“The SPD, Green and CDU/CSU parliamentary groups have impressively put the matter above party-political considerations and set the course for the future at a crucial time for the biogas industry,” said Rostek, praising the members of the German Bundestag, who made important improvements to the draft from the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWK) after intensive negotiations over the last few days. However, the original proposal from the BMWK, which the industry regarded as unsuccessful, had too many issues that could not be comprehensively addressed in the short time available.
By increasing the tender volume to 1,300 megawatts (MW) in 2025 and 1,126 MW in 2026 (plus the unawarded volume from the biomethane tender) in combination with the flexibility surcharge increased from EUR 65 to EUR 100/kW and the extension of the second remuneration period, thousands of existing biogas plants will in principle be given a perspective as the flexible backbone of the renewable energy supply.
Important improvements have also been achieved regarding the practicability of the new flexibility requirements of cogeneration systems. The lowered structural requirement is still ambitious with a three-fold build-over, but is much more practical than the four-fold build-over originally required by the BMWK. The deadline for implementing the requirements has also been extended to 3.5 years. To protect smaller existing systems, a de minimis limit of 350 kW was also introduced, below which a two-fold build-over is still sufficient.
“The improvements that have been achieved are the only way that the outlined vision of a more flexible biogas plant fleet is within reach,” says Rostek, categorizing the measures. “Nevertheless, the Bundestag presents the entire industry with a monumental task. We want to operate flexibly and in a way that benefits the electricity-system - but it also must be economical and practicable.”
However, Rostek emphasizes that it would obviously have been impossible for all parties involved to discuss the many different aspects of the draft law and their interactions in depth in the short time available. For example, the lack of a transitional regulation for tenders this year and the drastic change in the system for determining remuneration based on operating quarter hours would pose major challenges for the industry and continue to raise technical questions.
Another no-go is the renewed lowering of the maize cap, which the industry believes is counterproductive: “We massively criticize the renewed limitation of the maize cap, which has no objective justification. This is unnecessary symbolic politics, not only at the expense of the profitability of the plants, but also at the expense of the actual job they are supposed to do. Energy-dense substrates such as maize are indispensable, especially in winter, in order to be able to reliably cover the dunkelflaute,” explains Rostek.
The bottom line is that the future prospects are still vague, summarizes the association representative. “The biomass package was a decisive step. However, the new federal government must continue along the path it has taken without delay. The reform backlog in the sector is enormous. The regulations for making biogas more flexible are not yet balanced; there was not even a mention of wood or biomethane in this package. The situation of small manure-based plants must also be put to the test in the new legislative period. So, there is still a lot to do - the cow is not off the ice yet,” concludes Rostek.
About the bioenergy associations
Four associations pool their expertise and resources in the field of energy policy in the "Main Bureau Bioenergy": the German Bioenergy Association (BBE), the German Farmers' Association (DBV), the German Biogas Association (FvB) and the German Wood Energy Association (FVH). Together they represent the entire bioenergy sector, from farmers and foresters, plant and machinery manufacturers, energy suppliers to operators and planners. The Bioenergy Capital Office gives the many different players and various technologies in the bioenergy industry a strong common voice in the political arena. Particularly in the electricity and heat sectors, it advocates the energy policy interests of its supporting associations across all technologies. In its contacts with political decision-makers, the Capital City Bioenergy Office can draw on a broad network of supporters and cooperates in particular with the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE)