Newsletter August 2026
English version
Welcome to the latest issue of the Biogaspartner Newsletter—an information service provided by the German Energy Agency (dena) focusing on biomethane. This newsletter includes updates on a new processing plant from Envitec, a critical report by the Biogasrat+ e. V. on the 2027 draft of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), and new market data from ReFuels.
For more information on the Biogas Partnership project and our partners, please visit www.biogaspartner.de
NEWS
18th Annual Conference of Biogas Partners in Berlin
On November 10, 2026, the 18th Annual Conference of Biogas Partners will take place in Berlin. A key topic will be the long-term security of biomethane feed-in, including the framework conditions, structures, and prospects for the gas grid transformation. In addition, the role of biomethane in the heating market will be examined, particularly the effects of the green gas quota and the “biostaircase” policy. Another focus will be on creating a level playing field for international biomethane trade.
Register now for the 2026 Biogaspartner Annual Conference
GENERATION
Envitec Implements Biomethane Processing for the Timphaus Plant in Lohne
Envitec is equipping the Timphaus plant in Lohne with a 561 Nm³/h EnviThan gas processing system to convert biogas into biomethane. Construction work on the expansion of the existing plant began in January 2026. Starting in the fall of 2026, the processed biomethane is scheduled to be fed into the natural gas grid. This will allow the agricultural operation to flexibly convert part of the gas into electricity and feed any surplus into the grid as biomethane.
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Biogasrat+ Warns: EEG 2027 Slows Down Highly Flexible Biomethane Plants
Biogasrat+ e. V. warns against the draft EEG 2027, arguing that the elimination of tenders for biomethane plants would slow down the expansion of green gases in Germany. Instead of harnessing the potential of green gases to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and strengthen domestic value creation, the expansion of bioenergy would be slowed down. It therefore calls for the retention of the tenders and improved framework conditions to promote the flexible use of biomethane for electricity and heat.
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Groundbreaking Ceremony in Morschen: Transformation of an Existing Plant for Biomethane Feed-in
Green Planet Energy (a cooperative green energy provider) and the Lindenhof farm have kicked off the expansion of an existing biogas plant in Morschen, Hesse, into a modern biomethane facility with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony. By retrofitting a processing plant, the facility will generate approximately 15 GWh of biomethane annually and feed it directly into the public gas grid. The project relies on agricultural residues and cover crops such as clover-grass mixtures, straw, and manure to produce gas, thereby avoiding at least 3,600 metric tons of CO₂ emissions each year.
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Federal Network Agency Specifies Requirements and Incentives for the September 2026 Biomethane Tender
In August 2026, the Federal Network Agency announced the official requirements and format specifications for the upcoming biomethane plant auction, with a bidding deadline of September 1, 2026. Bidders must submit their applications strictly in accordance with the specified formats and provide proof of their approval status in the market master data registry to avoid being excluded from the allocation process. To increase the willingness to bid, the auction is based on the maximum permissible price of 23.13 ct/kWh, after previous bidding rounds suffered from insufficient volume bids.
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MOBILITY
ReFuels Market Data Shows Rising Bio-CNG Sales in Heavy-Duty Transportation
ReFuels N.V. released market data for July 2026, which shows a steady increase in the consumption of renewable biomethane in the heavy-duty truck sector. A total of 5,860 metric tons of bio-CNG was dispensed through the company’s own network of refueling stations in July, which corresponds to an average of 2,265 vehicle refuelings per day. The ongoing expansion of fleets by major logistics operators underscores that liquefied and compressed biomethane represents a proven and cost-effective solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
CEDIGAZ Analysis Confirms Biomethane's Key Role in the Global Transportation Sector
In the market report “Global Biomethane Market – 2026 Assessment,” the international organization CEDIGAZ—which collects and analyzes global economic data on gases—examines the global expansion of biomethane as a fuel. The report highlights that the global market for liquefied biomethane (Bio-LNG) in the transportation sector is growing rapidly and is increasingly decarbonizing existing logistics infrastructures. A key driver of this development is the establishment of electronic certificates of origin, which provide fleet operators with reliable proof of greenhouse gas savings achieved.
