Biogas is dying because it’s too expensive – report

The German biogas industry is fighting for survival even though it is indispensable, writes Kathrin Witsch in the business daily Handelsblatt. The technology was once seen as a saviour of the energy transition because it can generate electricity independent of the weather. Today there are more than 9,000 biogas plants in Germany, which produce eight percent of the country’s green electricity. But support cuts meant that only 120 such plants were added last year, compared to 1,500 in 2011. Many plants will be shut down once they reach the end of their 20-year support period because owners shy away from necessary investments, according to the article.

Read the article in German here.

For background, read the dossier Bioenergy in Germany – Troubled pillar of the Energiewende.