BIOGASHEAT: Development of sustainable heat markets for biogas plants in Europe

BIOGASHEAT investigated how to efficiently utilise heat from biogas plants, identifying good practice examples and producing a handbook of guidelines.

Duration:

April 2012 to April 2015.

Target Countries:

Latvia, Germany, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Romania.

Description / Objectives:

In many European countries, the production and use of biogas is recognised as a suitable and sustainable energy option in the renewable energy mix. Most biogas is used to produce electricity in combined heat and power (CHP) plants. However, in many cases, the heat from the CHP plant is not used, but wasted. This inefficient use of energy is currently preventing the further expansion of the biogas market.

The BIOGASHEAT project addressed the problem of how to efficiently utilise the heat from biogas plants. Therefore, the objectives of the BIOGASHEAT project were as follows:

• To enable economic and sustainable utilisation of heat from existing and future biogas plants, which is currently wasted
• To increase capability and capacity in biogas heat utilisation in project target countries and beyond through specific measures.

Results / Final Reports:

The BIOGASHEAT project collaborated with a range of biogas and heat market actors. This involved round-table discussions and workshops for policy makers, authorities and biogas plants operators. Furthermore, there were coaching events and a European workshop to share experiences of developing sustainable heat markets for biogas plants across Europe. As a result, the BIOGASHEAT project produced the following results and associated reports:

• Good practice examples for efficient use of heat from biogas plants.
• Handbook of sustainable heat use from biogas plants.
• European Strategy Paper on heat use from biogas plants.
• National Policy Enforcement report on heat use from biogas plants.
• Overall conclusions, recommendations and good practices.
• BIOGASHEAT Brochure and BIOGASHEAT Leaflet.

Policy Recommendations:

It was clear that biogas can significantly contribute to renewable energy production by 2020 and beyond. However, the potential of biogas is not yet fully exploited in many Member States, despite its high potential in terms of available agricultural resources. Therefore, changes in the legislative framework are necessary to foster heat utilisation from biogas. The following recommendations were made on the use and utilisation of biogas in general:

• The European Commission should push for an ambitious, but realistic, revision of the national targets for biogas.
• The European Commission should urge the Member States to define binding biogas targets for 2030 and 2050.
• The European Commission could urge the Member States to create stable framework conditions for biogas.

Project Partners:

Ekodoma (LV); Euroheat & Power (BE); WIP Renewable Energies (DE); Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (HR); Energy Efficiency Center SEVEn (CZ); Sogesca Srl (IT); Polish Biogas Association, (PL); e7 Energie Markt Analyse GmbH (AT); Danish Technological Institute (DK); SC Mangus Sol Srl, (RO).

Websites:

http://www.biogasheat.org/

Funding:

IEE Programme.