High representative: biogas can replace all of Germany's natural gas imports from Russia
Fascinating news from Germany: the co-founder of the world's largest biogas firm, Schmack Biogas AG, says that within a few decades the locally produced green gas can replace all of Germany's natural gas imports from Russia, Europe's main supplier. Ulrich Schmack does not say this gratuitously: the successful entrepreneur does so in his position as High Representative for Renewable Energies to the Second Energy Top being held in the coming days by the country's Chancellory in Berlin.
This is very important news to us, because we are staunch advocates of biogas as a renewable, climate-friendly fuel, especially for the developing world. Of all (transport and stationary) fuels, biogas has the lowest CO2 footprint (earlier post). When a major industrial power like Germany heeds Schmack's call, the technology will be boosted and eventually find more acceptance all over the world (and especially so in rapidly emerging countries like China and India, where Germany's engineering tradition as well as its renewable energy efforts are seen as world leading).
Schmack assesses Germany's long-term energy options and starts by saying that the country's decision to phase out nuclear energy stands firm: "The decision is not up for debate." Nuclear energy, the representative adds, is not a renewable or clean energy source anyways. The supply of uranium is already problematic and the long-term supply outlook for high-grade nuclear fuel is not very encouraging. Biogas, Schmack says, grows each year, in a clean way, and does not suffer from supply constraints.
The question is whether biogas can replace a large enough amount of energy in order to counter the nuclear lobby's efforts of reopening the debate about the phase-out: "At the end of 2005, Germany produced 10.5% of all its energy from renewable resources. Each year, the share increases by 2 to 3%. The math is simple: by 2030 and at this pace, green energy will have replaced a huge amount of fossil energy."
Asked whether renewables like biogas aren't too costly to produce, Schmack urges analysts to look at the total costs and to put a value on such issues as geopolitical uncertainties stemming from energy dependence. Moreover, Schmack insists that since biogas is produced locally, by local farmers and entrepreneurs, the state receives taxes from those involved, which are kept inside the country and contribute to its economy.
Ulrich Schmack has a vision, based on sound data and realistic projections, even though many will be surprised to hear it: "In 2030 Germany will produce 40 billion cubic metres (1.4 trillion cubic feet) of biogas per year. By that time we don't need any gas from Russia any longer. The billions of Euros that flow out of the country now to Saudi Arabia and Russia, stay here and will benefit our economy." "Security of supply and buffers against price fluctuations are guaranteed", Schmack adds.
An often recurring 'moral' problem remains, though: is it morally acceptable to use land to grow crops for energy when world hunger is a persistent problem? Schmack: "Man does not live from bread alone, he needs heat and energy too. What's more, people all over the world nowadays spend more of their disposable incomes on energy that on food. There are clear reasons for this". Moreover, for more than 5 decades, European countries have set-aside millions of hectares of land, and even paid farmers not use that land! And 'historically speaking, not long ago we used to grow vast hectarages of oat - the fuel for the horses that drove both agriculture and urban transport":
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: biogas :: natural gas :: Russia :: Germany ::
In this sense, bioenergy and biofuels mean a return to the energy paradigm of earlier times. The alternative is a global climate catastrophe that will have much more damaging effects on the poor, whose food security will be threatened even more.
The energy top in Berlin will thoroughly investigate the real efficiency of different bioenergy systems and analyse projections of efficiency increases. Schmack says this is a routine job, and points to the fact that he will push for more investments in highly efficient combined-heat-and-power (CHP) systems: "We have to get more out of our energy sources." In order to achieve this, the representative adds, decentralisation and localisation is of key importance. The integration of smaller energy systems based on biomass, wind and geothermal, in urban networks must get priority.
Schmack is confident that Germany's Energy Minister, Michael Glos, who recently showed some renewed interest for nuclear, will react positively to his vision and data about the potential of biogas. The reason for his optimism: recently Schmack Biogas AG opened a plant Prichsenstadt which powers the milling company of one of Glos's sons. Present at the opening were Germany's Economy Minister and... father Glos. And what struck Schmack most is that both, whispering like conspirators, "have literally confessed that biomass is our future."
