Swiss biogas on the upswing
In 2016, 18% more domestic biogas was injected into the gas grid in Switzerland.
Sales of natural gas and biogas in Switzerland totaled 39,029 GWh in 2016. Compared to the previous year, this is an increase of 5%, which is mainly due to the increase in heating degree days (+6.7%). Biogas injected into the gas network from domestic production amounted to 308 GWh. This is almost 18% more than in the previous year. Due to the increasing demand for biogas, it is also increasingly imported. This is reported by the Association of the Swiss Gas Industry VSG.
With a share of over 13% of final energy consumption, natural gas is the third most important energy source in Switzerland. Three quarters of the Swiss population are connected to the approximately 20,000 kilometers of gas networks. A good third of Switzerland's natural gas consumption is accounted for by industry, which uses the energy carrier primarily to generate process heat.
30% renewable gas in the heat market by 2030.
More and more renewably produced gas is being sold in the Swiss heating market. In 2016, the trend to add a fixed proportion of biogas to the natural gas standard product (usually 5 or 10%) accelerated in particular. More and more gas utilities are now supplying their customers with these new standard products. Various gas suppliers offer their customers higher biogas percentages as an option.
With its biogas fund, the association promotes new plants that feed biogas into the gas grid. In 2016, subsidies of around CHF 2.8 million were paid out. Thanks to this consistent promotion, biogas feed-in in Switzerland is increasing from year to year: in 2016, it was 308 GWh, an increase of almost 18% compared to the previous year (262 GWh). Biogas feed-in does not benefit from the cost-covering feed-in tariff (KEV).
These figures demonstrate the industry's objective to blend more renewable gas with natural gas and to make an even greater contribution to reducing climate-relevant CO2 emissions with the steadily declining fossil carbon content of the distributed gas. The Swiss gas industry wants to increase the share of renewable gases in the heating market to 30 percent by 2030. To achieve this, policymakers must play their part and create suitable framework conditions such as the comprehensive recognition of biogas as a renewable energy in the heating sector and a partial earmarking of CO2 taxes in favor of biogas.
Environmentally friendly natural gas/biogas vehicles
In Switzerland, a total of 12,912 (+4% compared to the previous year) vehicles powered by bio/natural gas in an environmentally friendly manner were in operation in 2016. The number of new registrations was 1111 vehicles (-8%). The average biogas content in fuel in 2016 was 22.4%. Vehicles powered by bio/natural gas not only emit significantly less CO2, but generally emit fewer pollutants harmful to the environment and health than vehicles with gasoline or diesel engines. The latest Auto Environmental List of the Swiss Transport Club (VCS) once again confirms the environmental friendliness of bio/natural gas vehicles: in 2017, eight gas-powered cars are among the top ten.
