The role of biogas for a secure gas supply in Germany. Status of biogas use and recommendations for its improved contribution to supply security after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Status: May 2022

The following four points are highlighted: (1.) In 2021, 50 TWh of final energy was provided from biogas in Germany in the form of electricity and heat, as well as a small amount of fuel. The upgrading of biogas to biomethane, which can replace natural gas in all areas of application, is currently taking place to the tune of 11 TWh. This corresponds to a share of about 1% of the gas market. Areas of application in which biogas can replace natural gas even without prior upgrading are flexibly generated electricity (13 TWh or 22 % of electricity supply from natural gas) and (CHP) heat (13 TWh or 2 % of heat supply from natural gas). (2.) As a result of increased agricultural prices, a decline in biogas production is to be expected in the short and medium term, as biogas substrates are currently increasingly in demand as animal feed or land is being converted to the production of animal feed and food. In order to at least partially compensate for this decline and to ensure the priority of food security also in the longer term, biogas should increasingly be produced from biogenic waste or by-products as well as from cultivated biomass that is not in competition with the production of food and feed. (3.) Regardless of the substrate basis, the substitution of natural gas applications with biogas can be improved by accelerating the flexibilisation of existing biogas plants and upgrading biogas to biomethane. Even with these measures, however, sustainably produced biogas could only absorb a supply stop of Russian gas to a limited extent: The share of biomethane in the gas market can be increased in the medium term to 3 % of current gas consumption or 6 - 8 % of Russian gas imports (level first quarter 2022). The contribution to gas-based heat generation can also be expanded only slightly from 2 % to approx. 3 %. With consistent flexibilisation of all biogas plants, almost half of the gas-based flexible electricity generation could be produced from biogas (46 %), or the Russian natural gas used for this could be largely replaced by biogas. However, this does not take into account the probable decline in biogas substrates or agricultural land used for this purpose, so that the actual potential is likely to be lower. (4.) In order to ensure the contribution of biogas to the security of energy supply, an immediate programme to mobilise biogenic by-products, waste and cultivated biomass without additional land requirements in the amount of 30 TWh is recommended. This can be implemented promptly through suitable incentives in the EEG. In addition, in view of the important role of gas for demand-based electricity generation, the flexibilisation of biogas plants should be accelerated through higher incentives and stricter flexibility requirements in the EEG. A further expansion of biogas production is only possible in the short term through severe restrictions on sustainability requirements and even higher state incentives, which is not in proportion to the biogas volumes that can be realised as a result.