More information:
Mittelbayerische Zeitung: Biogas könnte Gas aus Russland ersetzen - Ulrich Schmack setzt sich heute beim Gipfel im Kanzleramt für erneuerbare Energien ein - Oct. 9, 2006
This is very important news to us, because we are staunch advocates of biogas as a renewable, climate-friendly fuel, especially for the developing world. Of all (transport and stationary) fuels, biogas has the lowest CO2 footprint (earlier post). When a major industrial power like Germany heeds Schmack's call, the technology will be boosted and eventually find more acceptance all over the world (and especially so in rapidly emerging countries like China and India, where Germany's engineering tradition as well as its renewable energy efforts are seen as world leading).
Schmack assesses Germany's long-term energy options and starts by saying that the country's decision to phase out nuclear energy stands firm: "The decision is not up for debate." Nuclear energy, the representative adds, is not a renewable or clean energy source anyways. The supply of uranium is already problematic and the long-term supply outlook for high-grade nuclear fuel is not very encouraging. Biogas, Schmack says, grows each year, in a clean way, and does not suffer from supply constraints.
The question is whether biogas can replace a large enough amount of energy in order to counter the nuclear lobby's efforts of reopening the debate about the phase-out: "At the end of 2005, Germany produced 10.5% of all its energy from renewable resources. Each year, the share increases by 2 to 3%. The math is simple: by 2030 and at this pace, green energy will have replaced a huge amount of fossil energy."
Asked whether renewables like biogas aren't too costly to produce, Schmack urges analysts to look at the total costs and to put a value on such issues as geopolitical uncertainties stemming from energy dependence. Moreover, Schmack insists that since biogas is produced locally, by local farmers and entrepreneurs, the state receives taxes from those involved, which are kept inside the country and contribute to its economy.
Ulrich Schmack has a vision, based on sound data and realistic projections, even though many will be surprised to hear it: "In 2030 Germany will produce 40 billion cubic metres (1.4 trillion cubic feet) of biogas per year. By that time we don't need any gas from Russia any longer. The billions of Euros that flow out of the country now to Saudi Arabia and Russia, stay here and will benefit our economy." "Security of supply and buffers against price fluctuations are guaranteed", Schmack adds.
An often recurring 'moral' problem remains, though: is it morally acceptable to use land to grow crops for energy when world hunger is a persistent problem? Schmack: "Man does not live from bread alone, he needs heat and energy too. What's more, people all over the world nowadays spend more of their disposable incomes on energy that on food. There are clear reasons for this". Moreover, for more than 5 decades, European countries have set-aside millions of hectares of land, and even paid farmers not use that land! And 'historically speaking, not long ago we used to grow vast hectarages of oat - the fuel for the horses that drove both agriculture and urban transport":
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: biogas :: natural gas :: Russia :: Germany ::
In this sense, bioenergy and biofuels mean a return to the energy paradigm of earlier times. The alternative is a global climate catastrophe that will have much more damaging effects on the poor, whose food security will be threatened even more.
The energy top in Berlin will thoroughly investigate the real efficiency of different bioenergy systems and analyse projections of efficiency increases. Schmack says this is a routine job, and points to the fact that he will push for more investments in highly efficient combined-heat-and-power (CHP) systems: "We have to get more out of our energy sources." In order to achieve this, the representative adds, decentralisation and localisation is of key importance. The integration of smaller energy systems based on biomass, wind and geothermal, in urban networks must get priority.
Schmack is confident that Germany's Energy Minister, Michael Glos, who recently showed some renewed interest for nuclear, will react positively to his vision and data about the potential of biogas. The reason for his optimism: recently Schmack Biogas AG opened a plant Prichsenstadt which powers the milling company of one of Glos's sons. Present at the opening were Germany's Economy Minister and... father Glos. And what struck Schmack most is that both, whispering like conspirators, "have literally confessed that biomass is our future."
More information:
Mittelbayerische Zeitung: Biogas könnte Gas aus Russland ersetzen - Ulrich Schmack setzt sich heute beim Gipfel im Kanzleramt für erneuerbare Energien ein - Oct. 9, 2006
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