Biogas: driving motor of the economy

By the end of 2016, about 9,000 biogas plants with an installed electrical output of more than 4,000 megawatt (MW) were in operation. This is about the capacity of three or four nuclear power plants. Thanks to this successful development, the German biogas industry has gained a wealth of experience and the necessary investment power to establish the biogas technology at international level. “Biogas made in Germany” is not only internationally much in demand, it is also the driving force for the global biogas economy.
By now, the biogas sector has achieved an annual turnover of more than seven billion Euro and, in doing so, secures approx. 40,000 jobs in small and medium-sized industrial and agricultural companies. Numerous specialists are required from the first idea to the completed plant and its professional operation. More than 800 small and medium-sized companies plan and erect biogas plants, design components, offer maintenance services, provide the required substrates (such as energy crops) and take care of utilizing the output (i.e. power, heat, fuels and fermentation products). This highly benefits the domestic SME sector and contributes to the strengthening of rural areas. Biogas plants additionally help young, well-qualified and skilled personnel to find attractive, promising and future-oriented jobs also in structurally weak rural areas.

Moreover, the worldwide technology leadership of the German biogas enterprises opens up highly interesting export and development opportunities. Numerous other countries, such as Britain, France and Italy, have recognized the advantages of the biogas technology and offer compensation systems that are shaped in line with the German model.