1. GIZ Workshop Small scale manure biogas plants for Serbian farms,
22. and 23. September 2015
German concept of small scale manure based biogas plants – Reasons for a switch from energy crops to available organic residues
Frank Hofmann
Department for International Affairs
German Biogas Association

2. Agenda German Biogas Association Market Development in Germany
Reasons for a switch from energy crops to small scale manure biogas plants in Germany
Chances for Serbia
Conclusion
Frank Hofmann

3. Structure of the German Biogas Association
Headquarters in Freising
23 employees, organised in 10 departments
Board of Trustees
Elected honorary spokesmen of regional groups, working groups and advisory boards
Steering Committee
7 members, elected for a 4-year-period
Berlin Office
5 employees
Regional offices (North, South, East, West and Editorial Office Biogas Journal
Advisory Boards, Working Groups
Advisory boards of plant operators, companies, the legal profession, funders; Working groups for the areas permissions, safety, feeding-in of biogas, environment, heat, waste and fertiliser law
over 400 honorary experts
23 Regional groups in Germany
4,800 Members
Operators of biogas plants
Research Institutions
Interested private individuals
Companies and manufacturers
Lawyers
Corporate finance
Public authorities
Providers of feedstock
Planners, advisers, laboratories
Member of the European Biogas Association (EBA)
Frank Hofmann

4. German Biogas Association - Objectives
4,800 members
Promotion of the biogas sector
Promotion of a sustainable energy supply
Lobbying on federal state, federal and EU level in the following fields:
Renewable Energy Act (EEG)
Environmental law
Creation of adequate technical rules and standards …
Definition of legal framework for reliable and long-term investments
Promotion of R&D
Exchange of information
Members service
The German Biogas Association has 4700 members by now. Main task is to promote the biogas sector and a sustainable energy supply. In addition to knowledge collection and transfer, the political lobbying is main task of the Association. Core areas here are the Renewable Energy Act, environmental law and the creation of adequate technical rules and standards.
Frank Hofmann

5. Biogas, development in Germany
Frank Hofmann

6. Number of biogas plants & installed electric capacity
Frank Hofmann

7. Biogas sector at a glance
Frank Hofmann

8. Motivation to support RE and Biogas
Frank Hofmann

9. Reasons for the energy transition in Germany
Climate and environment protection
Sustainable development of energy production
Reduction of costs for German national economy by incorporating long- term external effects
Conservation of fosil ressources
Independency from imports of fossil fuels
In the long term costs for fossil fuels will rise; „fuel costs“ for RE are for free or will probably increase lower
Technology development
Creation of employment, especially in rural areas
Development of new markerts and sales
Frank Hofmann

10. Biogas and it‘s composition
Biogas, anaerobic digestion (AD), is a natural process by which microorganisms breake down organic material in the absence of oxigen. Biogas cosists mainly of….
component
percentage CH
50-75 Vol. % 4 CO
25-75 Vol. % 2 H S
ppm 2 NH
0-500 ppm 3 H O
1-3 Vol. % 2
Dust particles
< 5
=> ppm = 0.1 Vol.% N
0-5 Vol. % 2
Frank Hofmann

11. Reasons to support biogas in Germany
Biogas reduces Greenhouse Gas emissions
Avoidance of methane emissions by manure storage
Substitution of fossil fuels
Substitution of mineral fertilizer
Biodiversity can be enhanced
Local employment, 40,000 jobs in Germany
Business creation, 7 billion € turnover
Technology development, Germany is biogas market leader
Biogas produces a fertilizer of high value
During the biogas process the material is sanitised
seeds deactivated
Potential pathogene microorganisms reduced
Due to the biogas process odor (smell) is reduced
Frank Hofmann

12. Biogas utilisation options
Frank Hofmann

13. Reasons for a switch from energy crop based biogas to small, manure based biogas plants
Frank Hofmann

14. Biogas: Manure or Energy crops? Basics and History
The bigger the biogas plant the specific cheaper the biogas production
The more manure used the cheaper the biogas production
Example: 260 cows deliver manure for about 75 kWel
If biogas should take a substantial role in the German energy transition bigger installations should be possible
Overproduction of food and fodder in EU leaded to set-aside land (not used agricultural land): 1993/94 15%; 1999/2000 = 10%, 2004/05 reduced to 5%
Consideration: The land not needed for feed and fodder production can be used for energy crop cultivation
Question: How much energy crop cultivation is sustainable?
Frank Hofmann

