Gas industry calls for biogas to be recognized as renewable energy
Biogas that is fed into the natural gas grid is not recognized as renewable energy in the sense of cantonal regulations. The Swiss gas industry is now calling for the bureaucratic obstacles to be removed, especially when it comes to importing biogas.
More and more biogas is being fed into the Swiss natural gas grid: In the last five years, the volume has quadrupled to 262 GWh, according to industry association VSG. The gas industry criticizes the fact that only biogas that is used to generate electricity is subsidized by the public authorities - if it is used for heating, it is not recognized as renewable energy within the meaning of cantonal regulations.
VSG therefore calls on politicians and administrators to set the course so that the potential of biogas as a sustainable and climate-neutral energy source can be fully exploited.
Demand increases
In Switzerland, demand for biogas is rising sharply. In combination with natural gas, it is used not only as a fuel, but increasingly also for heating. More and more local gas suppliers are blending a fixed biogas content into natural gas. Biogas is a renewable and CO2-free energy from natural waste materials. Since domestic supply is limited, it is also imported from neighboring countries. The gas industry expects the share of biogas sold to increase substantially in the coming years. What is often forgotten is that feeding biogas into the grid achieves a higher overall efficiency than biogas-based electricity generation.
Biogas has great potential as a renewable energy; combined with natural gas and other renewable gases, it could make an important contribution to implementing the federal government's energy and climate goals.
Back in 2010, the gas industry set up a support fund into which local suppliers pay around 3 million Swiss francs a year. This is used to support investments in new production plants as well as feed-in. In the meantime, 25 plants are in operation between Lake Geneva and Lake Constance.
The gas industry wants to reduce the legal and bureaucratic obstacles that exist today in the recognition of biogas; on the one hand, in the model regulations of the cantons (MuKEn 2014) and in the import of biogas. The focus is on the recognition of biogas as a renewable energy for all uses.
