

achieving this.

Author: Dipl.-Pol. Oliver Ristau

Photos: Oliver Ristau


Since Peggy Mogamesa started using biogas,

she has cooked exclusively with it. She no

longer uses bottled fossil liquefied gas.

Living behind walls, on unused plots of land, herds of cattle on

the roads are an everyday sight for drivers in Botswana, even

in the bustling capital, Gaborone. Anyone taking a shortcut

across unpaved sandy tracks that criss-cross the city should be

prepared to encounter these horned animals grazing between

bushes and trees. Even where the cattle themselves are out of

sight, typical traces of their presence are evident.

Botswana has around 2.4 million inhabitants and – depending

on the estimate – between 1.5 and 2 million cattle. Cattle

breeding has a long tradition in the land of the Tswana people,

who make up the vast majority of the population of this

landlocked country in south-western Africa. Owning a herd

is a symbol of status and pride. Unsurprisingly, Botswana is a

challenging country for vegetarians: Beef – whether grilled,

stewed, or dried – is a dietary staple.

The government in Gaborone has realised that cattle, especially

in rural areas, also represent a significant opportunity for energy

generation. Since 2019, with support from the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP), Botswana has been actively

promoting biogas as part of its broader development strategy.

Coal Still Dominates Power Generation

The background to this is that the state wants to focus more

strongly on renewable energy sources. At present, electricity

is mainly generated by two coal-fired power stations in

Morupule, in the central eastern region of the country. There,

the state-owned utility Botswana Power Corporation (BPC)

operates several units with a total capacity of 712 megawatts

(MW) as of 2022. In addition to two diesel-powered power

plants, the rest of the electricity required comes from imports

from Namibia and South Africa.

Yet the government expects an almost twofold increase in

Botswana’s electricity demand by 2040 (from the current

4,500 to 8,600 gigawatt hours). According to the National

Energy Plan, it therefore intends to expand photovoltaic and

wind energy capacity so that renewables will account for 30

percent of Botswana’s electricity generation by 2030. At the

same time, it aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by 15 percent.

Bioenergy is expected to contribute to this effort while also

increasing energy independence. An example of this can be

found in Lesoma, in the north-east of the country, close

48

ENGLISH ISSUE

to the borders with Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe, where the

great Zambezi River forms a quadripoint. The famous Victoria

Falls are less than a 90-minute drive from here. The small

town consists of simple brick-built houses. In addition to the

tarmacked main road, sandy tracks criss-cross the area. On the

outskirts stands the home of Peggy Mogamesa. The 73-yearold

welcomes visitors in colourful traditional clothing. She has

another appointment later, but still has a little time to show

BIOGAS Journal her new system.

73-year-old Peggy Mogamesa stirs the raw materials for her

5,000-litre biogas plant.

Specially Trained Bricklayers

Construct Small-Scale Biogas Plants

At the beginning of the year 2024, she explains, several

bricklayers came to excavate the ground behind the house and

construct a 6-cubic-metre digester tank including inlet and

outlet pipes. Only three steel-covered access points protrude

from the sandy soil. She opens the first one and demonstrates

how she adds cow dung, which she previously took out of an

iron barrel and mixed with water.

The mixture flows into the digester by way of a sloping

underground inlet pipe. She prises open the lid above it using

a reinforcing bar. All that is visible is the gas tap, which she

opens for further demonstration. The brick-built digester

beneath is sealed airtight.

The system works on the principle that the gas produced

displaces digested substrate into an expansion chamber as it

expands. Peggy Mogamesa can extract the digestate through

the third access point located there. “I spread it on my maize

field as fertiliser,” she explains.

For more biogas in Botswana: The team from the Department of Energy,

with James Molenga and Edwin Khethiwe (right).

Cattle everywhere: Cattle graze everywhere, even in the

capital city of Gaborone.

Biogas Instead of LPG

She then leads us into her house, in front of which two of her

grandchildren are playing. They look up curiously. Behind the

front door is a small kitchen with a dual-burner gas stove. She

turns the knob and the biogas flows. On the floor stands a

bottle of fossil liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). “I don’t use that

anymore,” she says when asked. “Because my biogas flows

reliably. There hasn’t been a single day when it wasn’t there.”

With one caveat: “At first I thought it wasn’t working, because

it took two weeks for the first gas to come.” That is how long

the digestion process in the anaerobic digester took before the

first biogas was produced. Every two to three days she has to

feed the system to keep it running. “So, you can’t be lazy,” she

says. But the biogas really saves her money.

The 73-year-old widow is one of the biogas farmers who

have received the system free of charge. It is one of 200 pilot

projects that mainly focused on training bricklayers. The time

for her next appointment has come. She quickly shows us the

kraal where her twelve cows and one bull are kept overnight.

Now they are out on the pasture, supervised by one of her sons,

and have only left behind their “energy raw material.” “Biogas is

a benefit to my life,” she says as she leaves.


Zentralgerührte

Hochfermenter.

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Produktionsabfällen.

Tens of thousands of elephants live in Botswana. What is good for

biodiversity must also have advantages for humans.

“Peggy Mogamesa is one of many industrious Botswanan

women who manage a household and farm well into old age.”