15. Cultivation of energy plants in Germany
Overall cultivation area: roughly 12 mio. ha
Energy Crops: 2 mio. ha =
16% of cultivation area
Crops for biogas:
1.27 mio. ha
= 8% of agricultural area
Source: FvB based on FNR 2015
Frank Hofmann

16. Feedstock in German biogas plants
% by weight % by energy output
Biowaste
Liquid & solid manure
Energycrops
Industrial & agricultural residues
Source: Motoringbericht DBFZ, June 2014
Dr. Stefan Rauh

17. Inside the biogas fermenter
Frank Hofmann

18. Manure based biogas plants: Advantages and disadvantages I
Manure offers a cheap input material but with low biogas yields:
Biogas yield about 15 – 25 m³/t manure, 60% methane
Example: Running a biogas plant with the manure of 100 cows would result in kWel
Nearly zero costs (if available at the farm) or only transportation costs
Cost for biogas and electricity production is highly depending on the size
The bigger the biogas plant the cheaper the biogas
FiT for small biogas plants (< 75 kWel): ct/kWh, moderate development
Frank Hofmann

19. Manure based biogas plants: Advantages and disadvantages II
Manure treatment in a biogas plant reduces methane emissions from storage and is a climate friendly input material
Avoided CH4-emissions per m³ cow manure: 27 kg CO2eq
Avoided CH4-emissions per dairy cow (per year): 675 kg CO2eq
=> Manure based biogas plants can reduce CO2eq from storage and substitute fossil energy.
Manure based biogas plants avoid Green-House Gases (GHG) at moderate costs
Frank Hofmann

20. Costs for GHG avoidance
Percentage: Content of manure in the input
Dr. Stefan Rauh

21. Energy crop based biogas plants: Advantages and disadvantages I
Energy crops have high biogas yields
Biogas yield about 160 – 240 m³/t manure, about 50% methane
but
Growing Energy crops is connected with
Costs: e.g. about 30 €/t maize
Mineral fertilizer, pesticides
Use of agricultural land
Discussion food vs fuel
Discussion (i)LUC
Discussion too much maize?
How much agricultural area should be used for energy crops?
Frank Hofmann

22. Residues and wastes as input material for biogas
Residues and by product on a farm deliver favourable co-substrates
Often at (nearly) zero costs. Costs are depending on: quality, other uses, availability…
Good biogas yields
Availability is limited
Fuel vs fodder discussion
Wastes, like sorted houshold wastes
Costs depend on quality and local conditions, earnings for waste treatment possible
Additional technology needed, e.g. sanitizazion,
Extended permission regulation
Frank Hofmann

23. Small manure biogas plants for Serbia?
Origen: Axpo-Kompogas / Büchl Entsorgungswirtschaft GmbH; BioIN GmbH
Dr. Stefan Rauh

24. Investment costs and options for their reduction
Typical investment costs for small biogas plants (75 kWel)
(4,000) – 12,000 €/kWel
average 8,100 €/kWel
„Bauherren Modell“ average 5,500 €/kWel
Options for cost reduction
Usage of existing components, like tanks
Use of landscape (downflow of material)
Reliability: Availability reduces specific costs
Low (no) cost material as substartes (agricultural residies, not sellable fruits, leaves, etc)
Higher yields possible, especially in organic farming
Frank Hofmann

25. Conclusions
Frank Hofmann

26. Arguments for policy makers to support small, manure based biogas plants
Greenhouse Gas emission reduction
Fuel production in Serbia, avoidence of fossil fuel imports
Conservation of Serbian fuel ressources
Decentralised energy production
Biogas can balance power demand and supply
Local development and employment; about 5 – 15 employees per installed Mwel
Taxes
Environmental advantages
Frank Hofmann

27. Arguments for farmers to invest in small, manure based biogas plants
New business opportunities
Fertilizer production
Residues like manure, fruits that cannot be sold, parts of the plant that are not sold (like leaves) become a value as fuel for the biogas plant
Less smell
Opportunities for the village, employment, own energy production
Frank Hofmann

28. Conclusions for Serbia
Manure based biogas plants should be supported
Avoidance GHG emissions
Renewable Energy development
Rural development
New business chances for farmers
FiT to be adapted
In Germany FiT for small biogas plants (< 75 kWel): ct/kWh, moderate development
Manure based biogas plants should use co-fermentation material or
Purly manure based biogas plants are limited to huge farms (above 1,000 cattle) to limit costs
Frank Hofmann

29. Thank you for your attention
Frank Hofmann
Department for International Affairs
Fachverband Biogas e.V.
Frank Hofmann