Ecovis Industry Analysis Highlights Biomethane and Bio-LNG as Future Options for Agricultural Operations
The consulting firm Ecovis published a white paper on the strategic realignment of agricultural energy operations following the expiration of EEG feed-in tariffs. The paper analyzes the transformation of existing facilities to produce biomethane and liquid bio-LNG for the transportation sector as an economically viable solution. To manage the high acquisition and infrastructure costs, the analysis recommends that smaller operators form regional feed-in clusters.
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TUI Cruises Bets on Liquid Biomethane
The German cruise line TUI Cruises is expanding the use of bio-LNG on two ships. The “Mein Schiff Relax” has been running entirely on bio-LNG since the North Sea season, and the “Mein Schiff Flow” has been regularly bunkering bio-LNG in Barcelona since May 2026. As of July 2026, the bio-LNG program had reduced emissions by approximately 26,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (with a projected reduction of approximately 50,000 metric tons by year-end). This demonstrates the tangible benefits of renewable gases in heavy-duty transportation and shipping.
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HEAT
The Building Modernization Act’s Entry into Force Establishes Bio-Treppe in the Heating Market
The Building Modernization Act (GModG) took effect on July 29, 2026. The previous requirement to use 65 percent renewable energy was eliminated and replaced with a phased-in increase in the share of climate-neutral fuels, such as biomethane, beginning in 2029. Section 43 stipulates that newly installed gas, heating oil, or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) heating systems in existing buildings must use gradually increasing proportions (10% starting in 2029, 15% starting in 2030, 30% starting in 2035, 60% starting in 2040) of biomethane, bio-oil, biogenic liquefied petroleum gas, or hydrogen (including derivatives).
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INTERNATIONAL
EU | GIE and EBA Report Record European Biomethane Capacity
According to the latest biomethane map from the European Biogas Association and Gas Infrastructure Europe, European production capacity reached a new record of 8.2 billion cubic meters per year in the second quarter of 2026, representing a 17 percent increase over the previous year. Despite growth to 1,975 plants, however, the current pace of expansion is still insufficient to meet the REPowerEU target of 35 billion cubic meters per year by 2030. In addition, approximately 95 percent of European production is concentrated in just five countries, which is why markets such as the Czech Republic now aim to tap into their untapped potential more dynamically through new government auction models.
ES | First Biomethane Plant with Digestate Pasteurization Delivers 58 GWh/Year
A plant in southern Spain has become the first in the country to commission a pasteurization system from HRS Heat Exchangers—a manufacturer of heat exchangers—for digestate derived from whey, olive residues, and poultry and swine manure. It produces biomethane for approximately 11,000 households; the heat-recovery-based pasteurization (200 metric tons per day) saves approximately 1.75 million kWh of thermal energy per year. Spain’s number of biomethane plants grew from 12 in 2024 to 25 in 2025—46 plants are expected by the end of 2026.
IR | Ireland Accelerates Biomethane Expansion Through Government Subsidies and Private Capital
The recently published industry report by Alder BioInsights, a bioeconomy consulting firm, documents a significant investment boost for the Irish biomethane sector. The Irish government provided targeted grants totaling 19 million euros, which triggered private capital investments of over 200 million euros for new feed-in facilities. This move underscores that European member states are increasingly relying on reliable government support frameworks to rapidly scale up national biomethane production.
UK | British grid operator NESO sees fivefold expansion potential for biomethane and calls for political ambition
The published NESO report “Exploring the Role of Biomethane in the Energy System to 2050” concludes that up to 30 TWh of biomethane per year can be achieved by 2050 without significant land-use or feedstock conflicts—five times the current volume. The British biogas industry association ADBA welcomed the report but criticized the government’s lack of ambition: It noted that the UK’s GGSS subsidy program has been exhausted, while France and Germany each fed more than twice as much biomethane into the grid as the UK did last year. The association is calling for a binding production target and the inclusion of grid-fed biomethane in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
EE | Baltic Market Leader Bioforce Secures Growth Capital for Expansion into Poland and Latvia
On August 5, 2026, the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund (a fund for financing infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe) invested in Bioforce, the Estonian biomethane market leader (with a market share of approximately 40 percent in Estonia). The goal is to quadruple production capacity from the current level of over 250 GWh to approximately 1 TWh by 2032, in part through the construction of the first Polish plant starting in 2027 and at least ten additional plants in subsequent years. Already today, around 380 buses in Tallinn run on Bioforce biomethane—in 2025, they covered over 31 million km using it.