Men are often less hands-on, says Lefa Albert, who works for

Africa’s largest nature conservation park, Kavango Zambezi

(KAZA). The wildlife reserve, which has its office in Kasane,

Botswana, spans the territories of five African countries. With

an area of 520,000 square kilometres, it is slightly larger than

Spain. The nearby town of Lesamo and Peggy’s farm, just 20

kilometres away, also lie within this area.

Millions for Biodiversity

The aim of KAZA is to protect the region’s high biodiversity.

Financial support is provided by Germany. The state-owned

KfW Development Bank has so far approved around 50 million

euros for the preservation of biodiversity in southern Africa.

This includes large wildlife such as elephants, giraffes, zebras,

and lions, which move freely across the territory.

The Kalahari Desert, the Okavango Delta and Chobe National

Park provide three extensive habitats in Botswana alone, and

they account for more than half of the country’s land area.

According to KfW, the elephant population in the KAZA region

is the largest continuous elephant population in the world.

Around half of Africa’s remaining savannah elephants live there.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

recently classified the species as endangered, but also

praised the fact that populations in the KAZA area are

increasing, in contrast to the rest of the continent. A

comprehensive count conducted the previous year revealed

that around 228,000 elephants live in the area – a success

attributable to recent conservation efforts.

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50

ENGLISH ISSUE

The manure mixed with water is being fed into the system here.

Conservation: Local Communities Must Benefit

To ensure this remains the case, the needs of the local

population must also be taken into account. In many

communities, roaming animals cause disruption – for

example, when elephants trample crops or predators attack

cattle. To demonstrate how municipalities can benefit, KAZA

representative Albert travelled to Peggy’s farm – even though

the state-run biogas programme is not directly linked to KAZA.

However, Botswana’s authorities are striving to work together

in support of biodiversity.

This includes the Ministry of Minerals and Energy in the capital.

The Department of Energy (DoE) has its headquarters there in

a modern office park surrounded by tall trees on the southern

edge of Gaborone. A multi-member team of staff is responsible

for developing biogas policy.

“There are as many cattle in our country as there are people,”

says James Molenga, a senior energy engineer at the DoE.

This is why using waste from the cattle industry offers the

greatest practical potential for bioenergy production. With the

Above the digester is the gas tap, which the biogas farmer turns on

when needed.

support of the UNDP, the country launched its first subsidy

programme in 2017. It ran until 2022, financed through the

Global Environment Facility (GEF).

“The main objective during this period was to build capacity and

competence,” explains Molenga’s colleague Edwin Khethiwe.

As a result, 77 masons were trained, and 231 small-scale plants

were constructed –with capacities ranging from 6 to 30 cubic

metres (m³). The owners had to contribute around 50 percent

of the total costs themselves, specifically for the construction

materials. This amounted to approximately 1,500 euros for a

6 m³ plant. The expenditure for labour and biogas equipment

was covered by GEF funds totalling 2 million dollars.

UNDP Supports Small-Scale Plants

After the first phase was limited to the southern districts, 2023

saw an expansion to the north of the country, where another

200 bricklayers will be trained by 2025. They will implement

120 demonstration projects with plant sizes ranging from 6 to

10 m³ for households and small businesses – one of which is

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that of Peggy Mogamesa from Lesoma. These plants are being

constructed free of charge for users with the support of the UNDP.

On the basis of this experience, Botswana then intends to

further expand its biogas support so that another 630 small

plants will be added over the next three years. To support this,

the government has launched a budget of 1.5 million euros to

provide investment cost subsidies.

“Our most important goal is to familiarise people with the

new technology, which in addition to cooking, is also used

for lighting and for heat generation, for example in chicken

coops,” says Khethiwe. Many households in southern Africa still

traditionally rely on firewood for these purposes.

Potential Also for Large-Scale Biogas Plants

However, to further tap into the biomass potential of around

20 million tonnes annually, the DoE is hoping for international

cooperation in research and development as well as in largescale

plants. In the future, large biogas digesters could be

constructed at sites such as the slaughterhouses of the

Botswana Meat Commission. In order to offer investors

secure conditions, the government is preparing appropriate

regulations. “We are also hoping for financial support from the

mining sector,” says Khethiwe. Botswana is one of the world’s

largest producers of diamonds.

Apart from cow dung, with the exception of municipal waste,

which Botswana’s cities are to use for energy in future,

other potential waste materials are not a focus in Botswana.

According to the National Energy Plan, “Other agricultural

residues offer only limited potential at a rural level”.

And according to the DoE employee Molenga, the frequently

occurring elephant dung is also not a viable alternative: Too

dry and containing too many leaves and branches. “That

makes digestion more difficult,” he says. The logistics are

also demanding, since the animals live predominantly in

national parks. And unlike with the cattle, that is how it

should stay.

Peggy Mogamesa’s house was recently equipped with a biogas system.

AUTHOR

Dipl.-Pol. Oliver Ristau

Editorial and Communications

Sternstr. 106 · 20357 Hamburg ∙ Germany

00 49 40 38 61 58 22

ristau@publiconsult.de

www.oliver-ristau.de

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52

ENGLISH ISSUE

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Biogas Journal Autumn 2025

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