Biogas Installations in Germany Continue Growth and Demonstrate Benefits of Bio-Waste Processing

Spurred by Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (EGG) but also many practical benefits, Biogas technologies continue playing an important role in sustainable energy supplies and proliferation.

Biomass processing is an essential part of overall infrastructure to effectively tackle environmental issues (related to waste streams created by communities). So it’s one of the primary technology pillars in Team Gemini’s portfolio of developments.

While growth potential is very significant throughout the world overall (including the U.S., as evidenced by the Billion-Ton Study), one of the leading nations in proliferation of Biogas plants is Germany. Looking at that country’s experience helps provide lessons about the benefits, challenges, and optimal ways forward for the industry.

Germany added 23 MW in biogas electricity last year among 150 plants built, most of which were small, manure-based plants.

[T]he total installed capacity of all 8,856 biogas plants amounts to 4,018 MW, power supplied to about 8 million homes in Germany.  Not only is biogas an important electricity provider in Germany, the GBA said, but when electrical demand is high, or when intermittent sources of energy like wind and solar are low, stored biogas can be used. The German biogas industry’s current storage capabilities total 100 MW.

“Biogas has an important function as a storable energy source for reliable provision of electricity, as a heat source, for the creation of nutrient cycles with organic waste and for the regional value.”

For ongoing Team Gemini project developments, drawing on industry-proven technologies helps maximize project viability, profitability, and overall effectiveness in contributing to a Triple Bottom Line. The overall potential from biomass is unmistakable, including generating electricity and thermal energy; compost and fertilizer; to bioethanol, jet fuel, and more. If applied and used effectively, biomass resources can make communities significantly more independent and sustainable in terms of decentralized energy supplies and waste processing.

Team Gemini treats biomass as a combined effort between waste processing (strictly organic and non-organic waste, cellulosic waste, and contaminated organic waste) and resource generation. Many technologies ultimately contribute to this goal, including protecting and treating valuable water resources, implementing sustainable agriculture, and maintaining proper methods of waste management.

With team members providing innovative Bio-Ethanol plants, Feedstock Pre-Treatment and Digestate-effluent Post-Treatment technologies, UDR Anaerobic Digesters, highly efficient CHP units, and Wastewater Treatment plants, Team Gemini offers a complete solution set for a variety of commodity-intensive industries. Design and development are integral in establishing economic viability, as various cost factors, technology configurations and applications, and other details vary from project to project. Team Gemini is part of this process, and making sure that all requirements are met and implemented for clients to most effectively apply sustainability measures in their operations.

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The original article on this subject can be found at this link.